Often when I visit a country I take a stroll through a typical supermarket looking for the screaming bargains. What’s a deal here?
I’m writing this while traveling through Guatemala, which is certainly one of the cheapest places to travel and one of the cheapest places to live. Here’s what I picked up yesterday in a Guatemalan supermarket one block off the square in Quetzaltenango, also known as Xel-Ha.
That photo at the top is what I bought for the equivalent of $7.50. Now keep in mind I was staying at a hotel and couldn’t cook, and it was Saturday night after a tough bike ride. So unlike a mom cooking for kids, I had no reason to take advantage of the carrots (three pounds for a dollar), potatoes (2.5 pounds for a dollar), rice (60 cents a pound), bananas (40 cents a pound) or beans (65 cents a pound). I also didn’t buy juice, which was less than a dollar a liter.
Here’s what I walked out with though, with all prices in quetzales, currently fetching roughly 7.5 to the U.S. dollar.
16-ounce Brahva beers: 4.85 each
Pound of premium coffee to take home: 18
Quetzalteca hooch, tamarindo flavor: 7
Barbeque peanuts 80 grams/2.8 oz: 5
Pack of Clorets gum: 3.25
Chocolate bars: 3.8
Glue stick & eraser: 3 for both (so cheap, I bought them to take home)
Yeah, a strange and random assortment I know. If you want the real bargains, go to a market and buy local fruit and vegetables, which are so cheap it’s hard to believe. Or get a local sandwich roll for 1Q: less than 1/7th of a dollar.
No, not everything is a bargain. Odd things like toilet paper and toothpaste cost more than they should. Overall, I’d say Guatemala is pretty much on par with Mexico right now in the cost of many goods and services, but maybe a bit less when it comes to gasoline (under $3 a gallon) and household help.
Lodging in Guatemala is cheaper too if you’re a traveler, as are Spanish lessons. If you get out of Antigua, rents are pretty cheap, but in the country’s prettiest city, the monthly housing costs are not really a bargain if you want to be in a convenient spot.
Want to get more detailed info? This post is a few years old but from what I saw this week, is still spot on: Travel Prices in Antigua.
This one has a rundown of travel prices around Lake Atitlan, where you can find some great deals on short-term or long-term stays.
The prices I posted in 2007 while traveling with my family are still not too far off from what I’m finding now. A few things are a little more, but the strong dollar has erased most inflation. A Guatemalan supermarket is still full of bargains.
If you’re part of my Committed or All in Groups for A Better Life for Half the Price, watch for a video soon where I interview five Antigua expats who are raising a family in Guatemala. If you’re not, get on board here!
Jessica
Thursday 16th of July 2015
Hello im trying to move to Guatemala Is it cheap to buy a house there I'm so sick of living in amarican ..can you give me some info on living there that would be wonderful thank you so .much
james adams
Monday 31st of October 2016
Don´t go to Guatemala. it is expencive, at last in Antigua, food´s also expencive but at the market, where you will find great prices but for locals, we got usally the gringp price. besides, everyone, lovcals too,have to be carefull as robbers are watching your every move. Public transport?? only if you have the steel nerves of a formula one driver and want to share the 2 persons seat with 3 other fellows. I know some romantic dudes love the easy going and "Trills" of the place, but if you feel like you need a more normal life, go somewhere else.
Big Dave
Friday 10th of July 2015
I can't seem to find a date - when did you make these purchases? I'm planning on a trip to Guatemala later this year, and I am a huge coffee fanatic, and want to buy some Guatemalan coffee to take home with me.
Tim Leffel
Friday 10th of July 2015
January, 2015. The very best beans are probably exported, but I was happy with what I drank and brought back.
Uptourist
Wednesday 11th of February 2015
It's fascinating how many you can buy in another country. It is surprising how often we dismiss the money that we have only to see it has so much value in another place.
Ian
Monday 2nd of February 2015
Ignore the grumpy old men Tim. I live in England and no way you can get a pound of rice or a pint can of beer ANYWHERE for 40P. These prices look to be about 1/3 or less what I would pay, 99p store or not. And I loved the random assortment---fun haul!
Marco
Monday 2nd of February 2015
I am actually disapointewd with what I have found in this post/maybe even with the whole website. The prices given by you are just the same prices you can see in "99p" stores in Britain. I would expect you can find "deals" like these in US as well if you only try. Mind you do you really expect countries where people earn 50 maybe 150 dollars a month to be expensive? It is not a rocket sience to see there is a relation between earnings and costs of living in various countries. It is more than probable that if you go to Africa (for example Egypt, Marocco where you have been), Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Bali you have visited them as well) or Latin America you will find hotels for 25 or 35 dollars a night and it should not be a surprise for anybody. If you have created something like numbeo then I would have appreciated it. What I have found in this post is just common sense.
Tim Leffel
Monday 2nd of February 2015
What's obvious to your brilliant self is not so obvious to the masses Marco. Otherwise I'd never have any blog visitors or sell any books. But thanks for the feedback.