Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Toronto Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Toronto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,598 in Barrie versus $2,754 in Toronto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,673 in Barrie versus $4,090 in Toronto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,748 in Barrie versus $5,427 in Toronto.

Living in Barrie costs roughly 6% less than in Toronto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 93% above, Toronto 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 CA$20.65

$18.93 CA$26.43

-21.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 CA$104

$81.9 CA$114

-9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.45

$11.13 CA$15.55

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$3.36 CA$4.69

$4.00 CA$5.59

-16.00%

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

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.18 CA$3.05

-13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$1.69 CA$2.36

-33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.25 CA$8.73

$5.93 CA$8.28

5.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CA$8.38

$6.58 CA$9.18

-8.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.83 CA$3.96

0.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.08

$2.73 CA$3.81

6.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.69

$3.65 CA$5.09

11.78%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.39

$3.54 CA$4.94

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CA$12.59

$13.49 CA$18.84

-33.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 CA$20.99

$13.06 CA$18.24

15.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.87 CA$34.73

$16.51 CA$23.05

50.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.05

$3.99 CA$5.57

-9.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.18 CA$1.64

7.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.12

$3.21 CA$4.49

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CA$6.97

$4.04 CA$5.64

23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$2.54 CA$3.55

-31.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.39

$2.81 CA$3.92

37.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 CA$3.92

$2.46 CA$3.43

14.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$1.92 CA$2.68

-11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.29

$14.85 CA$20.74

-21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.35

$14.22 CA$19.86

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$2.69 CA$3.76

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$3.27 CA$4.57

-30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.68

$2.40 CA$3.35

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 CA$92.0

$113 CA$158

-41.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.05

$3.71 CA$5.18

-21.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$1.41 CA$1.97

50.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.81 CA$36.04

$25.53 CA$35.65

1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$1.14 CA$1.59

-3.51%

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

$24.5K CA$34.3K

$24.7K CA$34.4K

-0.45%

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

$20.0K CA$28.0K

$21.6K CA$30.2K

-7.36%

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

$200 CA$280

$120 CA$168

66.96%

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

$42.82 CA$59.8

$36.76 CA$51.3

16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 CA$105

$54.9 CA$76.7

36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 CA$52.1

$57.2 CA$79.8

-34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 CA$52.4

$21.05 CA$29.40

78.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.26

$11.74 CA$16.40

11.41%

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

$1,486 CA$2,075

$1,142 CA$1,595

30.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$18.0K CA$25.1K

-34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 CA$101

$56.7 CA$79.2

27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$39.80 CA$55.6

41.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CA$204

$88.6 CA$124

64.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$116 CA$162

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,006

$1,830 CA$2,556

-21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 CA$1,847

$1,580 CA$2,207

-16.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 CA$3,058

$2,989 CA$4,174

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CA$2,588

$2,511 CA$3,506

-26.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 CA$7,191

$9,084 CA$12.7K

-43.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,402 CA$6,148

$6,885 CA$9,614

-36.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,051 CA$4,260

$3,555 CA$4,964

-14.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.16

28.49%

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

Last update for Barrie: June 7, 2026

Last update for Toronto: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,437 in Barrie and $1,830 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 17% 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: $74.0 in Barrie vs $82.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $394, with Toronto 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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrie and Toronto differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,598 vs $2,754 including rent). Barrie is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Toronto earns 17% 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 $1,830 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 71% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,486 in Barrie versus $1,142 in Toronto. 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. Barrie 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 Barrie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.