Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,582 in Barrie versus $2,420 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,688 in Barrie versus $3,592 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,794 in Barrie versus $4,765 in Melbourne.

Living in Barrie is roughly 7% more expensive than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 93% above, Melbourne 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 CA$20.92

$19.36 A$27.73

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 CA$101

$77.5 A$111

-6.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 CA$14.31

$9.85 A$14.11

3.65%

Cappuccino

$3.50 CA$4.90

$3.73 A$5.34

-6.17%

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

$1.83 CA$2.56

$2.62 A$3.75

-30.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 CA$1.62

$2.28 A$3.27

-49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 CA$9.21

$7.36 A$10.54

-10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 CA$8.07

$6.94 A$9.94

-17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$1.50 A$2.14

90.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.58 A$3.69

18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.60

$2.34 A$3.35

70.51%

Eggs

$3.11 CA$4.37

$4.85 A$6.95

-35.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 CA$12.19

$8.72 A$12.50

-0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.32

$9.26 A$13.26

56.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.28 CA$35.45

$14.58 A$20.89

73.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.00

$3.32 A$4.75

7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$2.81 A$4.03

-53.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$3.00 A$4.30

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 CA$7.25

$3.98 A$5.70

29.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CA$2.33

$2.67 A$3.82

-37.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.22

$2.23 A$3.20

67.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 CA$3.80

$2.19 A$3.14

23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.64 A$2.35

3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 CA$16.36

$31.95 A$45.77

-63.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 CA$14.49

$13.92 A$19.94

-25.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.35

$4.67 A$6.69

-48.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CA$3.21

$5.04 A$7.22

-54.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$3.50 A$5.02

-24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 CA$94.9

$121 A$173

-43.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.56 A$5.10

-18.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 CA$2.99

$1.40 A$2.01

52.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.00 CA$36.45

$27.50 A$39.39

-5.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.53

$1.15 A$1.64

-5.22%

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

$24.7K CA$34.6K

$29.2K A$41.8K

-15.47%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$23.0K A$32.9K

-12.25%

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

$198 CA$277

$154 A$220

28.43%

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

$41.51 CA$58.2

$20.93 A$29.99

98.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 CA$105

$51.4 A$73.7

45.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.39 CA$52.4

$48.89 A$70.0

-23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.44 CA$52.5

$16.24 A$23.27

130.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 CA$18.46

$15.97 A$22.88

-17.53%

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

$1,472 CA$2,063

$1,765 A$2,529

-16.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.8K

$19.5K A$28.0K

-38.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 CA$98.1

$67.0 A$96.1

4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 CA$78.2

$54.5 A$78.0

2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CA$201

$106 A$151

35.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$104 A$149

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 CA$1,981

$1,575 A$2,257

-10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 CA$1,818

$1,206 A$1,728

7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 CA$3,090

$3,041 A$4,357

-27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 CA$2,621

$2,022 A$2,897

-7.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,116 CA$7,173

$7,077 A$10.1K

-27.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,151 CA$5,819

$6,420 A$9,198

-35.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,108 CA$4,357

$4,398 A$6,301

-29.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.19

7.11%

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

Last update for Barrie: July 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,413 in Barrie and $1,575 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Barrie vs $77.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $353, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrie and Melbourne differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,582 vs $2,420 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Melbourne. 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: $1,413 in Barrie versus $1,575 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Melbourne runs roughly 78% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,472 in Barrie versus $1,765 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne 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.

Safety-wise, Barrie and Melbourne 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.