Guatemala Lifestyle

Why Guatemala? – Because Guatemala has not yet caught on with those seeking retirement tax havens. Once the word gets out the prices will soar and the crowds will come. Offshore havens start out inexpensive and then the prices rise and keep rising. Soon things get too expensive and out of price necessity another new haven pops up with lower prices for those that can not afford the existing havens that have been built up and priced up. The early bird catches the worm. Welcome to Guatemala.

Where is Guatemala? - Don’t be shy this is a common question. Please see the map below. Guatemala is a short flight from most destinations in the USA (2 hours approx.) and two hours fifteen minutes from Panama City, Panama. Guatemala is served by many airlines including Copa. (http://www.copaair.com).

Guatemala Weather – Guatemala has spring weather 12 months a year with temperatures ranging between 55 degrees at night and 75 degrees during the day. It can occasionally get up to 80 degrees on a hot day. Generally the houses have no air conditioning and no heat but many do have a fireplace and one can add in a space heater if cold. Guatemala has a rainy season lasting several months like most Central American countries. The dry season is typically December through April, with slight variances. Guatemala is a tropical climate. The capital, Guatemala City and the old capital city Antigua now a popular retirement haven, is located at an elevation of some 4850 feet, which accounts for the cool weather. The elevation while slightly less than Denver, Colorado is not enough to bother anyone or make you really notice it.

Guatemala Population – 13,000,000. The capital city Guatemala City has almost one million people.

Guatemala Culture and Language – The country is a very modern civilized country but does have rural areas that are not developed. Guatemala City has everything you would find in North American cities. Prices are low for many things like food, alcohol, entertainment, maids, gardeners, drivers, workers etc. There are a lot of Mayan Indians in the country and they have several dialects of language but Spanish is the dominant language. English will work only at the better hotels, shops, restaurants, banks, lawyers’ offices and so forth. The average Guatemalan does not go around speaking English. The people are very family oriented. There are numerous Catholic and Evangelical Christian Churches.

Guatemala Holidays –

• January 1st – New Year
• March/April – Easter (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
• May 1st – Labor Day
• June 30th – Army Day
• August 15th –Guatemala City only holiday
• September 15th – Independence Day
• October 20th - Celebration of the Revolution of 1944
• November 1st - All Saints Day
• December 24th – Christmas Eve (starts at Noon)
• December 25th – Christmas
• December 31st – New Year’s Eve (starts at Noon)

Guatemala Electricity – Same as in North America.

Guatemala Currency – The national currency is the Quetzal. It currently coverts at a rate of 7.63 Quetzal to one USD. Foreign denominated credit cards are accepted widely. You can exchange money at the airport on arrival or at any bank. Banks are even open on Saturday and Sunday too. Businesses tend to go seven days a week in Guatemala.

Guatemala Entertainment – In Guatemala City or Antigua there is an abundant supply of things to keep one joyfully occupied. The theater is present, as in ballet and opera. There are numerous spa type gyms to be found around town that have the latest equipment and classes. Soccer is a popular sport as is bicycle racing. You can go into the countryside and hike, ride bikes, go to the beach, swim, dive and even surf.

Crime and Safety – Guatemala is very safe in some places and not so safe in others. Many expats and retirees reside in Antigua, which is a suburb of Guatemala City located some 40 minutes away by car. Antigua has a special police force that keeps it extremely safe, better than North American Cities. There are also numerous tourist police stationed about Antigua. People drive vespas, ride horses, take three wheeled motorcycle/taxis, horse drawn carts and of course walk. Antigua is a very artistically oriented community with many artisans selling their wares on the street and in shops. Goods are cheap. Guatemala City has numerous numbered zones. Some zones are safe and some are not. This is typical of large cities anywhere. One would probably have little or no need to go to the unsafe zones so in this way it is quite safe.

Trips into the rural areas should be planned carefully and you should not go without people familiar with the region. There have been instances of roadside robberies. They might stage an accident that is false and when you stop to help present weapons and rob you, so don’t stop use your cell phone to phone the police about the incident. Police are big on booting illegally parked cars, so park lawfully only. Again not unreasonable. The police do not go around bothering people minding their own business. Guatemala has not criminalized business like many countries and one can plan on being left alone by the government. The government is concerned with people laying hands on others violently, pointing guns at people and robbing them, and kidnapping children for the black market mostly from the locals. Guatemalan children are often adopted by foreigners and sometimes children come up for adoption that were simply put stolen. This is a deplorable crime and it is wise to avoid getting too friendly with the local children or taking their pictures in that this may alarm the parents who see you as a foreigner who they do not know anything about. Guatemala has recently loosened its money laundering laws, instead of tightening them. If you are looking for a relatively safe place to be left alone as long as you don’t bother others Guatemala is a good place to check out.

Guatemala Guns and Firearms - You can get a permit to purchase and carry concealed weapons (pistols) and own shotguns, rifles, etc even as a tourist. Guatemala wants people owning and carrying firearms to have a permit and to have the guns registered. I would say it is a very reasonable policy considering what the world is like today. Expect to pay high prices for firearms, perhaps double the USA price. Ammunition is not cheap either. Gourmet ammo is very hard to come by, so it is mostly ball with some hollow points available but let us not forget it is all about bullet placement not design of the projectile. No ammo designed to be armor piercing is allowed. Not all brands are available new. Glocks are abundant, some Berettas can be found along with other quality brands of manufacture. They have no restrictions on high capacity magazines in handguns. Silencers are not allowed to be owned by civilians. Only a licensed security company, its employees and the government are allowed to have full auto firearms. There are no laws restricting carrying of knives concealed or otherwise. Workers can often be seen carrying (not brandishing) machetes. When carrying weapons in a foreign country do sit down with a knowledgeable attorney for a nice long instructional lecture as to how the local judicial system works in that country with an emphasis on self-defense. Things are reasonable in Guatemala but some things are different and you should know this information before not after an incident.

National Tourist Board (INGUAT) – This government agency is designed to help tourists with problems they have with merchants. They will try to take your side if at all realistic. They can be contacted by phone as follows:

Guatemala City –

7 days, 8AM – 4PM – Tel. 33 130 75
Night 4PM – 9PM – Tel. 33 142 56
Weekends and Holidays: Tel. 33 142 56
Their Faxes are as follows: 3318893 and 3322881

Other Offices -

Antigua: 8320763
Quetzaltenango: 7614931
Panajachel: 7621392
Flores Petén: 9260533

Cost of Living – Real estate has gotten up there recently but you can still get a very nice condo in the city for $150,000 with three bedrooms, pool, balcony, security, enclosed parking and view in a safe zone. The condos are not built one on top of the other so there are no people looking into your windows. Your electric bill per month should be under $100.00, water bill will be about $2.00, garbage about $7.00, land line phone is about $10.00 per month for fixed cost, internet will run $25.00 to $50.00 per month depending on what type and speed of connection, a live in maid will run about $160.00 per month, and you can rent a place that is nice for $700.00 to much higher depending on size, location etc. Living on $1500 a month as a renter would be challenging but possible, $2000 a month would be easy and provide a lifestyle with a live in maid, evenings out in restaurants, clubs, trips in the country etc. If you wish to become a homeowner in Guatemala figure on annual property taxes of 0.9% (9/10 of 1%).

Guatemala has beaches but they are generally black sand and at sea level so they get hot. What is hot - well into the 90’s and even hotter at times. There is also a brown or tan sand beach as well. If you have never been on a black sand beach it is worth seeing one. The minerals in the sand sparkle and glisten as you are walking from sunlight reflections. The sand being black can absorb heat and get hot. I know you Canadians reading this are going to get excited by this since you think there is no such thing as a beach that is too hot. My advice is you are probably right for a few years anyway and then you might want a change to a cooler region. You will find beach prices to be lower than most countries in Guatemala. Guatemala has a 12% VAT tax on goods so retail prices will be higher than other countries on some taxed goods. Guatemala does not tax offshore-derived income, so it is a true tax haven.

Guatemala Property Rights – As a tourist, resident or citizen of Guatemala you are entitled to buy property and have clear title to the real estate. As a tourist or resident you have all the property rights of a citizen in Guatemala. You will have a freehold title registered in the government registry in the name of you personally, your corporation or your foundation. A foreign corporation or foundation can own property in Guatemala as well. You would be free to live in the property, rent it out, finance it, sell it etc.

Real Estate Financing – This can be a little difficult but not that bad. The banks usually wish to see one have a lawful residency in Guatemala. Then they wish to see proof of income. They will not bother with home country tax returns and home country credit reports so more privacy is possible. Loans for real property can be in USD or the local currency. If the loan is in USD you need to make the payments in USD and they will often peg the interest rate at US bank prime as a variable. 25 year fully amortized terms are available with 20% down payment and they do not require life insurance. If you can not qualify or do not wish to go through the process we can arrange a more private type of arrangement which generally requires 30% down payment and this will keep your name off of all bank records, escrows and titles if you wish. If you have the 30% down based on a fair independent appraisal on a quality piece of real estate we could arrange such terms.

Guatemala Military – Guatemala maintains a small military and navy forces. They have no military draft. Guatemala would be most unlikely to engage in any international aggressive military ventures.

Guatemala Food – The food in Guatemala is excellent and inexpensive. A steak dinner for $10 is easy to find and a gourmet high-class steak dinner is perhaps $15 a person. Inexpensive wines are readily available and that would be extra but a good bottle can be as little as $7.00. The food tastes like Central American food with a strong Mexican influence but they do not favor very hot spicy seasoning at all but it is available if you prefer. Beans, rice and tortillas are usually served. Lots of fresh tropical fruits, great veggies, their breads and pastries are superb; meats and seafood are very good too. You should find the food to be most enjoyable. You find restaurants offering all sorts of ethnic foods (Chinese, French, Italian, Thai, etc) as well. Guatemala is loaded with fine restaurants and Antigua even more so.

Guatemala Shopping – Anything you can get in North America you can get in Guatemala. There are numerous malls with stores selling the popular designer labels. Guatemala malls look like North American malls. The malls have movie theaters with multiple theaters. Movies are generally in English with Spanish subtitles. There is even an Imax theater in Guatemala City. There is Price Smart in Guatemala and Wal-Mart (mega stores).

Guatemala Medical – There are numerous modern hospitals in Guatemala. Medical care costs about 25% of the USA prices. Figure on a root canal and a porcelain crown complete for $250.00. Plastic Surgery costs are very low in Guatemala perhaps below 25% of the USA prices for competent work. Prescriptions are generally not needed in the Pharmacies and drug prices are about 33% of the USA prices. Most drugs are available but you do need to know the names in Spanish or the name of the equivalent drug in Spanish. Generic drugs are popular. There are numerous Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Herbalists, and Massage Therapists for those of you interested in alternative health care.

Guatemala Cars – The people drive reasonably well compared to other Latin America countries. Many of the cars are Japanese and Korean smaller cars. Gas is about the same price as the USA. You can easily get a Guatemalan driving license if a resident by presenting your existing drivers license. Local buses are not recommended for foreigners but there is an ample supply of taxis.

Guatemala Communications – Cell phones can be prepaid or with a plan. Coverage is like it is in North America. Internet with high-speed connectivity is readily available. Cable TV and Satellite is available. There is also an English version of Dish TV.