Guatemala operates on the quetzal, currency code GTQ, named for the resplendent quetzal bird that appears on the national flag. The quetzal subdivides into 100 centavos. The Banco de Guatemala issues banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 quetzales, alongside coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos and 1 quetzal. Polymer notes replaced older cotton-based bills starting in 2007 for durability in humid tropical conditions. The exchange rate floats freely, typically ranging between 7.5 and 8.2 quetzales per US dollar from 2015 through 2024, with the Banco de Guatemala intervening occasionally to prevent extreme volatility. The United States dollar circulates informally alongside the quetzal, particularly in tourist zones like Antigua Guatemala, Panajachel, and Flores, where hotels and tour operators commonly quote prices in dollars and accept payment in either currency at prevailing exchange rates. No official dollarization exists, unlike El Salvador or Ecuador.
Banks in Guatemala City include Banco Industrial, Banrural, Banco G&T Continental, Banco de Desarrollo Rural, and Bantrab, most operating Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:00, with some branches open Saturday mornings until 13:00. Foreign exchange services function within major bank branches, at dedicated casa de cambio storefront offices, and at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. Banks typically offer rates closer to the official Banco de Guatemala reference rate than casas de cambio, which charge wider spreads for convenience. La Aurora airport exchange counters historically charge 3 to 5 percent below mid-market rates. Banks require passport identification for foreign exchange transactions above 1,000 quetzales, a measure tied to anti-money laundering regulations under Guatemalan banking law. Western Union and MoneyGram operate extensively through partnerships with local retailers and dedicated offices, primarily serving the remittance market from Guatemalan emigrants in the United States, which exceeded 19 billion dollars in 2023 according to Banco de Guatemala data, representing approximately 20 percent of national GDP.
Automated teller machines operate widely in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, and other departmental capitals, with availability declining sharply in rural areas of the Petén lowlands, Verapaces highlands, and Cuchumatanes Mountains. Visa and Mastercard networks function on most ATMs through the 5B network operated by Banco Industrial and the Credomatic network covering multiple member banks. ATMs dispense only quetzales, not dollars, with withdrawal limits typically set at 2,000 to 4,000 quetzales per transaction depending on the issuing bank, equivalent to approximately 250 to 500 dollars. International cards incur fees from both the Guatemalan ATM operator, usually 20 to 30 quetzales per withdrawal, and the card-issuing bank's foreign transaction fee, commonly 2 to 3 percent of the withdrawal amount plus a flat fee of 3 to 5 dollars. Travelers to Petén Basin locations like Tikal and El Mirador should withdraw cash before departure from Flores, as ATMs do not exist within Tikal National Park boundaries and the nearest machine to El Mirador operates 60 kilometers away in the town of Carmelita.
Credit cards see acceptance in hotels, established restaurants, and larger shops in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, Panajachel, Flores, and Quetzaltenango, with Visa holding broader acceptance than Mastercard or American Express. Small family-run comedores, street food vendors, chicken bus operators, and markets including Chichicastenango's Thursday and Sunday markets operate exclusively in cash. Many businesses impose a 5 to 7 percent surcharge on credit card payments to offset merchant processing fees charged by Credomatic and Banco Industrial's merchant services divisions, a practice legal under Guatemalan commercial law. Contactless payment systems and mobile payment platforms remain underdeveloped compared to Mexico or Costa Rica, with Visa payWave and Mastercard contactless terminals present primarily in Guatemala City chain stores and upscale Antigua establishments. The Banco de Guatemala authorized QR code payment systems in 2019, but adoption remains limited outside urban centers.
Mobile phone service in Guatemala operates through four primary carriers: Tigo, Claro, Movistar, and Digicel. Tigo and Claro together controlled approximately 80 percent of the mobile market as of 2023 according to Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones regulatory filings. Network coverage extends to all departmental capitals and major highways, with 4G LTE available in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, and along the CA-1 and CA-9 highway corridors. Coverage diminishes in mountainous areas of Huehuetenango Department, Alta Verapaz cloud forests, and remote Petén Basin sections beyond Flores and the Tikal access road. The summit of Tajumulco Volcano at 4,220 meters receives no mobile signal. Prepaid SIM cards sell at carrier-branded stores, pharmacies, and small shops called tiendas for 10 to 20 quetzales, requiring passport identification under telecommunications regulations enacted in 2009. Data packages start at approximately 25 quetzales for 1 gigabyte valid for seven days, scaling to 100 quetzales for 5 gigabytes valid 30 days, with prices varying by carrier and promotional periods.
Tourist SIM cards do not exist as a distinct product category in Guatemala. Travelers purchase standard prepaid SIMs identical to those sold to Guatemalan residents, activating service through Spanish-language voice menus or in-store assistance. All major carriers maintain stores near La Aurora International Airport and in Antigua Guatemala's central zone. Unlocked GSM phones operating on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequencies work with all Guatemalan carriers, while phones locked to specific international carriers require unlocking before accepting local SIMs. Tigo operates on 850/1900 MHz for 2G/3G and bands 2, 4, and 28 for 4G LTE. Claro uses identical frequency bands. Calls to Guatemalan mobile numbers from the same carrier cost approximately 0.50 quetzales per minute, while calls to different carriers cost 0.75 to 1.00 quetzales per minute. International calls to the United States cost 2 to 4 quetzales per minute depending on carrier and package, though most users employ WhatsApp calling over data connections to avoid voice charges.
WiFi availability concentrates in hotels, hostels, cafes, and restaurants serving tourists in Guatemala City's Zones 9, 10, and 13, throughout Antigua Guatemala, in Panajachel along Lake Atitlán's northern shore, and in Flores. Connection speeds vary from under 5 megabits per second in budget hostels to 20-50 megabits in business hotels. Password-protected networks predominate, with credentials provided at check-in or posted on cafe walls. Public WiFi without passwords operates in Guatemala City's central park and Antigua's Parque Central, though security remains weak and use of VPN services advisable for sensitive transactions. Coworking spaces emerged in Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala starting around 2016, offering dedicated high-speed connections of 50 to 100 megabits per second with monthly memberships ranging from 800 to 1,500 quetzales. Selina hostels in Antigua Guatemala and Atitlán provide coworking areas within their properties targeting digital nomads and remote workers.
Internet cafes functioned commonly before 2015 but declined sharply as smartphone penetration increased. A few internet cafes continue operating in Guatemala City's Zone 1 and in Chichicastenango, charging 5 to 10 quetzales per hour for desktop computer access. Connections typically deliver 2 to 10 megabits per second, adequate for email and web browsing but insufficient for video calls or large file transfers. Rural areas including villages around Lake Atitlán, mountain communities in the Cuchumatanes, and Petén settlements outside Flores often lack fixed-line internet infrastructure, depending instead on mobile data or satellite connections. Tikal National Park offers no public WiFi. Some lodges near the park entrance provide limited WiFi powered by satellite connections with speeds under 5 megabits per second and data caps that restrict streaming video.