Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,334 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guatemala City
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,334
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,334 in Guatemala City versus $2,530 in Toronto.

  • Guatemala City $1,334
  • Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Guatemala City versus $3,646 in Toronto.

  • Guatemala City $2,040
  • Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,746 in Guatemala City versus $4,761 in Toronto.

  • Guatemala City $2,746
  • Toronto $4,761

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 47% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guatemala City 0% above, Toronto 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.84 Q 52.2
$17.67 CA$25.13
-61.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.83 Q 381
$77.4 CA$110
-35.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.72 Q 59.0
$10.47 CA$14.90
-26.27%
Cappuccino
$3.24 Q 24.80
$4.08 CA$5.80
-20.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 Q 8.46
$2.12 CA$3.01
-47.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 Q 7.49
$1.76 CA$2.50
-44.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.22 Q 24.59
$6.17 CA$8.78
-47.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.88 Q 37.30
$6.89 CA$9.80
-29.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.11 Q 16.11
$2.43 CA$3.46
-13.17%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 Q 23.22
$2.75 CA$3.91
10.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.09 Q 15.96
$2.23 CA$3.17
-6.28%
Eggs
$2.51 Q 19.15
$3.45 CA$4.90
-27.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.16 Q 47.10
$8.93 CA$12.71
-31.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.55 Q 73.0
$11.44 CA$16.27
-16.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.51 Q 103
$14.61 CA$20.78
-7.53%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 Q 30.54
$3.75 CA$5.33
6.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 Q 13.05
$1.15 CA$1.63
48.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 Q 21.63
$3.55 CA$5.05
-20.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.65 Q 12.61
$4.28 CA$6.09
-61.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 Q 11.37
$1.85 CA$2.62
-19.46%
Onion (1kg)
$2.12 Q 16.21
$1.67 CA$2.37
26.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.68 Q 5.20
$2.22 CA$3.15
-69.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 Q 9.16
$1.21 CA$1.72
-0.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.11 Q 31.39
$13.88 CA$19.74
-70.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.11 Q 61.9
$14.25 CA$20.27
-43.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 Q 13.30
$2.20 CA$3.12
-20.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 Q 20.83
$2.42 CA$3.44
12.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.29 Q 9.88
$2.42 CA$3.44
-46.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.31 Q 109
$111 CA$158
-87.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.16 Q 39.46
$2.90 CA$4.12
77.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.26 CA$1.79
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.46 Q 79.9
$22.03 CA$31.33
-52.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 Q 10.17
$1.22 CA$1.74
9.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K Q 208.8K
$27.6K CA$39.3K
-1.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K Q 193.6K
$19.8K CA$28.2K
27.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.2 Q 559
$122 CA$173
-39.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.62 Q 219
$32.03 CA$45.56
-10.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.27 Q 346
$47.92 CA$68.2
-5.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.18 Q 307
$38.90 CA$55.3
3.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.22 Q 101
$23.24 CA$33.05
-43.12%
Cinema Ticket
$6.60 Q 50.5
$12.61 CA$17.94
-47.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$334 Q 2,554
$834 CA$1,186
-59.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,809 Q 52.0K
$23.3K CA$33.2K
-70.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.72 Q 380
$52.6 CA$74.8
-5.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.13 Q 368
$40.26 CA$57.3
19.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 Q 916
$96.2 CA$137
24.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 Q 857
$123 CA$175
-8.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$837 Q 6,396
$1,598 CA$2,273
-47.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$534 Q 4,082
$1,435 CA$2,041
-62.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,537 Q 11.7K
$2,657 CA$3,779
-42.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$803 Q 6,139
$2,096 CA$2,981
-61.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,071 Q 15.8K
$8,033 CA$11.4K
-74.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,092 Q 8,344
$6,557 CA$9,327
-83.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala City
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$841 Q 6,425
$3,743 CA$5,324
-77.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.62
4.47
159.96%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: October 4, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guatemala City
$534
Toronto
$1.4K 169% $901
Groceries & Markets
Guatemala City
$283
Toronto
$340 20.4% $58
Eating Out
Guatemala City
$151
Toronto
$282 86.7% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala City
$148
Toronto
$140 5.4% $8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala City
$147
Toronto
$202 37.2% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala City
$53
Toronto
$64 20.1% $11
Getting Around
Guatemala City
$25 *
Toronto
$130 426% $105

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $837 in Guatemala City and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 345% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guatemala City vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $340 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Guatemala City
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
21:10 9:10 PM
2 h ahead of Guatemala City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,450,212 Capital
2,731,571
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.57 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guatemala City Toronto 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Guatemala City
  • Toronto

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
Guatemala City vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guatemala City or Toronto?
Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Guatemala City or in Toronto?
On paper, salaries run 345% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Guatemala City compared to Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $837 in Guatemala City versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Guatemala City and in Toronto?
Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Guatemala City compared to Toronto?
All in, you'll spend $1,334 per month in Guatemala City versus $2,530 in Toronto – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guatemala City or in Toronto?
At $1,334 in Guatemala City versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Guatemala City or Toronto?
Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,334 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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