Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guatemala instead of California, you would:

Economy

be 49.0% less likely to be unemployed

In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.

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be 4.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.

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make 92.1% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 35.0% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: California vs. Guatemala

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Guatemala is 55.9% cheaper than California
→
Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 3.7 times bigger than Guatemala.
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Moving from California to Guatemala · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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