For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,352 a month against $2,288 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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 Guatemala and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,352 per month in Guatemala vs $2,288 in Canada, rent included.
Guatemala $1,352
Canada $2,288
A couple spends around $2,108 per month in Guatemala vs $3,318 in Canada, rent included.
Guatemala $2,108
Canada $3,318
A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Guatemala vs $4,348 in Canada, rent included.
Guatemala $2,865
Canada $4,348
🌍
The cost of living in Guatemala is roughly 41% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Both Guatemala and Canada are pricier than the global median – Guatemala by 0%, Canada by 69%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.87Q 60.1
$17.44CA$24.66
-54.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.36Q 377
$68.8CA$97.3
-28.29%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.09Q 61.9
$10.70CA$15.13
-24.39%
Cappuccino
$3.60Q 27.55
$3.83CA$5.42
-6.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37Q 10.47
$2.03CA$2.87
-32.51%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15Q 8.83
$1.64CA$2.32
-29.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.29Q 25.14
$5.43CA$7.68
-39.41%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36Q 41.00
$5.74CA$8.12
-6.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.04Q 15.63
$2.14CA$3.03
-4.67%
White Bread(500g)
$3.29Q 25.12
$2.64CA$3.73
24.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.06Q 15.77
$3.46CA$4.89
-40.46%
Eggs
$2.46Q 18.83
$3.53CA$5.00
-30.31%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.98Q 45.76
$10.70CA$15.12
-44.11%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.92Q 75.9
$11.86CA$16.77
-16.36%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.39Q 94.7
$14.84CA$20.98
-16.51%
Apples(1kg)
$4.14Q 31.65
$4.04CA$5.71
2.48%
Banana(1kg)
$1.96Q 14.98
$1.37CA$1.94
43.07%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.37Q 33.43
$3.72CA$5.26
17.47%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.66Q 12.72
$3.99CA$5.65
-58.40%
Potato(1kg)
$1.84Q 14.08
$2.63CA$3.72
-30.04%
Onion(1kg)
$2.15Q 16.47
$2.38CA$3.36
-9.66%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.82Q 6.24
$2.51CA$3.55
-67.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21Q 9.23
$1.75CA$2.47
-30.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01Q 30.65
$14.07CA$19.90
-71.50%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.34Q 63.7
$13.32CA$18.83
-37.39%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33Q 17.81
$2.86CA$4.05
-18.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11Q 23.79
$3.16CA$4.47
-1.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.98Q 15.16
$2.50CA$3.53
-20.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$14.19Q 109
$71.5CA$101
-80.16%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.17Q 39.53
$3.09CA$4.38
67.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.72Q 13.18
$1.43CA$2.03
20.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.66Q 81.5
$26.16CA$36.98
-59.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33Q 10.16
$1.18CA$1.67
12.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4KQ 163.3K
$28.0KCA$39.6K
-23.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6KQ 188.1K
$18.8KCA$26.6K
30.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$71.0Q 543
$148CA$210
-52.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.74Q 243
$42.44CA$60.0
-25.21%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.3Q 392
$58.5CA$82.7
-12.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.40Q 317
$40.65CA$57.5
1.85%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.49Q 118
$18.99CA$26.84
-18.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.60Q 50.5
$11.25CA$15.90
-41.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$356Q 2,722
$753CA$1,064
-52.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,545Q 57.7K
$14.3KCA$20.2K
-47.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.46Q 363
$52.5CA$74.2
-9.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.39Q 378
$38.23CA$54.0
29.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$106Q 811
$87.8CA$124
20.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106Q 812
$103CA$146
3.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$834Q 6,378
$1,236CA$1,747
-32.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$504Q 3,851
$1,120CA$1,583
-55.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,578Q 12.1K
$1,996CA$2,822
-20.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$903Q 6,903
$1,714CA$2,423
-47.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,306Q 17.6K
$4,503CA$6,365
-48.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,122Q 8,581
$3,888CA$5,497
-71.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$641Q 4,899
$2,921CA$4,129
-78.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.62
4.87
138.60%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 13, 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
Guatemala
$504 37.3%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 122%$616
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$297 21.9%
Canada
$366 16% ↑ 23.4%$69
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$168 12.4%
Canada
$271 11.9% ↑ 61.6%$103
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$154 11.4%
Canada
$249 10.9% ↑ 61.9%$95
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$139 10.3%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↓ 8.9%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$55 4%
Canada
$63 2.8% ↑ 15.7%$8.5
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$36 2.7%
Canada
$92 4% ↑ 156%$56
🏠Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$903 31.5%
Canada
$1.7K 39.4% ↑ 89.8%$811
🛒Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$688 24%
Canada
$835 19.2% ↑ 21.3%$147
🍽Eating Out
Guatemala
$578 20.2%
Canada
$892 20.5% ↑ 54.3%$314
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$186 6.5%
Canada
$292 6.7% ↑ 57%$106
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$309 10.8%
Canada
$281 6.5% ↓ 8.9%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$125 4.4%
Canada
$145 3.3% ↑ 16.5%$21
🚌Getting Around
Guatemala
$76 2.7%
Canada
$189 4.3% ↑ 149%$113
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $174 in Guatemala vs $1,199 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $828 in Guatemala City and $1,473 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $745 in Guatemala vs $2,892 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 589% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 34% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 5700% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are 288% 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
Guatemala vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Guatemala?
Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 69% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,199 versus $174 in Guatemala.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Guatemala, adding to the overall 69% price gap.
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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.