As digital nomads, we’re always on the lookout for a place to settle down temporarily, unpack, and feel at home for a while. We usually do our homework to check out costs and amenities ahead of a move, but it’s often hard to find precise prices for everyday items. These are the details people need when planning a visit or a move, right?
We spent nearly two months living by Lake Atitlan, and we can give you a pretty good idea of what the costs for groceries, transportation, and accommodation are like here.
Here are the monthly expenses for two people, at the time when 1 USD was equal to 7.66 GTQ.
We looked at quite a few rentals before choosing our current small home (casita). If you’re okay with arriving and then looking for an apartment on foot, that’s an option too. You can find “for rent” signs on houses or various ads and listings in cafes, bars, hostels, and tour agencies.
If you don’t mind staying in a hotel until you find an apartment, this could work for you. You’ll likely deal with a local person and need to negotiate in Spanish. Alternatively, you can look for something online before you arrive. We found prices of accommodations online quite reasonable, and communication was easier with English-speaking agents.
We booked through Atitlan Solutions/Atitlan Vacation Rentals, which had several listings. You can also check out Terra X Atitlan or Century 21 (Antigua Fine Homes).
In San Marcos, Lush Apartments offer a variety of rooms, some with kitchens. Prices range from $500 to $1,700 USD per month. Just outside of San Marcos, a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride away, Pasaj-Cap offers rentals starting at $525 USD per month with an additional $12 per week for mandatory cleaning.
At Sunset Lodge in Paxanax, where we currently live, it’s a two-minute boat ride or a 20-minute walk from Santa Cruz. Our apartment costs $600 USD per month, but we got a discount to $550 USD. This includes all utilities and twice-weekly cleaning services, although we pay for drinking water and cooking gas separately.
You can also find plenty of options in Panajachel and San Pedro.
Here’s our weekly rundown:
– Casita rent – $550
– Drinking water, 18L (5 bottles) – 20Q each ($13 total)
– Cooking gas (2 tanks) – 140Q per tank (280Q or $36.33 total)
Groceries here are quite affordable, though more expensive compared to Mexico but still cheaper than Western countries.
During our first month (March), we spent 3,962 Quetzales ($517 USD) on groceries, strictly for food. The second month (April), our spending was slightly less.
We have hearty meals three times a day plus snacks, so our food budget might be higher than yours. Here’s a breakdown of food costs:
– Bottle of wine – 41.75Q ($5.45)
– Bottle of beer – 5Q ($0.65)
– Cup of coffee – 12Q ($1.57)
– Street food meal – 15Q ($1.96)
– Restaurant meal – 30Q and up ($3.92+)
We enjoy a beer or wine almost daily and rarely eat out except for occasional street food.
There are no proper roads connecting all the villages, so most people get around by taxi boat (lancha). You’ll likely arrive by bus to Panajachel, but you can also reach San Pedro directly by road from Guatemala City, Xela, and Antigua. Within the villages, you can take tuk-tuks.
Foreigners typically pay more for boat rides, which is just the way it is here. Tourist prices are:
– Panajachel to Santa Cruz – 10Q ($1.31)
– Panajachel to San Marcos – 20Q ($2.61)
– Panajachel to San Pedro – 25Q ($3.27)
– San Pedro to San Marcos – 10Q ($1.31)
– Panajachel to San Juan – 25Q ($3.27)
– Tuk-Tuk within Panajachel – 5Q ($0.65)
– Tuk-Tuk from San Juan to San Pedro – 15-20Q ($1.96-$2.61)
We head to Panajachel about once a week by boat from Santa Cruz and visit nearby villages, sometimes using tuk-tuks within the village. More travel means more costs. For both of us to go to San Pedro from Santa Cruz, it’s 100Q ($13) roundtrip.
How much you spend living on the lake depends on where you live. Panajachel and San Pedro have many temptations like bars and restaurants, which can increase your budget. If you party, travel between villages, and eat out frequently, you’ll spend more than we did.
Our lifestyle includes free activities like kayaking, swimming, walking, and occasional village visits, mainly eating and drinking at home, and relaxing.
We also spend an extra 300Q ($38.92) per month on miscellaneous items like tips, cell phone minutes, toiletries, clothing, and other odds and ends.
Hopefully, this info helps you plan and budget your trip to the lake!