Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,598 in Barrie versus $2,517 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,673 in Barrie versus $3,646 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,748 in Barrie versus $4,776 in Calgary.

Living in Barrie is roughly 3% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 93% above, Calgary 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 CA$20.65

$18.37 CA$25.65

-19.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 CA$104

$69.7 CA$97.4

6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.45

$10.88 CA$15.19

-4.87%

Cappuccino

$3.36 CA$4.69

$3.69 CA$5.16

-8.94%

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

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.03 CA$2.84

-7.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$1.74 CA$2.43

-35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.25 CA$8.73

$5.30 CA$7.40

17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CA$8.38

$6.74 CA$9.42

-10.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.23 CA$3.12

27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.08

$2.68 CA$3.75

8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.69

$3.35 CA$4.68

21.79%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.39

$3.33 CA$4.65

-5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CA$12.59

$14.41 CA$20.12

-37.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 CA$20.99

$12.50 CA$17.46

20.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.87 CA$34.73

$16.33 CA$22.81

52.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.05

$4.28 CA$5.98

-15.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.35 CA$1.89

-5.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.12

$3.74 CA$5.22

-21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CA$6.97

$4.17 CA$5.83

19.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$2.56 CA$3.58

-32.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.39

$2.68 CA$3.74

44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 CA$3.92

$2.66 CA$3.71

5.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$1.88 CA$2.62

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.29

$14.66 CA$20.47

-20.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.35

$14.23 CA$19.87

-27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$2.95 CA$4.12

-14.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$3.89 CA$5.44

-41.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.68

$2.71 CA$3.79

-2.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 CA$92.0

$87.7 CA$122

-24.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.05

$3.46 CA$4.83

-16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$1.30 CA$1.81

63.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.81 CA$36.04

$28.30 CA$39.52

-8.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$1.09 CA$1.52

0.92%

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

$24.5K CA$34.3K

$25.0K CA$34.9K

-1.92%

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

$20.0K CA$28.0K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

-9.93%

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

$200 CA$280

$211 CA$295

-5.07%

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

$42.82 CA$59.8

$40.40 CA$56.4

5.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 CA$105

$58.5 CA$81.7

28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 CA$52.1

$53.8 CA$75.1

-30.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 CA$52.4

$53.8 CA$75.2

-30.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.26

$12.64 CA$17.66

3.48%

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

$1,486 CA$2,075

$865 CA$1,208

71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$16.1K CA$22.4K

-26.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 CA$101

$58.1 CA$81.1

24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$47.18 CA$65.9

19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CA$204

$85.4 CA$119

70.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$106 CA$148

8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,006

$1,416 CA$1,977

1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 CA$1,847

$1,153 CA$1,611

14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 CA$3,058

$2,370 CA$3,309

-7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CA$2,588

$1,864 CA$2,603

-0.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 CA$7,191

$3,834 CA$5,354

34.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,402 CA$6,148

$3,443 CA$4,808

27.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,051 CA$4,260

$3,105 CA$4,337

-1.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.71

16.11%

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

Last update for Barrie: June 7, 2026

Last update for Calgary: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,437 in Barrie and $1,416 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Barrie vs $70.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $393 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

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

Barrie vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrie and Calgary differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,598 vs $2,517 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Calgary earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,437 in Barrie versus $1,416 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 33% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,486 in Barrie versus $865 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Calgary is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.