In this report, Qiang and Dan discuss which village some of you may be able to retire early on $893 Month in Lake Atitlan Guatemala.
First I share our estimated cost of living in our three favorite villages, then Qiang and I discuss our favorite villages to stay in Lake Atitlan Guatemala, and then I go over my retirement livability factors, such as walkability, food, social considerations, things to do, weather, and real estate.
In the last few weeks, I have done a series of videos about retiring at one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala (links provided).
Okay, here is my estimated cost of living for my three favorite villages on Lake Atitlan, San Pedro, San Marcos, and Panajachel. I had previously shared my cost of living in a resort that included all the amenities like a stand-up paddleboard, hot tub, kayaking, etc. But today, I want to share my estimated costs of living for a less expensive lifestyle.
Here is a table that covers costs for all three villages, San Pedro (The party village), San Marcos (The hippie village), and Pana (The foreign retiree village). But you can live in the hippie or party village even if you are a retiree.
In fact, if you think about it, people that first called themselves hippies or partiers, are all well into their retirement years. And hippie is a state of mind you can maintain throughout life, no matter your age. Okay, here are my estimated costs of living for all three.
|
Expense (USD) |
San Pedro |
San Marcos |
Pana |
|
Rent |
350 |
450 |
600 |
|
Electric |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
Internet |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
Propane |
30 |
30 |
30 |
|
Cell |
13 |
13 |
13 |
|
Groceries |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Restaurants |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
Street Food |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
Laundry |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
Water |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
Recurring Total |
$893 |
$993 |
$1193 |
|
Alcohol |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
Optional Total |
$993 |
$1093 |
$1293 |
The above cost of living for 2 people is just an estimate. For a full understanding of what it would cost you to live here, visit Numbeo and add anything you spend money on in your home country that is not mentioned in the table. Our costs of living are generally much lower than a new traveler because we are great bargain hunters but there are people that live much cheaper than we do.
Never move anywhere until you have visited first personally to verify the living costs for your lifestyle and needs. I am not guaranteeing these prices. These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post. Your costs will likely be drastically different depending on lifestyle and the time since this post.
Which Lake Atitlan Village is Right For You
In the above video, Qiang and I discuss each of the villages we visited in Lake Atitlan and which kind of ex-pat would enjoy that village most. Then we rank our top three villages and share why we order them in that way. You’ll have to watch the above video to hear this part.
Next, we discuss my livability factors and assign an overall desirability score for early retirement in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Lake Atitlan Livability Factors
Here are some of the factors I think about when I consider each place for retirement potential. After I discuss each factor I will assign an overall desirability score to Lake Atitlan.
Walkability: High. If I were to live at any of my three favorite villages around Lake Atitlan, I would be able to walk to restaurants and small fruit and vegetable markets without an automobile. If you have too many groceries to carry home you could get a tuk-tuk for about 5 Q ($0.65). I would not need or want a car. If I bought a vehicle it would be a dirt bike to enjoy some of the dirt trails around most villages.
Internet: Medium. We had very few issues with our Internet speeds. We were running about 10 MBPS down and 6 MBPS upload speeds. If a certain Internet is required for your business, I suggest reading my process for finding the perfect apartment which fulfills all of your needs.
Food: Medium. Only Pana, San Pedro, and San Marcos have many foreign food choices to speak of. We found the foreign food choices to be delicious overall, but as much as triple what it costs to eat in a locals restaurant or food carts around the markets. So if you are a fan of foreign foods I would rate the food as medium or even low.
Weather: High. Lake Atitlan has near-perfect weather year-round. Most people neither heat nor cool their homes. There are just two seasons in Lake Atitlan, sunny or rainy, but the temperatures are fairly stable. The cooler season is November through March when the nighttime lows average in the low 50s F (10 C) and the daytime highs average 80 F (27 C). The warmer season is April through October when nighttime lows average 62 F (17 C) and daytime highs average in the low 80s F (27 C). The rainy season is May through October with the most rain falling in June and September.
Things to Do: Medium. Hiking, swimming, kayaking, dirt bike riding, learning Spanish, cooking, yoga, meditation, village hopping, church, partying, restaurants, gyms, cycling, fishing, painting, writing, etc. If you are an outdoorsy or lake person, you will not run out of things to do. But if the lake is something you only do for long weekends away from a more urban life, you may get bored eventually.
Social Considerations: Medium. This is why knowing which village will fit your personality best is so important. If you are a hippie (or closet hippie), you will find lots of fun things to do in San Marcos. If you love to socialize, make friends, and party, then you will have fun in San Pedro. If you are a retiree looking for retiree ex-pats to hang out with, Pana may be your place. If you are more reclusive in nature, any of the villages would probably work for you. I suggest you visit them all before making a final decision.
Expats: Medium. There are about 10k members of the Living in Guatemala Facebook page (link provided). So if you like hanging out with ex-pats you should be able to locate ex-pat activities in Guatemala. Plus, you will just see ex-pats as you walk around Guatemala. All but one or two have had big smiles on their faces and have been very willing to share their story.
Real Estate: I never recommend buying until you have lived somewhere for at least 3 years. Read this to better understand why I don’t recommend buying outside your home country.
Lake Atitlan Desirability Score: High if you are a mountain or lake person. I doubt you will find a more beautiful mountain hideaway for so little money anywhere in the world. But Medium if you are more of a cultural explorer like me. We next head to one of my favorite colonial-era towns in the world, Antigua, Guatemala. Subscribe now and hit the notifications bell so you will see that video when it is posted.
Thanks for reviewing our content, retire early on $893 Month in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. If you are interested in Guatemala, make sure to watch our YouTube Playlist for all of Guatemala. Also, make sure to grab a free copy of my eBook: How I Fired My Boss and Traveled the World for 14 Years!
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This is Dan of Vagabond Awake, the YouTube channel for VagabondBuddha.com. Thank you for stopping by. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?