Which place is cheaper, Los Angeles or Guatemala City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Guatemala City or Los Angeles?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Guatemala City or Los Angeles? 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: Guatemala City or Los Angeles?
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.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California is probably one of the most well known cities in the United States. It is the second most populated metro area in the country with more than 17 million people. The city's diversity is wide reaching, giving it a character that is unique from any other place in the country. LA has many world famous sights and neighborhoods including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica, but there is really so much more to this city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala, The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGuatemala City $44Los Angeles $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Guatemala City is $44, while the average daily cost in Los Angeles is $258. 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 Guatemala City and Los Angeles in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGuatemala City $24Los Angeles $140
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGuatemala City $48Los Angeles $280
Compare Hotels in Guatemala City and Los Angeles
Looking for a hotel in Guatemala City or Los Angeles? 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.
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: Guatemala City Hotel Prices and Los Angeles Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Guatemala City $6.18Los Angeles $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:
- Transfer: From Guatemala City to El Paredon Beach: $240
- Transfer from Guatemala City hotel to INTL Airport La Aurora: $75
- Transfer from Airport to Antigua: $80
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Hotels: $43
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Antigua: $16
- Private Transfer from La Aurora Airport to Antigua Guatemala: $120
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua: $74
- Private Ground Transfer Guatemala City To Panajachel, LakeAtitlan: $150
- Private Ground Transfer Airport - Antigua Guatemala: $23
- Private Airport Transfer to Antigua Guatemala: $45
- Private Airport Transfer La Aurora airport to Guatemala: $24
- PRIVATE Group Transfer From Guatemala City to La Antigua: $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Los Angeles
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Los Angeles:
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Hotel Parking for a Day$22
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Taxi to Airport$55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Los Angeles
Also for Los Angeles, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to LA City Center: $26
- One Way Transfer: Los Angeles from /to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) : $29
- Hollywood Private Transfer to/from Universal Studios or Burbank.: $39
- Private Departure Transfer to Burbank Airport (BUR): $40
- Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Cruise Terminal/Arrival Transfer : $63
- Cruise Terminal to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $63
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport(LGB)-Departure Transfer: $66
- Private transfer from Los Angeles airport LAX to Anheim: $67
- Sta. Monica Private Transfer To or From Los Angeles Airport/Cruise Port.: $71
- Los Angeles Cruise Center Private Transfers to or from Hollywood: $73
- Los Angeles Private Transfer to or from Long Beach.: $79
- Hollywood to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Departure Private Transfer: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Guatemala City or Los Angeles?
Prices for flights to both Los Angeles and Guatemala City 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
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Food Meals for one dayGuatemala City $15Los Angeles $60
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
Typical Food Prices in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Mexican Dinner (family of 4)$32
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Burritos for Two$15
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Coffee and Danish$7.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Venice Beach Food Tour with Tastings: $75
- Santa Monica Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $82
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $88
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- West Hollywood Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach LA Food Tour: $89
- Downtown Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach Food Tour: $89
- LA Venice Beach Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $99
- Original Downtown Los Angeles Walking Food Tour with Six Taste: $110
- Night Cruise in Marina del Rey with Dinner: $124
- Vegan African Dinner Party in Playa Del Ray: $132
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Guatemala City $1.21Los Angeles $82
Tours and Activities in Guatemala City
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:
- 2-Day Chichicastenango and Lake Atitlan Tour from Guatemala City or Antigua: $265
- 2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $130
- 3-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South: $55
- 4-hour Bike Tour Guatemala City South Center: $65
- Acatenango Volcano Overnight Adventure from Guatemala City : $300
- Antigua City Tour from Guatemala City: $77
- Antigua Guatemala , Full-Day Shared Tour from Guatemala City: $75
- Antigua Guatemala Full Day Tour: $58
- Antigua walking tour from Guatemala City : $90
- Bike Tour to Antigua Villages from Guatemala City : $175
- Chichicastenango - Panajachel collective tour: $150
- Chichicastenango Market Tour: $124
Typical Entertainment Prices in Los Angeles
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Los Angeles's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Santa Monica Pier Rides (family of 4)$37
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Bowling$13
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Hollywood Tour for Two$30
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Six Flags for 2$96
Tours and Activities in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Los Ángeles self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.31
- Gambling Built the Sunset Strip: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- Hollywood Secrets: In App Audio Tour at the Famous District: $5.00
- Gambling Built the Sunset Strip: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Chinatown Self-Guided Audio Tour (ENG): $5.40
- The Heart of Los Angeles’ Dreamland: A Self-Guide Tour in Culver City: $5.99
- LA: Broad Museum & Downtown Walk In-App Audio Tour: $7.00
- Lost Souls of Hollywood Smartphone Ghost Tour: $7.31
- Pacific Coast Hwy (LA Santa Maria): Smartphone Audio Tour: $7.31
- Lost Souls of Hollywood Blvd: a Smartphone Audio Ghost Tour: $7.99
- Beverly Hills Walking In-App Audio Tour: $9.00
- Getty Center In-App Audio Tour (ENG, ES): $9.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGuatemala City $6.85Los Angeles $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Los Angeles
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Los Angeles:
- LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $40
- Salsa Lesson, Burlesque and Mojitos : $149
- Salsa Lesson and Burlesque Show: $149
- Malibu: Vintage VW Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting: $195
- Wine Tour at Fess Parker Winery by Helicopter: $4,299
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guatemala City and Los Angeles, we can see that Los Angeles is more expensive. And not only is Guatemala City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Guatemala City is in Central America and Los Angeles is in North 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 Los Angeles would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Los Angeles 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 Guatemala City Expensive? and Is Los Angeles Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Guatemala City or Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Guatemala City. When comparing the sizes of Guatemala City and Los Angeles, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.