Guatemala
Volcanoes, a highland lake and Maya ruins on a backpacker budget.
Flat. The exchange rate moved +0.2%; local prices rose +2.8%.
- Lean
- $33
- Comfort
- $166
Ranked 50 of 65.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Guatemala costs US-dollar travelers about the same as a year ago in real terms (+0.9%). A mid-range day costs about $72 per person, excluding international flights. The US State Department advisory is Level 3 (reconsider travel), and it ranks 50 of 65 on the Trip Arbitrage Index with a score of 55 out of 100.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 51
- Price floor ×0.30
- 70
- Safety ×0.20
- 38
- Ease ×0.14
- 55
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | +0.8% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | +0.9% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +0.2% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +2.8% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | 0.0% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 3 | Reconsider travel |
| Ease of travel | 3.2 / 5 | Workable |
- Spanish schools with homestay at $200 a week
- Antigua and Lake Atitlán
- Tikal at dawn
Violent crime is the reason for the elevated advisory. Use tourist shuttles, not chicken buses, and do not travel after dark.
The quetzal is one of the world's most stable currencies. Do not expect a currency play.
When to go
November is peak season- Janpeak
- Febpeak
- Marpeak
- Aprpeak
- Mayshoulder
- Junoff
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Sepoff
- Octshoulder
- Novpeak
- Decpeak
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 3: Reconsider travel · updated March 11, 2026
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Workable · 3.2 / 5
Guatemala, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Guatemala?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Guatemala costs about $33 on a lean budget, $72 mid-range and $166 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate.
- Is Guatemala cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- It is about the same. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved +0.2% for US-dollar holders while prices in Guatemala rose +2.8%, a net real change of +0.9% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Guatemala is 0.0% more expensive.
- Is Guatemala safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Guatemala at Level 3: Reconsider travel. Violent crime is the reason for the elevated advisory. Use tourist shuttles, not chicken buses, and do not travel after dark. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Guatemala?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are May, October. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in November, December, January, February, March, April. November is peak season.
- How easy is Guatemala to travel around?
- Guatemala scores 3.2 out of 5 for ease of travel (workable), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. Volcanoes, a highland lake and Maya ruins on a backpacker budget.
Elsewhere in Latin America
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Guatemala reads +0.9% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $72. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.