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Antigua Guatemala vs Mérida cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala
🇲🇽 Mérida
At a glance
- Where Mérida is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (64%↓), Taxi (32%↓), Studio rent (month) (29%↓)
- Where Antigua Guatemala is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (35%↓), SIM card (27%↓), Coffee (24%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety — Antigua Guatemala 3 vs Mérida 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Antigua Guatemala | Mérida | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Q 50$6.55 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Antigua Guatemala −19% |
| Street food1 item | Q 20$2.62 | MX$ 55$2.96 | Antigua Guatemala −11% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Q 150$19.6 | MX$ 400$21.5 | Antigua Guatemala −9% |
| Coffeeone cup | Q 25$3.27 | MX$ 80$4.3 | Antigua Guatemala −24% |
| Beerone bottle | Q 25$3.27 | MX$ 50$2.69 | Mérida −18% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Q 50$6.55 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Antigua Guatemala −19% |
| Bottled water | Q 6$0.79 | MX$ 15$0.81 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Q 8$1.05 | MX$ 22$1.18 | Antigua Guatemala −11% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Q 45$5.89 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Mérida −32% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Q 20$2.62 | MX$ 50$2.69 | similar |
| Transitone ride | Q 5$0.65 | MX$ 12$0.65 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | Q 150$19.6 | MX$ 130$6.99 | Mérida −64% |
| Hotel night3-star | Q 600$78.6 | MX$ 1,100$59.1 | Mérida −25% |
| Studio rent (month) | Q 5,500$720 | MX$ 9,500$511 | Mérida −29% |
| Laundry | Q 12$1.57 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Mérida −14% |
| SIM card1 week data | Q 60$7.86 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Antigua Guatemala −27% |
| Haircutcut | Q 60$7.86 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Antigua Guatemala −19% |
| Massage1 hour | Q 300$39.3 | MX$ 550$29.6 | Mérida −25% |
| Half-day tourper person | Q 230$30.1 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Antigua Guatemala −7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Q 40$5.24 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Antigua Guatemala −35% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Mérida?
Mérida is 14% cheaper than Antigua Guatemala. Daily budget $142 vs $125; a month $2,871 vs $2,416.
Which is easier to travel, Antigua Guatemala or Mérida?
About the same: Antigua Guatemala 2.8/5, Mérida 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Antigua Guatemala and Mérida?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Antigua Guatemala is about $2,871 and Mérida about $2,416 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.