Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala and Canada

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.

🇬🇹 Guatemala
$1,352
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,288
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala and in Canada

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
🍽 Eating Out
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.87 Q 60.1
$17.44 CA$24.66
-54.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.36 Q 377
$68.8 CA$97.3
-28.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.09 Q 61.9
$10.70 CA$15.13
-24.39%
Cappuccino
$3.60 Q 27.55
$3.83 CA$5.42
-6.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 Q 10.47
$2.03 CA$2.87
-32.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 Q 8.83
$1.64 CA$2.32
-29.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 Q 25.14
$5.43 CA$7.68
-39.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 Q 41.00
$5.74 CA$8.12
-6.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 Q 15.63
$2.14 CA$3.03
-4.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 Q 25.12
$2.64 CA$3.73
24.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 Q 15.77
$3.46 CA$4.89
-40.46%
Eggs
$2.46 Q 18.83
$3.53 CA$5.00
-30.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.98 Q 45.76
$10.70 CA$15.12
-44.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 Q 75.9
$11.86 CA$16.77
-16.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.39 Q 94.7
$14.84 CA$20.98
-16.51%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 Q 31.65
$4.04 CA$5.71
2.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 Q 14.98
$1.37 CA$1.94
43.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.37 Q 33.43
$3.72 CA$5.26
17.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 Q 12.72
$3.99 CA$5.65
-58.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 Q 14.08
$2.63 CA$3.72
-30.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 Q 16.47
$2.38 CA$3.36
-9.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 Q 6.24
$2.51 CA$3.55
-67.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 Q 9.23
$1.75 CA$2.47
-30.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01 Q 30.65
$14.07 CA$19.90
-71.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.34 Q 63.7
$13.32 CA$18.83
-37.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Q 17.81
$2.86 CA$4.05
-18.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 Q 23.79
$3.16 CA$4.47
-1.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 Q 15.16
$2.50 CA$3.53
-20.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.19 Q 109
$71.5 CA$101
-80.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.17 Q 39.53
$3.09 CA$4.38
67.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 Q 13.18
$1.43 CA$2.03
20.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 Q 81.5
$26.16 CA$36.98
-59.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 Q 10.16
$1.18 CA$1.67
12.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K Q 163.3K
$28.0K CA$39.6K
-23.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K Q 188.1K
$18.8K CA$26.6K
30.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.0 Q 543
$148 CA$210
-52.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.74 Q 243
$42.44 CA$60.0
-25.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.3 Q 392
$58.5 CA$82.7
-12.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.40 Q 317
$40.65 CA$57.5
1.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.49 Q 118
$18.99 CA$26.84
-18.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.60 Q 50.5
$11.25 CA$15.90
-41.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$356 Q 2,722
$753 CA$1,064
-52.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,545 Q 57.7K
$14.3K CA$20.2K
-47.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.46 Q 363
$52.5 CA$74.2
-9.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.39 Q 378
$38.23 CA$54.0
29.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 Q 811
$87.8 CA$124
20.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 Q 812
$103 CA$146
3.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$834 Q 6,378
$1,236 CA$1,747
-32.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$504 Q 3,851
$1,120 CA$1,583
-55.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,578 Q 12.1K
$1,996 CA$2,822
-20.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 Q 6,903
$1,714 CA$2,423
-47.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,306 Q 17.6K
$4,503 CA$6,365
-48.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,122 Q 8,581
$3,888 CA$5,497
-71.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guatemala
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$641 Q 4,899
$2,921 CA$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.
Accommodation & Living
Guatemala
$504
Canada
$1.1K 122% $616
Groceries & Markets
Guatemala
$297
Canada
$366 23.4% $69
Eating Out
Guatemala
$168
Canada
$271 61.6% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guatemala
$154
Canada
$249 61.9% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Guatemala
$139
Canada
$127 8.9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Guatemala
$55
Canada
$63 15.7% $8.5
Getting Around
Guatemala
$36
Canada
$92 156% $56

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.

Good to know
🇬🇹 Guatemala
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
18:19 6:19 PM
20:19 8:19 PM
2 h ahead of Guatemala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,263,239
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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

Guatemala vs other spots: cost of living compared

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