Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Barrie versus $2,088 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Barrie versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,800 in Barrie versus $4,157 in Montreal.

Living in Barrie is roughly 28% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 99% above, Montreal 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 CA$19.97

$15.89 CA$21.77

-8.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$100

$74.7 CA$102

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 CA$14.09

$10.83 CA$14.83

-5.08%

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

$2.10 CA$2.88

-10.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.51 CA$2.08

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.72

$6.09 CA$8.34

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 CA$8.31

$6.48 CA$8.88

-6.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 CA$3.73

$2.32 CA$3.18

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$3.26 CA$4.47

-9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.46

$3.79 CA$5.19

5.28%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.19

$3.46 CA$4.73

-11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 CA$12.00

$16.07 CA$22.02

-45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$11.78 CA$16.14

23.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.62 CA$33.73

$15.13 CA$20.73

62.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$3.74 CA$5.12

-0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.74

$1.71 CA$2.34

-25.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$3.92 CA$5.37

-22.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 CA$7.05

$4.28 CA$5.87

20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.40

$2.74 CA$3.75

-36.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.16

$2.64 CA$3.62

42.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$2.28 CA$3.13

23.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$1.71 CA$2.34

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CA$15.93

$13.39 CA$18.35

-13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$14.78

$10.95 CA$15.00

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.31

$3.00 CA$4.11

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$3.60 CA$4.94

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.49

$2.82 CA$3.86

-9.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 CA$91.1

$75.1 CA$103

-11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$3.96

$3.52 CA$4.82

-17.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.81

$1.46 CA$2.00

40.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 CA$35.90

$34.29 CA$46.97

-23.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.56

$1.19 CA$1.63

-4.20%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$25.1K CA$34.3K

-0.81%

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

$20.2K CA$27.7K

$21.9K CA$30.0K

-7.80%

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

$194 CA$266

$74.7 CA$102

159.61%

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

$42.42 CA$58.1

$35.83 CA$49.09

18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 CA$105

$43.53 CA$59.6

76.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 CA$49.48

$43.06 CA$59.0

-16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.65 CA$50.2

$16.90 CA$23.15

116.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 CA$18.34

$11.10 CA$15.21

20.54%

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

$1,500 CA$2,055

$609 CA$834

146.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$5,925 CA$8,117

98.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 CA$97.9

$62.8 CA$86.0

13.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 CA$77.4

$44.85 CA$61.5

26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CA$201

$101 CA$138

45.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$155

$118 CA$162

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,939

$1,221 CA$1,673

15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,789

$955 CA$1,308

36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 CA$3,023

$2,105 CA$2,883

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CA$2,522

$1,600 CA$2,192

15.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,184 CA$7,102

$5,308 CA$7,272

-2.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,476 CA$6,132

$4,045 CA$5,542

10.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,181 CA$4,358

$3,031 CA$4,152

4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.01

32.34%

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

Last update for Barrie: April 28, 2026

Last update for Montreal: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in Barrie and $1,221 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 5% 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 $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $391, with Montreal 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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrie and Montreal differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $2,088 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barrie pays 5% 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 $1,221 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 13% 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 $609 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,088 in Montreal versus $2,663 in Barrie, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Barrie. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Montreal 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.