Moving to Guatemala from Puerto Rico
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Puerto Rico to Guatemala — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Puerto Rico to Guatemala, you would find that Guatemala is 32.3% cheaper than Puerto Rico overall. A $75,000 salary in Puerto Rico would need to be roughly GTQ388,000 in Guatemala to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Puerto Rico to Guatemala.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → GTQ388,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Guatemala
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 41.1% less
Groceries
pay 35.6% less
Transportation
pay 28.1% less
Housing
pay 37.5% less
Childcare
pay 45.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Puerto Rico to Guatemala, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Guatemala?
Top countries of origin for Guatemala's foreign-born residents.
- 20,683
- 18,872
- 9,299
- 9,211
- 9,023
- 1,921
- · · ·
-
33.107
Puerto Rico
Key Indicator Comparison
How Puerto Rico and Guatemala stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Puerto Rico performs better than Guatemala across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Guatemala performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Guatemala performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Puerto Rico generally does better on infrastructure, though Guatemala leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Guatemala generally does better on employment & economy, though Puerto Rico leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Puerto Rico performs better than Guatemala across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), Puerto Rican Department of Treasury (2016), Superintendence of the Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Puerto Rico and Guatemala. To live, work, or study long-term in Guatemala, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Guatemala's immigration authority.
Guatemala passport holder visiting Puerto Rico
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Guatemala than Puerto Rico?
Generally yes: Guatemala runs about 32% cheaper than Puerto Rico on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Guatemala?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around GTQ97,000 in Guatemala for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Guatemala?
With 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Guatemala can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
Is Guatemala safe for expats?
Puerto Rico performs better than Guatemala across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Guatemala is 23.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 14.6 in Puerto Rico.
How is healthcare in Guatemala compared to Puerto Rico?
Guatemala performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What language do they speak in Guatemala?
The official language in Guatemala is Spanish. In Puerto Rico, the official languages are English and Spanish.
