The cost of basic food basket in Guatemala registered a moderate increase between February and March 2026, according to the most recent report from the National Statistics Institute (INE).
In the urban area, the price rose Q2.92 (0.31%)going from Q927.61 to Q930.52 per person. In the rural area, the increase was Q1.79 (0.25%)rising from Q716.90 to Q718.69 per person.
This implies that a family of four members of the urban area needed at least Q3 thousand 722.08 monthly, the equivalent of a minimum wageeither, to cover your basic diet.
According to Werner Salguero, director of Indices and Continuous Statistics of the INE, given the rise in the basic baskethouseholds have chosen replace more expensive productsprioritize essential foods and reduce expenses on other services.
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These strategies help mitigate the immediate impact, although the pressure on the family budget persists.
Consumption is concentrated in 5 products
The daily spending of Guatemalans focuses on essential foods.
The fresh tortillas they lead with Q3.29 daily per personwhich is equivalent to approximately Q98.68 per month. They are followed by eggs (Q1.08 daily and Q32.31 monthly) and the yellow chicken (Q1.05 daily and Q31.53 monthly), main sources of accessible protein.
They also highlight the tomato (Q0.64 daily and Q19.33 per month) and the soft drinks (Q0.91 daily and Q27.34 monthly), evidencing constant consumption patterns in Guatemalan homes.
Reference prices per pound for March 2026
Salguero explains that the institute compiles price information from about 20 thousand points of sale at the national level, including cantonal, municipal, peripheral markets, neighborhood stores and supermarkets.
To prepare its reports, the institution uses the medium price -either median— is a statistical indicator that represents the core value within a set of prices ordered from lowest to highest.
In order to make the data easier to understand for consumers, the values were converted to poundsone of the most used units of measurement in everyday purchases in Guatemala.
However, it is important to clarify that the INE calculates these prices based on the quantities of food required according to daily caloric needs per personso their original estimates are presented in grams and respond to nutritional criteria.
Grains and cerealsYes
- Fresh tortillas: Q4.88
Meats and proteins
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Vegetables and fruits
General inflation exceeds the basket
The analysis of Consumer Price Index (CPI) evidence that the category of transport was the main driver of monthly inflation, with a significantly higher incidence than the rest of the divisions.
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In March, inflation stood at 2.50%, vastly exceeding the growth rate of the basic food basket. This behavior suggests that other components of spending, beyond food, are exerting a increased pressure on the cost of living of homes.
Fuel impact is still limited
Although in March there were increases in fuelsits impact on the basic food basket it is still reduced. This is because they are part of the expanded basketthe increase occurred in the middle of the month and the transfer to food is gradual.
Salguero provides that this effect could be evidenced more clearly in the April data.
Although the monthly increase is slight, the data reflects a sustained upward trend, where essential foods continue to pressure spending and factors such as fuel could intensify the impact in the coming months.
