Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barrie: $2,524 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Barrie
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Barrie Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Barrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,524

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barrie and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,524 in Barrie versus $2,589 in Toronto.

Barrie $2,524
Toronto $2,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,461 in Barrie versus $3,710 in Toronto.

Barrie $3,461
Toronto $3,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,399 in Barrie versus $4,831 in Toronto.

Barrie $4,399
Toronto $4,831

Living in Barrie costs roughly 3% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 85% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.47 CA$20.22

$17.60 CA$24.59

-17.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 CA$78.4

$77.8 CA$109

-27.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 CA$15.74

$10.59 CA$14.79

6.42%

Cappuccino

$3.75 CA$5.24

$4.16 CA$5.81

-9.86%

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

$1.91 CA$2.67

$2.04 CA$2.86

-6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.75 CA$2.45

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 CA$6.87

$6.58 CA$9.19

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$7.11 CA$9.94

-20.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$2.53 CA$3.54

-17.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.43

$2.70 CA$3.78

-9.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.76

$2.24 CA$3.13

20.09%

Eggs

$3.12 CA$4.36

$3.48 CA$4.87

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CA$13.97

$9.38 CA$13.10

6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.19 CA$19.82

$11.60 CA$16.20

22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.64 CA$31.63

$14.68 CA$20.51

54.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.56

$3.74 CA$5.23

6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.66

$1.22 CA$1.71

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$3.48 CA$4.86

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.39

$4.32 CA$6.04

-10.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.85 CA$2.59

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.69 CA$2.36

-18.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 CA$2.92

$2.23 CA$3.11

-6.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.28 CA$1.78

27.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.46 CA$16.01

$14.04 CA$19.62

-18.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CA$14.26

$14.43 CA$20.16

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.53

$2.16 CA$3.01

17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$2.52 CA$3.53

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 CA$3.42

$2.37 CA$3.31

3.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 CA$88.9

$112 CA$157

-43.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 CA$5.09

$3.04 CA$4.25

19.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 CA$1.46

$1.24 CA$1.73

-15.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.51

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.59

$1.24 CA$1.74

-8.06%

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

$26.0K CA$36.3K

$26.9K CA$37.6K

-3.35%

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

$23.0K CA$32.1K

$21.4K CA$29.9K

7.51%

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

$234 CA$327

$125 CA$174

87.68%

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

$35.10 CA$49.04

$33.05 CA$46.18

6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 CA$109

$47.96 CA$67.0

62.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.88 CA$43.15

$36.69 CA$51.3

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.49 CA$49.58

$23.67 CA$33.07

49.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 CA$17.74

$13.08 CA$18.27

-2.91%

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

$1,434 CA$2,004

$759 CA$1,060

89.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 CA$88.0

$53.5 CA$74.8

17.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.09 CA$63.0

$40.44 CA$56.5

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CA$210

$100 CA$140

49.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 CA$120

$125 CA$175

-31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CA$2,039

$1,630 CA$2,277

-10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CA$1,777

$1,416 CA$1,978

-10.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,841

$2,694 CA$3,764

-24.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,419

$2,101 CA$2,935

-17.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,201 CA$7,267

$7,551 CA$10.5K

-31.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,101 CA$5,730

$6,674 CA$9,324

-38.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,071 CA$4,290

$3,543 CA$4,950

-13.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.45

5.17%

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

Last update for Barrie: October 24, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barrie

$1.3K 50.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7% 11.3% $144

Groceries & Markets

Barrie

$368 14.6%

Toronto

$345 13.3% 6.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrie

$347 13.7%

Toronto

$206 7.9% 40.7% $141

Eating Out

Barrie

$244 9.7%

Toronto

$285 11% 16.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Barrie

$155 6.1%

Toronto

$144 5.6% 7.1% $11

Getting Around

Barrie

$82 3.3%

Toronto

$131 5.1% 59.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Barrie

$56 2.2%

Toronto

$63 2.4% 11.7% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Barrie and $1,630 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Barrie vs $78 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $345, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Barrie

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

Same time as Barrie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

141,434

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,524 in Barrie and $2,589 in Toronto, so Barrie is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Barrie. 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: $1,459 in Barrie versus $1,630 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barrie runs roughly 43% less than in Toronto. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,434 in Barrie versus $759 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barrie gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Barrie wins on affordability, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.