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: $2,663 in Barrie versus $2,510 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Barrie versus $3,653 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,800 in Barrie versus $4,795 in Calgary.

Living in Barrie is roughly 6% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 99% above, Calgary 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 CA$19.97

$18.65 CA$25.54

-21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$100

$71.1 CA$97.4

3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 CA$14.09

$10.82 CA$14.82

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.74

$3.80 CA$5.21

-8.95%

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

$1.88 CA$2.58

$2.05 CA$2.81

-8.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.67 CA$2.29

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.72

$5.22 CA$7.15

22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 CA$8.31

$6.45 CA$8.84

-5.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 CA$3.73

$2.22 CA$3.04

22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$2.78 CA$3.81

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.46

$3.41 CA$4.67

17.01%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.19

$3.47 CA$4.75

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 CA$12.00

$14.42 CA$19.75

-39.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$12.85 CA$17.61

13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.62 CA$33.73

$16.24 CA$22.25

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$4.46 CA$6.11

-16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.74

$1.30 CA$1.78

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$3.73 CA$5.11

-18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 CA$7.05

$4.27 CA$5.86

20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.40

$2.67 CA$3.66

-34.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.16

$2.68 CA$3.67

40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$2.75 CA$3.76

2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$1.96 CA$2.69

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CA$15.93

$14.55 CA$19.94

-20.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$14.78

$14.66 CA$20.09

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.31

$2.81 CA$3.86

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$3.99 CA$5.47

-42.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.49

$2.74 CA$3.75

-6.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 CA$91.1

$86.7 CA$119

-23.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$3.96

$3.58 CA$4.90

-19.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.81

$1.29 CA$1.77

58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 CA$35.90

$28.58 CA$39.15

-8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.56

$1.08 CA$1.48

5.56%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$25.4K CA$34.8K

-2.26%

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

$20.2K CA$27.7K

$21.6K CA$29.5K

-6.31%

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

$194 CA$266

$215 CA$294

-9.66%

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

$42.42 CA$58.1

$40.83 CA$55.9

3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 CA$105

$57.9 CA$79.4

32.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 CA$49.48

$54.0 CA$74.0

-33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.65 CA$50.2

$51.7 CA$70.9

-29.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 CA$18.34

$12.56 CA$17.21

6.53%

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

$1,500 CA$2,055

$871 CA$1,193

72.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$16.1K CA$22.1K

-27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 CA$97.9

$58.6 CA$80.3

21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 CA$77.4

$46.97 CA$64.4

20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CA$201

$86.3 CA$118

69.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$155

$109 CA$150

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,939

$1,388 CA$1,901

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,789

$1,181 CA$1,618

10.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 CA$3,023

$2,337 CA$3,202

-5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CA$2,522

$1,886 CA$2,583

-2.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,184 CA$7,102

$3,823 CA$5,237

35.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,476 CA$6,132

$3,596 CA$4,926

24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,181 CA$4,358

$3,125 CA$4,281

1.80%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Calgary: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in Barrie and $1,388 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 2% 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: $73.0 in Barrie vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $399 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $2,510 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barrie pays 2% more on average, 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: $1,415 in Barrie versus $1,388 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 30% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,500 in Barrie versus $871 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 6% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.