Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Guatemala City

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala City: $1,334 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,334 in Guatemala City.

Montreal $2,003
Guatemala City $1,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $2,040 in Guatemala City.

Montreal $3,048
Guatemala City $2,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,746 in Guatemala City.

Montreal $4,092
Guatemala City $2,746

Living in Montreal is roughly 50% more expensive than in Guatemala City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Guatemala City 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$6.84 Q 52.2

182.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$49.83 Q 381

51.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$7.72 Q 59.0

37.69%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.24 Q 24.80

21.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.11 Q 8.46

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.98 Q 7.49

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$3.22 Q 24.59

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.88 Q 37.29

47.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$2.11 Q 16.11

5.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.04 Q 23.22

0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.09 Q 15.96

40.67%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.51 Q 19.15

40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$6.16 Q 47.09

114.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$9.55 Q 73.0

17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$13.51 Q 103

2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.00 Q 30.54

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.71 Q 13.05

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.83 Q 21.63

15.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.65 Q 12.61

74.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.49 Q 11.37

24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.12 Q 16.21

-14.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.68 Q 5.20

257.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.20 Q 9.16

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.11 Q 31.39

178.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$8.11 Q 61.9

27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.74 Q 13.30

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.73 Q 20.83

3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.29 Q 9.88

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$14.31 Q 109

437.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$5.16 Q 39.46

-37.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$10.46 Q 79.9

215.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.33 Q 10.17

2.26%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$27.3K Q 208.8K

0.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.3K Q 193.6K

-21.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$76.1 CA$109

$73.2 Q 559

4.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.68 CA$49.43

$28.62 Q 219

21.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$45.27 Q 346

-5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$40.18 Q 307

-27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$13.22 Q 101

53.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$6.60 Q 50.5

69.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$505 CA$720

$334 Q 2,554

51.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$6,809 Q 52.0K

135.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$49.72 Q 380

17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$48.13 Q 368

-21.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$120 Q 916

-22.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$112 Q 857

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$837 Q 6,396

48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$534 Q 4,082

84.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,537 Q 11.7K

36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$803 Q 6,139

101.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,071 Q 15.8K

143.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,092 Q 8,343

250.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$841 Q 6,425

247.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.62

-61.62%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Guatemala City

$534 39.8% 45.8% $452

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Guatemala City

$283 21.1% 17.8% $61

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Guatemala City

$151 11.3% 48.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Guatemala City

$147 11% 4.2% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Guatemala City

$148 11.1% 11.8% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8% 74.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Guatemala City

$53 4% 4% $2

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 $1,240 in Montreal and $837 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 247% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $50.0 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $283 per month, with Guatemala City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,450,212 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Guatemala City 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Guatemala City

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

Montreal vs Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 247% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $837 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,003 per month in Montreal versus $1,334 in Guatemala City – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,334 in Guatemala City versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Guatemala City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.