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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16CA$25.38
$8.09Q 61.8
124.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2CA$99.5
$51.2Q 391
39.11%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.81CA$15.11
$7.97Q 60.9
35.63%
Cappuccino
$3.78CA$5.28
$3.58Q 27.37
5.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11CA$2.96
$1.43Q 10.90
47.55%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66CA$2.32
$1.14Q 8.69
45.61%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.62CA$7.85
$3.34Q 25.51
68.26%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72CA$7.99
$5.28Q 40.34
8.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.17CA$3.04
$2.10Q 16.03
3.33%
White Bread(500g)
$2.60CA$3.64
$3.34Q 25.52
-22.16%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.65CA$5.11
$2.03Q 15.53
79.80%
Eggs
$3.63CA$5.07
$2.44Q 18.64
48.77%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.76CA$15.04
$6.08Q 46.46
76.97%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.90CA$16.62
$9.95Q 76.0
19.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.42CA$21.55
$12.19Q 93.2
26.50%
Apples(1kg)
$4.03CA$5.63
$4.04Q 30.85
-0.25%
Banana(1kg)
$1.38CA$1.94
$2.01Q 15.39
-31.34%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.88CA$5.41
$4.46Q 34.08
-13.00%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.08CA$5.70
$1.71Q 13.04
138.60%
Potato(1kg)
$2.57CA$3.59
$1.89Q 14.45
35.98%
Onion(1kg)
$2.48CA$3.46
$2.16Q 16.50
14.81%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.65CA$3.70
$0.75Q 5.77
253.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71CA$2.40
$1.23Q 9.37
39.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32CA$20.01
$3.85Q 29.44
271.95%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.49CA$18.85
$8.28Q 63.3
62.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84CA$3.97
$2.34Q 17.85
21.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30CA$4.62
$3.25Q 24.82
1.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.55CA$3.57
$1.29Q 9.87
97.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$71.9CA$101
$10.89Q 83.2
560.51%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.18CA$4.44
$5.33Q 40.71
-40.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.54CA$2.15
$1.71Q 13.08
-9.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.69CA$37.30
$10.49Q 80.1
154.43%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.24CA$1.74
$1.37Q 10.44
-9.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9KCA$39.0K
$21.4KQ 163.4K
30.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1KCA$29.4K
$24.5KQ 187.1K
-13.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$147CA$206
$70.2Q 537
109.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80CA$58.4
$31.89Q 244
31.08%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2CA$84.1
$51.4Q 393
17.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.01CA$54.5
$38.60Q 295
1.06%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06CA$26.64
$15.29Q 117
24.66%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21CA$15.66
$6.67Q 50.9
68.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$721CA$1,008
$350Q 2,671
106.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.8KCA$20.7K
$7,517Q 57.4K
97.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3CA$77.2
$46.37Q 354
19.19%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95CA$54.4
$50.6Q 387
-23.04%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.4CA$122
$106Q 808
-17.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101CA$142
$108Q 824
-6.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,290CA$1,803
$828Q 6,327
55.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,130CA$1,579
$515Q 3,939
119.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,036CA$2,845
$1,558Q 11.9K
30.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,731CA$2,418
$880Q 6,728
96.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,769CA$6,664
$2,295Q 17.5K
107.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,730CA$5,211
$1,158Q 8,849
222.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Guatemala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,070CA$4,289
$660Q 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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K 48.9%
Guatemala
$515 38% ↓ 54.4%$615
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371 16.1%
Guatemala
$298 21.9% ↓ 19.7%$73
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$278 12%
Guatemala
$169 12.5% ↓ 39.1%$109
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249 10.8%
Guatemala
$154 11.3% ↓ 38.5%$96
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127 5.5%
Guatemala
$140 10.3% ↑ 9.8%$12
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$93 4%
Guatemala
$30 2.2% ↓ 67.8%$63
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61 2.7%
Guatemala
$52 3.8% ↓ 15.5%$9.5
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.7K 39.3%
Guatemala
$880 31% ↓ 49.1%$850
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$847 19.2%
Guatemala
$691 24.3% ↓ 18.4%$156
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$918 20.9%
Guatemala
$591 20.8% ↓ 35.7%$328
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$291 6.6%
Guatemala
$185 6.5% ↓ 36.3%$106
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$283 6.4%
Guatemala
$311 10.9% ↑ 9.8%$28
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$191 4.3%
Guatemala
$62 2.2% ↓ 67.3%$129
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$142 3.2%
Guatemala
$119 4.2% ↓ 16.1%$23
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.
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.