A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cologne vs. Guatemala City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Cologne or Guatemala City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Cologne or Guatemala City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Cologne or Guatemala City?

Cologne

Spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, the city of Cologne dates back 2,000 years, once existing as the largest city of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval times. Today, it is the region's cultural hub - a center of museums, galleries, and towering Gothic cathedrals.

Guatemala City

Referred to by the locals as "Guate," Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala, as well as its capital. While the atmosphere of the place is big, dirty, and dangerous with city fumes and skyscrapers, it is the hub of the country. It is the place where travelers first step foot into Guatemala and, though it is a place of modern chaos, it does have some of the best galleries and museums as well as a selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Germany, The Best Budget Tours to Germany, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Guatemala City or Cologne?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Cologne is €161, while the average daily cost in Guatemala City is €41. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Cologne and Guatemala City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cologne 91
    Guatemala City 22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cologne 182
    Guatemala City 44
Compare Hotels in Cologne and Guatemala City

Looking for a hotel in Cologne or Guatemala City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Cologne


Hotels in Guatemala City


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Cologne Hotel Prices and Guatemala City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cologne 19
    Guatemala City 5.76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cologne

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cologne:

  • Cologne hotels to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) - Departure Private Transfer: $49
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $55
  • Superior Private Transfer from Cologne City to Dortmund City: $64
  • Transfer from Cologne Airport CGN to Cologne City by Luxury Car: $83
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Cologne hotels - Round-trip Private Transfer : $98
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:

  • From Panajachel: Transfer to Guatemala City: $240
  • Guatemala Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Antigua Guatemala: $56
  • Guatemala Airport to San Felipe de Lara RoundTrip PrivateTransfer: $154
  • Guatemala City Airport (GUA) to Quetzaltenango-Arrival Transfer: $66
  • Guatemala City Airport GUA to San Felipe de Lara-Arrival Transfer: $77
  • Guatemala City Airport(GUA) to Quetzaltenango-Round-Trip Transfer: $131
  • One way private transfer to Antigua: $74
  • PRIVATE Group Transfer From Guatemala City to La Antigua: $20
  • Private Airport Transfer La Aurora airport to Guatemala: $24
  • Private Airport Transfer to Antigua Guatemala: $45
  • Private Ground Transfer Airport - Antigua Guatemala: $23
  • Private Ground Transfer Guatemala City To Panajachel, LakeAtitlan: $150

Is it cheaper to fly into Cologne or Guatemala City?

Prices for flights to both Guatemala City and Cologne change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Cologne 50
    Guatemala City 14
Typical Food Prices in Cologne

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cologne:


  • Dinner
    14
  • Donner Kebab
    4.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cologne

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cologne.

  • Hard Rock Café with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
  • Hard Rock Cafe Cologne With Set Lunch or Dinner: $29
  • Köln Südstadt kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
  • 3-Hour Südstadt Food Tour: $484

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.

  • Cooking class/Pepian Workshop: $35
  • Taste Antigua Guatemala Walking Food Tour : $75
  • Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
  • Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $178
  • Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Cooked Under Volcanic Heat: $180

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cologne 20
    Guatemala City 1.13

Tours and Activities in Cologne

Here are a few actual costs in Cologne for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Cologne Walking Tour: The essential and unmissable one: $3.22
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
  • Original funky-fun Free Tour of Cologne: $3.23
  • Germany eSIM Tourist Roaming Data Plan: $4.31
  • Smartphone Scavenger Hunt Sightseeing Tour: $5.92
  • City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
  • Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.00
  • Horrors of World War II Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.52
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Self Guided Walking Tour on your Phone: $7.63
  • Cologne Self Guided Walking Tour Discovering the Horrors of WWII: $7.63
  • Walking Tour with Audio Guide on App: $8.07

Tours and Activities in Guatemala City

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:

  • Culinary Experience in Guatemala City: $15
  • Half Day Antigua Guatemala Tour: $17
  • Guided Walking Tour in Guatemala City: $25
  • Half Day Guatemala City Tour: $27
  • Guatemala city Walking Tour and public bus: $30
  • Half-Day Guatemala City Explorer Tour: $34
  • Graffiti Walking Tour in 4 Grados Norte Guatemala City : $35
  • UNESCO JEWELS: Antigua Half Day Tour from Guatemala City: $38
  • Tour around antigua's villages: $50
  • 3-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South: $55
  • El mejor Tour Ciudad De Guatemala (el Mas Completo): $55
  • Half-Day Guatemala City Tour : $55

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cologne 23
    Guatemala City 6.38

Sample the Local Flavors in Cologne

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cologne:

  • Public brewery tour in German in Cologne: $18
  • Old Town Walking Tour with Brewery and Kölsch Beer: $18
  • Guided tour of the old town with a visit to the brewery in Cologne: $19
  • Old Town Walking Tour inkl Brewery Visit: $24
  • Entertaining Brewery Tour: Feel Good Package including local beer: $27
  • South Cologne Walking Tour with brewery visit: $27
  • Pub Crawl Cologne Including Admission Fee for Bars and Shots: $27
  • Brewery Tour with 3 Kölsch Beer Tastings: $30
  • Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting and Halven Hahn: $31
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $32
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $33
  • Cologne-Nippes: Gourmet wine tasting with cheese platter: $64


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cologne and Guatemala City, we can see that Cologne is more expensive. And not only is Guatemala City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cologne is in Europe and Guatemala City is in Central America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Guatemala City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guatemala City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Cologne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cologne than you might in Guatemala City.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cologne Expensive? and Is Guatemala City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Cologne or Guatemala City?

Guatemala City has a larger population, and is about 3% larger than the population of Cologne. When comparing the sizes of Cologne and Guatemala City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.