The Ultimate Digital Nomad Guide to Antigua, Guatemala

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One of the best places to live in Guatemala as a digital nomad is the colonial capital of Antigua.

From volcano hikes to colorful Guatemalan culture to eclectic breweries and cafes, there are many epic things to do in Antigua, which is why it has easily become one of my favorite cities that I’ve temporarily lived in as a digital nomad.

Antigua had just what we were looking for when seeking our next digital nomad destination: adventurous activities, organic markets, and plenty of diverse cafes and restaurants so that we didn’t circle through them 2-3 times. 

It also has stunning views with its three peaky volcanoes marking the skyline, charming cobblestone streets, and ancient ruins.

We even got to hike up Pacaya Volcano for sunrise and see a river of lava, which made our time in Antigua even more memorable.

We spent over one month living in Antigua, and before that, living the digital nomad life in Lake Atitlán for two months.

Between the two, Antigua stole our hearts more than the lake, despite my usual preference for being immersed in nature rather than the city.

Unlike Mexico’s bustling digital nomad scene, Guatemala isn’t on most digital nomads’ radars.

But that’s what makes Antigua, Guatemala’s charming and ruined old capital, so unique as a digital nomad destination.

That said, if you’re considering living in Antigua, Guatemala, as a digital nomad, here’s everything to know before you go!

The Ultimate Antigua Guatemala Digital Nomad Guide

Prepping for Your Nomad Stay in Antigua – Essential Toolkit

Here’s a handy checklist for must-have tools and resources for your nomadic adventures in Antigua!

✈️ Travel insurance: Stay safe in Antigua with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance—ideal for travelers and remote workers on the go ($56 per 4 weeks).

📱 Guatemala eSIM: Get data in Guatemala without changing your number with an easy-to-install Guatemala eSIM.

🗺️ Book Tours: Find local Antigua tours and experiences online, like the Pacaya Volcano hike!

🚕 Airport Transfer: The easiest way to get from Guatemala City Airport to Antigua is via taxi, Uber, or private shuttle transfer ($25).

Even though Antigua is picture-perfect, unexpected health or travel hiccups can happen. That’s why having the right insurance is a must!

SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Essential offers the same reliable travel medical coverage for intrepid nomads, ideal for handling unexpected mishaps on short trips, like a sprained ankle while hiking Volcán Pacaya. 🥴

Planning to stay longer in Guatemala or need more comprehensive health coverage?

Then consider their Nomad Insurance Complete option, which combines worldwide health insurance with travel coverage—ideal for longer-term nomads.

• Essential: Travel medical insurance only, $56/4 weeks
• Complete: Travel medical PLUS complete global health coverage, starting at $150/month

I used SafetyWing Nomad Essential for my digital nomad adventures in both Guatemala and Mexico and highly recommend it!

Signing up takes less than five minutes and coverage starts immediately. You can also buy even if you’re already abroad.

Click here to protect your journey with SafetyWing for as little as $56 per four weeks.

Cost of Living in Antigua Guatemala for Digital Nomads

The cost of living for digital nomads in Antigua is higher than in other parts of Guatemala. 

Antigua is Guatemala’s colonial gem and one of the most popular destinations for travelers. As such, it attracts many visitors each year and long-term expats.

As an outsider living in Antigua, expect to pay more for housing. The prices here are often more similar to European prices.

Other costs, such as food and activities, are a bit more expensive, but they are more typical of a Central American country.

For example, eating out in a really nice restaurant for two costs around $40-50 USD. A typical lunch or dinner would average around $15-20.

The total cost of living as a digital nomad will ultimately depend on your lifestyle!

Here’s a breakdown of our costs after living in Antigua, Guatemala, for one month:

• Cafes & Restaurants – $738.53
• Apartment Monthly Rent – $750
• Transport – $10 (we walked everywhere, but you can take cheap Ubers or tuk-tuks)
• Activities (i.e. hikes, tours, etc) – $50-100
• SIM card data recharge – $20 (here’s how to get a sim card)
• Groceries (markets + La Bodegona) – $281.96
• ATM withdrawal – $250

Total = ∼ $2,150.49

I hope that gives you an idea of how much it costs to live for one month in Antigua, Guatemala. More or less, at least!

You could definitely make it more affordable if you wanted to, or spend even more! You might not eat out as much as we did, or you might find a better deal on housing (we had a really unique colonial home in the center).

Also, we typically worked at home or in coffee shops, so we didn’t incur any expenses for coworking spaces.

The Best Time to Live in Antigua as a Nomad

Like many Central American countries, the best time to visit Antigua, Guatemala, will be during the dry months from November to April.

January is usually the busiest month, along with March for Easter celebrations.

I’d say that between January and early April is the best time of year to visit and live in Antigua, mainly because you’ll have better weather for activities like the Acatenango 2-day overnight trek or the Pacaya Volcano trek.

Days are warm yet fresh, with clear skies. When we arrived in Antigua in early May, we were already getting lots of cloudy, somewhat chilly days with lots of rain.

This made exploring around and checking off our adventure bucket list a little harder, and why we didn’t have the chance to hike Acatenango.

Transportation – Getting to & Around as Nomads in Antigua Guatemala

Antigua sits in a valley surrounded by volcanoes in the Central Highlands. It’s located in the Sacatepéquez department in southern Guatemala.

It’s located about 45 km (28 mi) west of Guatemala City, which makes it easy to reach by taxi or shuttle transfer after landing at the airport.

That said, the easy way to get to Antigua is to fly into La Aurora International Airport, in Guatemala City.

From there, rent a car if you feel comfortable driving in Guatemala or grab a taxi/shuttle. I don’t recommend hopping directly on a chicken bus, the typical local transportation, for this trip.

Ubers aren’t that expensive in Guatemala, and they are among the easiest ways to get from the airport to Antigua. We took one in the opposite direction, from Antigua to Guatemala City near the airport, and it cost us only 155Q, including a tip ($20) for a 50-minute ride. In 2024, depending on demand, you’ll most likely pay somewhere between $35 and $45.

There are also budget-friendly ($25) shuttles you can book online.

Once in Antigua, you can easily get around the center on foot. 

It takes about 20 minutes to cross the entire center. Otherwise, silver tuk-tuks can be hired with a wave of the palm. Uber, as I mentioned, is available too.

Finding Apartment Rentals in Antigua for Digital Nomads

As I’ve mentioned before, accommodation in Antigua is expensive; at least more than other digital nomad cities we’ve lived in.

To start your search for housing, I recommend joining the local Antigua Facebook group or the Expats Living in Guatemala group and posting there.

If you don’t have any luck, the next best place to search is Airbnb.

While the monthly prices on Airbnb are alarming, don’t let them deter you from contacting the host and asking for a reasonable monthly stay.

We do this each time we’re looking for an apartment with decent WiFi (and a pet-friendly place since we travel with our cat).

This is how we lived in a tiny home in Lake Atitlán and a well-preserved colonial home in the heart of Antigua, near La Merced.

Internet Speed in Antigua

So, how’s the internet in Antigua, Guatemala for digital nomads and remote workers? Better than in Lake Atitlán — that’s for sure!

The average internet speed in Antigua was around 13 Mbps. Most cafes had between 10-15 Mbps, while the apartments I contacted had between 5-10.

You can get an upgrade of 5 Mbps by asking your host. This is what we did and it came included in the price of our rent.

We found 13-15 Mbps to be plenty for our work. For reference, we both work online and travel full-time – I am a freelance content writer, and my partner Paul runs an online business selling blue-light gaming glasses.

I do a lot of photo editing, uploading, and video while Paul has daily Skype/Zoom calls.

Coworking Spaces

We never needed to go to one of Antigua’s coworking spaces, but our old friends went to Impact Hub multiple times a week.

Instead, we’d head to one of our favorite cafes to enjoy working alongside scrumptious drinks and treats.

If you do find yourself in need of a quiet place to get some work done, these are some of the best coworking spaces in Antigua:

Impact Hub — Revered as Antigua’s best coworking space, with light and spacious indoor and outdoor seating. Costs Q80 per day or Q800 for the month, about $10 a day or $100 a month.

Selina — Selina is a popular coworking/hotel/coliving space. It’s located right near La Merced. It also has great accommodation options for temporary digital nomads to stay. Daily desks cost about Q60 or $8 USD. You can also pay monthly if you’re planning to live in Antigua for an extended period of time.

La Creativa — a green space doubling as an artisan handmade shop and coworking space. Contact for membership prices.

Best Cafes in Antigua with Wifi for Remote Work

You can’t come to Antigua and NOT take advantage of the dozens of coffee shops.

Not only can you enjoy a fresh cup of Guatemala coffee, but you can also hang out for a while or work on your laptop.

Here are some of our favorite coffee shops with wifi in Antigua Guatemala:

• Artista de Café — artsy, creative space with the best caramel cold brew ever – cuteness overload.
• Fat Cat Coffee House — better known for its locally-grown Guatemalan coffee than its wifi.
• Cafe Estudio — spacious and traditional with an epic rooftop view of all three volcanoes.
• Fernando’s Kaffee — work inside a cozy inner courtyard with excellent coffee and breakfast.
• La Vid Coffee Roasters — minimalistic coffee house with yummy coffee and sweet treats.

There are so many more to mention! Artista de Café is definitely my favorite, though. Go early after lunch to grab a seat to work for the afternoon.

Grocery Shopping + Markets for Nomads in Antigua

Antigua has it all when it comes to grocery shopping; a supermarket, organic markets, and fresh produce markets.

La Bodegona: La Bodegona is the main supermarket in Antigua. You can find all types of stuff here, including stationery, clothes, kitchen goods, and of course, aisles and aisles of local and internationally imported goods. Located at 27 4ta Calle Poniente.

Caoba Farms: Caoba Farms is an organic farm and market located on the outskirts of Antigua. They have organic food, imported goods, and basically anything you could want. They also have an on-site open-air restaurant serving organic food and meat from their farm. It is so good – don’t miss out! Located at 5 Avenida Sur Final.

Mercado Central: Antigua’s sprawling El Mercado is enormous. Here, you can find literally anything. From clothes and textiles to raw meat and spices. Everything is sectioned. The main market days are Saturday and Sunday, but you can go any day of the week from 6 am to 6 pm. Expect crowds! It can be overwhelming, to say the least.

Orgánica: The organic-only supermarket and health food store in Antigua. They also sell eco-friendly skincare and cleaning supplies. Prices here are a bit elevated, as one could expect. Located at 5a Calle Poniente.

Recommended Places to Eat in Antigua for Nomads

If you’re a fellow foodie like we are, then you’ll love being a digital nomad in Antigua Guatemala.

This city has so many diverse cuisines to try — from gourmet French and Italian to authentic Japanese, Mayan, and more. I think we ate our way through nearly two dozen restaurants and cafes in one month, and we didn’t make a dent!

These are just some of the best restaurants in Antigua…

• Kombu Ramen Shop – authentic Japanese ramen!
• Samsara – vegan/vegetarian health food
• Antigua Brewing Company – comfort bar food and brewery
• Frida’s – upscale Mexican tacos and seafood
• Luna de Miel – gourmet French crêpes
• Saberico – Guatemalan + health food
• Caoba Farms – an organic farm-to-table restaurant
• Hector’s Bistro – fine French cuisine
• Cactus Taco Shop – upscale Mexican street tacos and drinks
• La Fonda de la Calle Real – authentic Guatemalan

Healthcare in Antigua for Digital Nomads

Antigua is well-connected to Guatemala City, but even so, there are plenty of medical practitioners here. The best and nearest hospital in Antigua would probably be the Hospital Nacional Pedro de Bethancourt.

You can find all the emergency numbers for Guatemala here.

Quick reference:

• Police – 120
• National Hospital Pedro de Bethancourt – 7832-0532
• Tourist assistance – 1500, 2421-2810, and 5578-9836
• U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City – 2326-4501 and 2326-4000

Although I didn’t go to the doctor in Antigua, I needed to go to the dentist! I highly recommend cleanings and fillings with Smile Antigua. Dr. Cecilia was so kind, gentle, and caring! A deep cleaning costs Q400 (around $50).

Also, if you are traveling with a pet in Antigua and need veterinary care, I recommend Dr. Hugo from Veterinaria El Arca.

Travel Medical Insurance

If you live and travel abroad in countries like Guatemala, travel medical insurance is a must.

As I mentioned above, I use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance, which is a travel medical insurance specifically designed for digital nomads.

On the Essential plan, I’m covered for all travel-related accidents and emergencies, but they now offer a Complete plan which covers global health insurance and travel medical insurance!

Do You Need to Speak Spanish as a Digital Nomad in Antigua?

Do you need to speak fluent Spanish to live in Antigua, Guatemala? No, but it certainly helps.

Guatemala is particularly known for having Spanish Language Schools where you can expedite your Spanish language learning at an affordable cost. There are several in Antigua.

That said, can you get by if you don’t speak Spanish in Guatemala? It all depends on where you go and what you do.

Most touristy places will offer service in both Spanish and English, but if you go into El Mercado or in a ma-and-pop mini market, you may have a harder time.

Of course, I always recommend learning the local lingo if you are a digital nomad!

Activities for Nomads and Long Stays in Antigua

There are many fun things to do in Antigua Guatemala for temporary digital nomads, remote workers, travelers, and backpackers.

Some of the highlights of our time here were:

• Hiking on an active volcano (Pacaya sunrise trek – watch our YouTube video above!)
• Eating Sunday brunch at Caoba Farms
• Grabbing coffee at Artista de Café
• Marveling at Volcán Agua from town
• Spending the day at Hobbitenango
• Photographing the famous Santa Catarina Arch
• Seeing Volcán Fuego explode lava from a distance
• Climbing up to Cerro de la Cruz for panoramic views
• Exploring and shopping for textiles at El Mercado

With more time, we would have loved to do an overnight trek on Volcán Acatenango and take a Mayan chocolate workshop.

Is Antigua Guatemala Good for Digital Nomads?

I think Antigua is an underrated digital nomad destination.

Guatemala isn’t usually the first country that comes to mind when you think of strong WiFi. Now, strong coffee? Absolutely! 

In any case, I imagine you’ll quickly fall in love with Antigua like us.

Many travelers say it reminds them of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico.

Having lived there also, I would dare say that I prefer Antigua.

Have you been to San Cris before? (We actually traveled from San Cristóbal to Panajachel by shuttle.)

We feel very fortunate to have been able to live in Antigua, Guatemala, as digital nomads and hope to go back one day. There’s so much more to learn, appreciate and discover.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about living in Guatemala as a digital nomad. And if you’re heading onward to live lakeside in Guatemala, don’t forget to read my Lake Atitlán Digital Nomad Guide too!

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