Panajachel at a glance
- Panajachel ranks 5th of 10 priced cities in Guatemala on cost: $838 a month in essentials, 0% above Cobán, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $682 covers that 0.8×.
- 98.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipio level.
- PM2.5 averages 19.6 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Guatemala cities we track, so every row says whether Panajachel is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $838 | $838 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $408 | $408 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $620 | $620 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $145 | $145 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $155 | $155 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $117 | $117 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $13 | $13 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $682 | $682 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $614 | $614 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,160 | $1,160 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Panajachel, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.00 | $6.00 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $43.63 | $43.63 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.86 | $6.86 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.97 | $2.97 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.89 | $2.89 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.18 | $4.18 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.00 | $1.00 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.75 | $0.75 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.86 | $1.86 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.74 | $2.74 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.83 | $1.83 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.25 | $2.25 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.38 | $6.38 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.34 | $8.34 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.59 | $3.59 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.56 | $1.56 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.53 | $1.53 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.65 | $1.65 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.07 | $2.07 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.98 | $0.98 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.23 | $1.23 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $13.39 | $13.39 | same |
| Taxi start | $4.93 | $4.93 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.16 | $1.16 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $72.24 | $72.24 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $44.71 | $44.71 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $29.21 | $29.21 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $34.74 | $34.74 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.65 | $5.65 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Panajachel has 98.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipio level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 Guatemala cities we track. Guatemala's national figure is 100.7, so Panajachel runs 2 below the country as a whole.
Every Guatemala region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Panajachel ranks against every city we track
Panajachel sits ahead of 62% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 52% of 998. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 16% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Panajachel sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Panajachel on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Panajachel beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Panajachel in the research deskOr unlock the Guatemala deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Christopher Garcia, Unsplash License.
Data updated