Antigua Very cheap
Pepian, a rich seeded stew, is the national dish. The market on the west side is where locals eat for a few quetzales. Guatemalan coffee is world class — buy it from a finca, not a souvenir shop.
Budget travel in Guatemala
What a visitor's money does in Guatemala: every guide rated from very cheap to very expensive, cheapest first, then the things that cost travellers money without buying anything — the ATM, the taxi, the SIM.
Very cheap average across 1 guide · 5 is very cheap
Money
Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ) · 1 EUR = 8.8 GTQ · 1 USD = 7.6 GTQ
Quetzales are needed for markets, tuk-tuks and small restaurants. Banks give better rates than hotels. US dollars are accepted at tour agencies but at a poor rate.
ATMs
Avoid: street machines after dark, ATMs in tourist shops off the main square
Use: Banco Industrial, BAC, Banrural
Withdrawal limits are low and fees around Q30. Use machines inside a bank or a guarded shop during opening hours.
Getting around
A short ride in Antigua: Q30–70 across town — middling
From the airport: Guatemala City airport to Antigua Q250–350, an hour away
Cheaper than the airport taxis and far cheaper than a hotel shuttle.
City by city, cheapest first
The cost rating is this site's own, for a visitor, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in. The general rules — the conversion prompt, shoulder season, the airport taxi — are in budget travel tips.
