Climate

Antigua Guatemala logs 2 hot days a year to Guatemala City's 136 — Antigua Guatemala wins by 134. Antigua Guatemala also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 3.

Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Sunny days
265275
Hot days
2136
Frost days
00
Rain days
192106
Outdoor dinner months
12/129/12
Avg wind
1.4 m/s1.8 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,7512,754
Darkest month sun
168 hrs/mo186 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.510.9

Antigua Guatemala

Feels-like °C

25
26
27
27
27
26
27
27
27
26
25
25

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Guatemala City

Feels-like °C

22
23
25
26
26
25
26
26
26
24
22
22

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Antigua Guatemala is $179/mo cheaper

Antigua Guatemala runs about $1,307/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Guatemala City's $1,486/mo — Antigua Guatemala comes in $179 cheaper each month, roughly 14% less.

Antigua Guatemala

$1,307

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $975Comfort $2,201
Cheaper than 63%in Among 48 Latin America cities

Guatemala City

$1,486

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,107Comfort $2,461
Top 56%in Among 48 Latin America cities

Mobility

Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City score neck-and-neck on mobility (2.0 vs 2.0, 0–5 scale).

2.0/5
vs
2.0/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
WalkabilityCar EfficiencyAirport
MotorbikeAirport

Culture

Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City score neck-and-neck on culture (3.2 vs 3.1, 0–5 scale).

3.2/5
vs
3.1/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
History
HistoryTheatreNightlife

Nature & Outdoors

Antigua Guatemala's nature & outdoors score of 4.3 sits well above Guatemala City's 3.2, with the biggest gap on hiking.

4.3/5
vs
3.2/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
MountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCamping
MountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCamping
Antigua Guatemala leads

Safety

Antigua Guatemala's safety score is ~7.3× Guatemala City's — below average, while Guatemala City lands near the floor, with the biggest gap on walking safety.

2.2/5
vs
0.3/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Property CrimeRoadEarthquake
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeFlooding
Antigua Guatemala leads

Career

Guatemala City's career score of 3.1 sits well above Antigua Guatemala's 1.7, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

1.7/5
vs
3.1/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Coworking
JobsEconomyCoworking
Guatemala City leads

Social & Community

Antigua Guatemala's social & community score is ~1.4× Guatemala City's — in the middle of the scale, while Guatemala City lands below average, with the biggest gap on expat integration experience.

3.2/5
vs
2.3/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Everyday EnglishLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Antigua Guatemala leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Guatemala City scores 2.8 vs Antigua Guatemala's 2.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on food delivery.

2.2/5
vs
2.8/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
RestaurantsDelivery
Guatemala City leads

Family

On family, Guatemala City scores 2.1 vs Antigua Guatemala's 1.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities. Antigua Guatemala still holds an edge on playgrounds.

1.6/5
vs
2.1/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
UniversitiesGroceriesGym
Guatemala City leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Guatemala City scores 3.0 vs Antigua Guatemala's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.0/5
vs
3.0/5
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Private Healthcare
Guatemala City leads

Air Quality

Antigua Guatemala averages 26.2 µg/m³ (unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Guatemala City's 29.0 µg/m³ (unhealthy) — Antigua Guatemala breathes ~9% cleaner air (2.7 µg/m³ lower).

Antigua Guatemala

Guatemala City

26.2µg/m³
29.0µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Unhealthy
Unhealthy

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Antigua Guatemala (107K) and Guatemala City (2.9M) are 27x in population — Guatemala City is the larger metro, Antigua Guatemala the smaller; on land area Guatemala City spans roughly 19x more ground.

23x

Guatemala City is roughly 23x the scale of Antigua Guatemala

Combined population & area comparison

GT flagGuatemala City
23x
GT flagAntigua Guatemala
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.GT flagGuatemala City2.9M27x
2.GT flagAntigua Guatemala107K1x
Area
1.GT flagGuatemala City470 km²19x
2.GT flagAntigua Guatemala25 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
7.0 km10 km

GT flagAntigua Guatemala

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
28 km31 km

GT flagGuatemala City

Who Thrives Here

Antigua Guatemala favours the park & garden lover, while Guatemala City suits the big city energy. Both cities work well for the mountain seeker.

Thrives in both
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Thrives only in Antigua Guatemala
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Thrives only in Guatemala City
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City
Struggles in both
Antigua GuatemalaGuatemala City

Frequently asked about Antigua Guatemala vs Guatemala City

Which is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Guatemala City?
Antigua Guatemala is approximately $179 per month cheaper. Antigua Guatemala averages $1,307/mo while Guatemala City averages $1,486/mo.
How does the climate compare between Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City?
Sunny days: 265 vs 275 d — Guatemala City higher Annual sunshine: 2,751 vs 2,754 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 168 vs 186 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 2 vs 136 d — Antigua Guatemala lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 192 vs 106 d — Guatemala City lower
Is Antigua Guatemala or Guatemala City safer?
Antigua Guatemala scores higher on safety. Antigua Guatemala rates 2.2/5 while Guatemala City rates 0.3/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Antigua Guatemala or Guatemala City?
Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Antigua Guatemala is generally more affordable, while Guatemala City may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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