So what’s the daily shopping/living experience in Antigua like? Right now, one dollar USD equals 7.85 Quetzales (the local currency).
First of all, let’s address the elephant in the room. Antigua is the historical colonial capital, seat of European power, and a designated UNESCO heritage site. What this means is that Antigua is not representative of Guatemala as a whole. There are more hotel rooms here than houses. Think of it like comparing Middletown PA to NYC in regard to cost of living.
That being said, I’ve been to the supermarket, the open air market, and some specialty shops. There are two supermarkets. The one I’ve been going to is called La Bodegonia. The other one is called Dispensa Familiar- owned by WalMart.
The supermarkets are basically the same as any supermarket, just more crammed and hectic than the typical supermarket in the USA.
The open air market has every product under the sun. Each stand/stall is run by its own independent operator. Maybe some of them work together, but from an outsiders perspective they appear to be individuals running their own businesses.
The produce is cheap at the open air market, and you can find a dizzying array of clothes, home goods, construction material, electronics, etc. Haggling is normal here, but so far I haven’t haggled at all. I’ll work up the courage before I leave. It’s hard for me to justify haggling lower than $1.25 USD for 5 avocados/apples…
Edit: I went back to the market to get some gifts and I successfully haggled for some earings and hats!
How about restaurants? How much does the food cost?? Well… it depends. Expect lunch/dinner to cost around 100 quetzales, or about 13 dollars if you go to a spot where English is spoken by waitstaff and written on the menu.. If you go to a restaurant that specializes in what they call “la comida tipica” or “typical food” you will pay less. For example, one of the most popular restaurants in Antigua charges 35 quetzales, or 4.5 dollars for a full lunch special. If you go to the open air market, hole in the wall place, or street food stalls, you may be able to find a meal for 15-30 quetzales, or about 1.5-4 dollars. I’ve been rotating between a takeout baguette sandwich from the French bakery next to my school (for 15-22 Q, or 1.9-2.8 USD) and the local cafeteria mentioned above that serves lunch for 35Q, or 4.5 USD.
Also, since Antigua is a tourist place and has a long history of European influence (aka imperialism/colonization) you can find surprisingly good European food here. For instance, the bakery next to my school serves an amazing sandwich- as mentioned above. It’s a simple baguette sandwich with ham and cheese on a baguette. It’s 15 quetzales, or just under 2 dollars. Hard to beat that! Plus the coffee there is great too.
Speaking of coffee… how much does that cost? In the USA we’ve come to expect that a latte costs between 5-7 dollars- at least in my experience. Here, the average for a large latte is 20 quetzales, or about 2.5 dollars. Also, it’s either 8 or 12 oz, and the 12 oz is considered a large. The fanciest coffee shops will charge 35Q or 4.5 USD for a pour over of your choice, and if you want black drip coffee to go from any random cafe that’ll run you 10Q, or 1.3 dollars. I’ve found a place that offers pour over using a V60 or chemex for 20Q. Heck yeah.
I have no idea what prices are like for the rest of the country, besides for spending a few days in Panajachel – a small city on the shore of lake Atitltan. Things were about the same as Antigua, maybe a little cheaper on the average in Panajachel. So far, the most knowledgeable person I’ve spoken with was my photo tour walking guide. He said that Guatemalan prices are like rural Texas prices, but Antigua is like San Francisco or NYC.
The cost of living in Guatemala- even the more expensive touristy locations- is significantly cheaper than almost anywhere in the USA. For example, my rent for my homestay worked out to about 20 dollars per night, and my hotel room up at lake Atitlan was about 30 per night.
Thanks for reading! I’m hoping to get one more Guatemala post finished before we transition back to USA based content. I took a hike through some villages that are accessible only by boat and I want to share that experience.
Loving the insight into Guatemalan culture. Super cool trip, I’m jealous 🙂