Budget · Antigua · Guatemala
Antigua on a budget
What a trip to Antigua really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Walter Rodriguez, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Antigua is affordable for most international visitors. Budget roughly $30–$50 per person per day on a tight budget, $80–$150 mid-range and $250–$600 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $30–$50 a day
- Mid-range
- $80–$150 a day
- Luxury
- $250–$600 a day
- Local currency
- GTQ
- Free sights
- 5
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $30–$50 | $90–$150 | $150–$250 | $210–$350 |
| Mid-range | $80–$150 | $240–$450 | $400–$750 | $560–$1,050 |
| Luxury | $250–$600 | $750–$1,800 | $1,250–$3,000 | $1,750–$4,200 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Antigua, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Comedor set lunch | about Q30–Q50 |
| Coffee at a café | about Q15–Q25 |
| Restaurant dinner with a drink | about Q100–Q200 per person |
| Short tuk-tuk ride in town | about Q10–Q25 |
| Chicken bus to Guatemala City | about Q10–Q15 |
| Shared shuttle to the airport | about US$15–$30 per person |
| Ruin or museum entry | about Q20–Q80 |
Money-saving tips
- Eat the main meal at lunchtime in comedores, where set menus cost a fraction of restaurant dinners.
- Hotel rates rise sharply for Holy Week and Christmas; May to October is the lowest-priced period.
- Withdraw quetzales from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres rather than street machines.
- Compare Acatenango and Pacaya tours between several agencies; prices and what is included (gear, park fees, meals) vary.
- Buy textiles in the handicraft market or directly from village cooperatives for better prices than in boutiques.
Free things to do
- Parque Central — Antigua's main square is shaded by trees around the Fuente de las Sirenas, a fountain of mermaids, and framed by the cathedral to the east, the two-storey arcades of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales to the south and the city hall to the north.
- Santa Catalina Arch — The yellow arch spanning 5a Avenida Norte was built in the late 17th century so cloistered nuns could cross between two parts of the Santa Catalina convent without being seen; the clock was added in the 19th century.
- Cerro de la Cruz — A stone cross on a hillside north of town looks straight down the street grid to Volcán de Agua, the classic overview of Antigua.
- Tanque La Unión and Santa Clara ruins — Opposite the ruined façade of the Santa Clara convent, Tanque La Unión is a long colonial wash-house of stone basins under arches where some residents still do laundry, beside a small park with palm trees.
- Municipal market and handicraft market — Antigua's main market is a maze of produce, flower, meat and clothing stalls where people from surrounding villages shop, with simple comedores serving set lunches.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for quiet stays, budget and families
San Francisco and El Calvario
Residential southeast, the Hermano Pedro shrine and the Alameda del Calvario
$ · Best for budget and solo travellers
West side near the market
Hostels, the municipal market and chicken buses by La Recolección
$ · Best for budget and quiet stays
Jocotenango
Neighbouring town just north of Antigua with lower prices and the Calle Real
Eating well for less
- Desayuno chapín — Almost every café and comedor in town serves it all morning.
- Tostadas — Weekend evening stalls in the plaza in front of La Merced and around the market.
Getting around for less
Antigua's centre is a compact grid of numbered calles (east–west) and avenidas (north–south) radiating from Parque Central, and almost everything is reachable on foot. Tuk-tuks cover short hops, tourist shuttles connect with the airport and Lake Atitlán, and colourful chicken buses run to Guatemala City and nearby villages.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Antigua cost?
About $400–$750 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $150–$250 on a tight budget.
+Is Antigua expensive?
It is affordable for international visitors. Eat the main meal at lunchtime in comedores, where set menus cost a fraction of restaurant dinners.
+How much money do I need per day in Antigua?
Roughly $30–$50 on a budget and $80–$150 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Antigua?
Usually in May–June and September–October.