Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Guatemala

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,358 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Canada
Guatemala
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,358
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Guatemala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,358 in Guatemala, rent included.

  • Canada $2,310
  • Guatemala $1,358

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $2,099 in Guatemala, rent included.

  • Canada $3,356
  • Guatemala $2,099

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $2,840 in Guatemala, rent included.

  • Canada $4,403
  • Guatemala $2,840

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Guatemala ($743–$1,342), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 70% higher than in Guatemala on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16 CA$25.38
$8.09 Q 61.8
124.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 CA$99.5
$51.2 Q 391
39.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.11
$7.97 Q 60.9
35.63%
Cappuccino
$3.78 CA$5.28
$3.58 Q 27.37
5.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$2.96
$1.43 Q 10.90
47.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$1.14 Q 8.69
45.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 CA$7.85
$3.34 Q 25.51
68.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$7.99
$5.28 Q 40.34
8.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.04
$2.10 Q 16.03
3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$3.34 Q 25.52
-22.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.11
$2.03 Q 15.53
79.80%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$2.44 Q 18.64
48.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.04
$6.08 Q 46.46
76.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 CA$16.62
$9.95 Q 76.0
19.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.42 CA$21.55
$12.19 Q 93.2
26.50%
Apples (1kg)
$4.03 CA$5.63
$4.04 Q 30.85
-0.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.94
$2.01 Q 15.39
-31.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.41
$4.46 Q 34.08
-13.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.70
$1.71 Q 13.04
138.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$1.89 Q 14.45
35.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.46
$2.16 Q 16.50
14.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.70
$0.75 Q 5.77
253.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.40
$1.23 Q 9.37
39.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32 CA$20.01
$3.85 Q 29.44
271.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 CA$18.85
$8.28 Q 63.3
62.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$3.97
$2.34 Q 17.85
21.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.62
$3.25 Q 24.82
1.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$1.29 Q 9.87
97.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 CA$101
$10.89 Q 83.2
560.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 CA$4.44
$5.33 Q 40.71
-40.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 CA$2.15
$1.71 Q 13.08
-9.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.30
$10.49 Q 80.1
154.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.37 Q 10.44
-9.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.0K
$21.4K Q 163.4K
30.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.4K
$24.5K Q 187.1K
-13.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$206
$70.2 Q 537
109.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80 CA$58.4
$31.89 Q 244
31.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 CA$84.1
$51.4 Q 393
17.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.01 CA$54.5
$38.60 Q 295
1.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 CA$26.64
$15.29 Q 117
24.66%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.66
$6.67 Q 50.9
68.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,008
$350 Q 2,671
106.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K CA$20.7K
$7,517 Q 57.4K
97.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 CA$77.2
$46.37 Q 354
19.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95 CA$54.4
$50.6 Q 387
-23.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$122
$106 Q 808
-17.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$142
$108 Q 824
-6.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 CA$1,803
$828 Q 6,327
55.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,579
$515 Q 3,939
119.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 CA$2,845
$1,558 Q 11.9K
30.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 CA$2,418
$880 Q 6,728
96.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,769 CA$6,664
$2,295 Q 17.5K
107.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,730 CA$5,211
$1,158 Q 8,849
222.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,070 CA$4,289
$660 Q 5,040
365.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
11.62
-58.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Guatemala
$515 54.4% $615
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371
Guatemala
$298 19.7% $73
Eating Out
Canada
$278
Guatemala
$169 39.1% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
Guatemala
$154 38.5% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Guatemala
$140 9.8% $12
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Guatemala
$30 67.8% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61
Guatemala
$52 15.5% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $698 in Guatemala. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $816 in Guatemala City.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $741 in Guatemala. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 79% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 25% more in Canada.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 4 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇬🇹 Guatemala
🕒 Local time
20:14 8:14 PM
18:14 6:14 PM
2 h behind Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
17,263,239
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.53 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Guatemala 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Guatemala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Canada vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Guatemala?
Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 41% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $698 in Guatemala.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Guatemala – part of why living there is about 41% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in Guatemala?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Guatemala?
Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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