Which place is cheaper, Los Angeles or Guatemala City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Guatemala, The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
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Guatemala City Prices
Guatemala PricesLos Angeles Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGuatemala City $56Los Angeles $299
The average daily cost (per person) in Guatemala City is $56, while the average daily cost in Los Angeles is $299. 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 $25Los Angeles $138
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGuatemala City $50Los Angeles $276
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 $6.28Los Angeles $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:
- Transfer from La Aurora airport to Antigua Guatemala.: $80
- Transfer Private Group Airport to Antigua or Viceversa: $120
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Hotels: $43
- San Salvadorz: Convenient bus transfer from/to Guatemala: $41
- Private transfer from La Aurora Airport to Panajachel: $78
- Private transfer from Airport to Panajachel: $78
- Private transfer - San Pedro la Laguna to Guatemala City: $200
- Private Transfers from Guatemala city to Panajachel: $200
- Private Transfer: Guatemala City ⇄ Antigua – One-Way: $40
- Private Transfer: Guatemala City Airpot(GUA) to Antigua Guatemala: $29
- Private Transfer from La Aurora International Airport to Antigua: $32
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Panajachel or Atitlan: $254
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 Intercity Transfer from and to Los Angeles: $15
- Los Angeles Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Los Angeles: $32
- Private Arrival Transfer from LAX Airport to Los Angeles Hotels: $33
- Los Angeles:Private Airport Transfers to/from LA or Disney: $36
- Private Transfer Los Angeles Airport LAX From To LA: $36
- Private Transfer to/from Los Angeles LAX Airport: $36
- Los Angeles to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $40
- Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Los Angeles - Arrival Private Transfer: $40
- Private Departure Transfer to Burbank Airport (BUR): $40
- LAX Private Airport Transfer: $41
- One Way Private Transfer To or From Los Angeles Airport: $45
- Los Angeles to LA Airport (LAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $48
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 $27Los Angeles $104
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.
- Guatemala: Wine and Pizza Tasting Experience: $35
- Cooking Experience in Guatemala from Market to Table: $60
- Antigua: Authentic Guatemalan Cooking Class: $80
- Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
- Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $188
- Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Surrounded by The Volcano: $195
- Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza with Great Volcano Views: $205
- Puerto Quetzal: Private Tour Pacaya Volcano 4x4 and Pizza: $550
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:
- Silver Lake Food Tour with Comedian Foodie Guide!: $59
- West LA Donut Adventure and Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $65
- Fun Gyoza Cooking Class With a Local Chef in Los Angeles: $75
- Los Angeles Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $87
- Downtown Food Tour: $89
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- Los Angeles Taco Tour with To Live and Dine in LA Food Tours: $89
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour of Venice Beach: $94
- Venice Beach LA Food Tour: $99
- Venice Beach Food Tour: $99
- Marina Del Rey: Romantic Cruise, Dinner Charcuterie or Sushi: $99
- Silver Lake Food Tour with To Live and Dine in LA Food Tours: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Guatemala City $1.23Los Angeles $83
Tours and Activities in Guatemala City
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:
- 1 Day Lake Atitlan Tour from Guatemala City: $150
- 2-Day Tour: Antigua Guatemala, Lake Atitlan and Hobbitenango: $299
- 2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $199
- 3-Hour Bike Tour Guatemala City: $60
- Antigua + Guatemala City Full Day Tour - History Lovers Favorite: $245
- Antigua City Tour Full Day From Guatemala City: $60
- Antigua City Tour from Guatemala City: $78
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Shared City Tour: $60
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Tour from Guatemala City: $79
- Antigua Guatemala NIGHT Photo Tour FROM Guatemala City: $125
- Chichicastenango Day Tour from Guatemala City: $115
- City walking tour Guatemala City and Relieff Map: $47
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:
- Secrets of Venice Boardwalk: Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure in LA: $4.94
- Venice Beach: Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Santa Monica: Self-guided Bike Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Griffith Park Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Los Angeles’ Dreamland: A Culver City Audio Tour: $5.99
- Gambling Built the Sunset Strip: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Los Angeles Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- Pasadena Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $7.65
- West Hollywood Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive Self Guided Tour: $7.99
- Los Angeles Getty Center Reserved Entry and Audio Tour: $8.10
- Lost Souls of Hollywood Blvd: a Smartphone Audio Ghost Tour: $9.99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGuatemala City $6.97Los Angeles $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Guatemala City
Also in Guatemala City, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guatemala City Legends Tour + Craft Beers at El Cadejo Brewery: $105
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: $30
- Drag Bar Crawl with Drink in Los Angeles: $39
- LA : Drag Highlights - Bar Crawl & Show – Drinks Included!: $50
- 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.