Grocery Shopping on a Budget Around Lake Atitlán

Are you looking to grocery shop on a budget when visiting Lake Atitlan? I got you covered!

In June 2022, My husband and I visited Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Although we enjoyed dining at the restaurants around the lake, eating out for every meal can be costly. So to keep within our budget, we cooked most of our meals at our Airbnb. As a result, I have created a detailed guide with the latest prices and meal examples, to help you plan your next trip to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

 

Grocery Stores

Where you are shopping is extremely important when it comes to sticking to a budget. Although fancy shops, selling foreign goods can be found in certain villages, it comes with a hefty price tag. Planning your trip, what you are going to buy, and where can help you save a lot of money that you could be spending on excursions or fun nights out. 

 

Supermercado La Torre

Location: Panajachel

La Torre is a medium-sized grocery store, with fair prices. You will find meat, dairy products, cereals, canned goods, hygiene and cleaning products, frozen foods, and other goods. We did most of our shopping at La Torre, except for fruits and veggies, which were usually cheaper elsewhere.

 

Despensa Familiar

Location: Panajachel

Despensa Familiar is a branch of Walmart, and you will find Great Value products at their locations. You will also find family-size versions of products that you would not find at La Torre. For weekly shopping, we discovered that Despensa Familiar was lacking certain items. For example, they do not sell oat, soy, almond, or other milk alternatives. We also did not need to buy in bulk, so we did little shopping there.

 

Sandra’s Health Food Store

Location: Panajachel

Sandra’s Health Food Store carries unique and foreign grocery items. You will be able to find European and USA food products, supplements, and baked goods. This store is great if you are looking for an item from back home that you cannot live without. Although we visited Sandra’s, we did not purchase anything, as it was outside our budget.

 

Convenience Stores

Location: Every Village

Although we occasionally purchased snacks and drinks at the convenience stores around Lake Atitlán, prices were typically higher than La Torre or Despensa Familiar. Grocery shopping weekly at convenience stores will be much more expensive. For example, a 2-litre bottle of water at Despensa Familiar was Q5.25, while the same water at a convenience store in Jabilito was Q10.

 

The Market or “el mercado”

Location: Every Village

On certain days of the week, villages have an open market where you can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, Jabilitos market is on Tuesday mornings from around 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM. In Panajachel, the market is officially open on Tuesdays and Sundays, but people still sell goods daily throughout the week from 8:00 AM until mid-afternoon. We found that purchasing our fruits and veggies from the market was much cheaper, as there was more variety.

 

Price Breakdown

 

Our weekly grocery shopping haul for two people averaged between Q200 – Q400 ($25 – $50 USD). Here is a breakdown of our purchases and the prices. All prices listed are in Guatemalan quetzals (GTQ). 

 

Weekly Purchases at Supermercado La Torre:

• 2 x 1 litre Silk Almond (Q20 each)
• 2 x 200mg packages of pasta (Q4 each)
• 1 Pouch of Pasta Sauce (Q8.80)
• 1 Bottle of Salsa (Q13)
• 1 Package of Chicken Breast (Q34)
• 1 Package of Ground Beef (Q20 – 30)
• 1 Package of Smoked Pork Rounds (Q30)
• 1 Box of Cereal (Q18)
• 1 Bag of Chips (Q4)
• 1 Box of Herbal Tea (Q10)
• 1 Box of Black Tea (Q10)
• 1 400mg Package of Rice (Q6)
• 1 Jar of Jam (Q8)
• 1 Tin of Beans (Q11.35)
• 1 Package of Cheese (Q23)
• 1 Bag of Milk (Q8.30)
• 1 Pouch of Mayo (Q9)

We also purchased these items at Supermercado La Torre, but not every week:

• 1 Bottle of Fruit & Veggie Cleaning Solution (Q20)
• 1 Head and Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioner Combo Pack (Q43)
• 1 Package of Salt (Q9)
• 1 Bottle of Pepper (Q12)
• 1 Box of Pancake Mix (Q30)
• 1 Roll of Paper Towels (Q6)
• 1 Jar of Peanut Butter (Q30)
• 1 Package of Sweet Rolls (Q8)
• 1 Bottle of Golden Syrup (Q12)
• 1 Bag of Dog Food (Q12)
• 1 Can of Tuna (Q12)
• 1 Pouch of Mustard (Q7)

Special Purchases

• 1 Bag of Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans From a Local Coffee Shop (Q19)
• 1 Loaf of White Bread From a Local Bakery (Q16)

Purchases at The Market or “el mercado”

Weekly, we spent between Q50 to Q100 purchasing fresh fruits and veggies at the market or from locals. 

 

Price examples:

1 Avocado (Q2)

1 Banana (Q1)

1 Mango (Q4)

1 Bulb of Garlic (Q1)

1lb Beets (Q4) 

Example Meals

 

You may be wondering. What kind of meals can you make with these groceries? Here are some examples of meals that I cooked at our Airbnb. Please note these meals are not fancy but for those with a tight budget

 

Breakfast

• Pancakes with syrup, jam, fruit, and/or peanut butter
• Cereal with milk
• Porridge with milk and fruit

 

Lunch

• Bread with avocado, peanut butter, and jam, or tuna with mayo
• Beans, potatoes or beets, onions, avocado and salsa
• Leftover Pasta

 

Dinner

• 1 or 2, 200mg of pasta, 1 package of sauce, half of the ground beef
• Bread, smoked pork rounds fried, mustard, and mayo 
• Beans, potatoes or beets, onions, avocado and salsa
• Rice and chicken with salt, pepper and salsa

 

I hope this helps you on your next vacation to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Traveling does not have to be crazy expensive. We never felt deprived when eating these meals and always felt full after. Plus, when we went out, those experiences felt extra special.

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