If you’re wondering how much it costs to travel Guatemala, here’s the short answer:
- Budget travel: ~£40/day
- Comfortable backpacking: £50–60/day
- More relaxed travel: £70+/day
That’s based on real travel across multiple destinations, not a stripped-back budget.
After 26 days traveling Guatemala, I averaged just over £53/day.
That wasn’t strict budgeting, but it also wasn’t luxury. I stayed in good hostels, took tourist shuttles, ate out for every meal, and didn’t hold back on alcohol.
Before going to Guatemala, I’d seen everything from ultra-budget claims to people saying it’s getting expensive. The reality sits somewhere in the middle.
Another factor that shapes how people plan their budget is safety — especially when it comes to transport, accommodation choices, and how you move between places. If you’re unsure what that actually looks like on the ground, here’s a full breakdown of is Guatemala safe to visit in 2026.
Here’s exactly what I spent — and what that actually means for your trip.
Quick Facts
- Trip length: 26 days
- Total spent: ~£1,350-£1400 (cash withdrawals make this impossible to know exactly)
- Daily average: ~£52-£54
- Travel style: Upper-end backpacking (comfort + convenience, not strict budgeting)
If you’re planning your route, this Guatemala itinerary guide shows how these costs actually play out across a real trip — and where you’re most likely to overspend.
Guatemala Daily Budget: What You Should Expect
Based on my experience traveling across the country, here’s what a realistic Guatemala daily budget looks like:
- £40/day: Tight budget (street food, budget hostels, minimal alcohol)
- £50–60/day: Comfortable backpacking (what I spent)
- £70+/day: More relaxed travel with fewer trade-offs
Your actual daily cost depends heavily on how you travel — especially accommodation, food choices, alcohol, and how often you move between destinations.
How Much Does a Trip to Guatemala Cost? (Real Examples)
If you’re trying to figure out your total Guatemala trip cost, the easiest way is to scale a realistic daily budget across your trip length.
Based on my average of ~£50–60 per day (comfortable backpacking), here’s what that actually looks like:
- 1 week in Guatemala: ~£350–£450
- 2 weeks in Guatemala: ~£700–£900
- 3–4 weeks in Guatemala: ~£1,200–£1,500
For context, my total spend for 26 days came to roughly £1,350–£1,400.
What does ~£800 actually get you?
This 2-week Guatemala itinerary shows exactly how that budget plays out day-by-day — including where costs stack up faster than expected.
This assumes a similar travel style to mine — staying in good hostels, eating out regularly, using tourist shuttles, and not strictly budgeting.
Note: These estimates don’t include international flights, which can vary significantly depending on where you’re flying from.
You can absolutely do Guatemala cheaper, but most people underestimate how quickly small costs add up over time.
Calculate Your Guatemala Trip Cost
Once you have a rough daily budget in mind, the easiest way to estimate your total Guatemala trip cost is to adjust it based on how you actually plan to travel.
This is the fastest way to figure out what your trip will actually cost — based on your trip length, travel style, and spending habits.
Important: This estimate doesn’t include international flights, which can vary significantly depending on where you’re flying from.
Use the calculator below to get a realistic estimate tailored to your trip.
Guatemala Trip Cost Calculator
What I Actually Spent (And What That Means)
~£53/day puts Guatemala in a slightly awkward middle ground.
- More expensive than Nicaragua / El Salvador
- Cheaper than Costa Rica
- Easy to overspend without realising
I wasn’t trying to save money:
- Ate out for every meal
- Drank regularly
- Took shuttles instead of local buses
- Chose well-known hostels over the cheapest options
So this is a realistic, comfortable backpacking number — not a stripped-down budget.
- Accommodation: £10–£20
- Food: £10–£25
- Transport: £3–£8
- Activities (avg): £4–£6
- Alcohol: £0–£10+
Accommodation Costs
Realistically, hostels fall into two categories:- Budget hostels: ~£10 per night
- Well-known/social hostels: ~£15–£20 per night
If you’re deciding where to stay, this guide to the best hostels in Lake Atitlán shows what you actually get at different price points.
Spanish School Stay
I also did a 6-night Spanish school homestay for 2,584 quetzals (~£258), which included:
- 3 meals per day
- 4 hours of Spanish lessons daily
This actually worked out very good value and brought my daily average down slightly.
Overall, hostels were more expensive than I expected — especially compared to Southeast Asia — but still reasonable for the experience.
Transport Costs
I used tourist shuttles for my entire route, and overall they felt fairly priced.
Local transport is available and much cheaper (sometimes as little as ~£2 per journey), but it’s not particularly reliable:
- No fixed timetables
- No clear stations
- You often just wait for buses to show up
For simpler routes, chicken buses can make sense. But for longer or more complicated journeys, shuttles are significantly easier.
If I did it again, I’d only use local buses when the journey involves one change or less.
Transport costs add up more when you move frequently. In my case, I spent long stretches in Lake Atitlán and El Paredón, which helped keep my daily average down.
If you’re planning your route, I break down how to structure it efficiently in my Guatemala itinerary guide, which helps avoid unnecessary transport costs.
Transport is also where most safety concerns come up — especially when deciding between tourist shuttles and local buses. If you’re unsure what’s actually safe vs what to avoid, I’ve broken that down here: how safe transport in Guatemala really is.
Food & Alcohol Costs
Food prices vary quite a bit depending on how you eat.
- Street food: ~£2–£5
- Typical meal: £8–£12
- Higher-end meals: £15+
Even if you try to eat cheaply, small costs add up quickly — drinks, snacks, coffees, and the occasional more expensive meal.
Alcohol also makes a noticeable difference. Even a couple of drinks per day increases your overall spend, and regular nights out push it up further.
I didn’t track this precisely, but it formed a significant part of my daily spend.
Even small things like my daily peanut m&ms sweet treat can have an impact on how much you spend over time.
Tours & Activities
- Acatenango hike: ~$140 (£110)
- Tikal entrance: ~200Q (~£20)
- Semuc Champey: ~50Q (~£5)
The Acatenango hike is easily the biggest single cost (~£110), but also one of the most worthwhile experiences in Guatemala.
If you’re considering it, I break down the full cost, difficulty, and whether it’s actually worth it in my detailed guide.
Other entrance fees and tours are relatively small individually, but they do add up across a full trip.
Cost by Location
Most places in Guatemala felt surprisingly similar in price. The main exception was Semuc Champey, where:- No street food options
- You’re essentially forced to eat at hostels
- Prices are slightly higher as a result
El Paredón is one of the easiest places to overspend without realising—mainly because people stay longer than planned. Here’s my honest breakdown of whether El Paredón is worth visiting and if that extra time (and cost) is actually worth it.
Biggest Cost Surprises
More Expensive Than Expected
- Hostels (especially compared to Asia)
- Food in remote locations
Not More Expensive Than Expected
- Tourist shuttles (felt fair for the convenience)
Hidden Costs
- ATM fees
- Card charges in smaller towns
Even ATMs labelled “free” aren’t always reliable, so you often end up paying anyway. Withdrawing larger amounts when possible helps reduce this.
Final Verdict: Is Guatemala Expensive?
Guatemala sits somewhere in the middle.- Not ultra-cheap
- Not expensive
- Easy to overspend without noticing
- Tight budget: ~£40/day
- Comfortable backpacking: ~£50–60/day
- More Luxury travel: £70+/day
If budget isn’t the only thing you’re weighing up — and safety is part of that decision — it’s worth understanding what it’s actually like on the ground. I’ve broken that down in full here: is Guatemala safe to visit.
Where to look next
If you’re planning your trip through Guatemala, these guides will help you understand how costs vary across different routes and experiences:
Guatemala Itinerary
See how costs change depending on your route, trip length, and the destinations you include.
Acatenango Hike
The most expensive single activity for most travellers — here’s what it costs and whether it’s worth it.
Semuc Champey
A remote destination where costs can increase — here’s how to plan and budget for the trip.
