Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Barrie Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Barrie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,510 in Calgary versus $2,663 in Barrie.

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

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

Living in Calgary costs roughly 6% less than in Barrie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 CA$25.54

$14.58 CA$19.97

27.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$97.4

$73.3 CA$100

-2.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$14.82

$10.28 CA$14.09

5.25%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.21

$3.46 CA$4.74

9.83%

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

$2.05 CA$2.81

$1.88 CA$2.58

9.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.29

$1.17 CA$1.61

42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 CA$7.15

$6.37 CA$8.72

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CA$8.84

$6.07 CA$8.31

6.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$2.72 CA$3.73

-18.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.81

$2.95 CA$4.04

-5.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.67

$3.99 CA$5.46

-14.54%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.75

$3.06 CA$4.19

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 CA$19.75

$8.76 CA$12.00

64.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 CA$17.61

$14.60 CA$20.00

-11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 CA$22.25

$24.62 CA$33.73

-34.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.11

$3.73 CA$5.11

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.78

$1.27 CA$1.74

2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$3.05 CA$4.17

22.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.86

$5.15 CA$7.05

-17.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 CA$3.66

$1.75 CA$2.40

52.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$3.77 CA$5.16

-28.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.76

$2.82 CA$3.86

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CA$2.69

$1.68 CA$2.31

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 CA$19.94

$11.63 CA$15.93

25.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.66 CA$20.09

$10.79 CA$14.78

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.86

$2.42 CA$3.31

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 CA$5.47

$2.30 CA$3.15

73.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.75

$2.55 CA$3.49

7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.7 CA$119

$66.5 CA$91.1

30.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.90

$2.89 CA$3.96

23.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 CA$1.77

$2.05 CA$2.81

-37.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.58 CA$39.15

$26.21 CA$35.90

9.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.48

$1.14 CA$1.56

-5.26%

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

$25.4K CA$34.8K

$24.9K CA$34.1K

2.31%

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

$21.6K CA$29.5K

$20.2K CA$27.7K

6.74%

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

$215 CA$294

$194 CA$266

10.69%

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

$40.83 CA$55.9

$42.42 CA$58.1

-3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 CA$79.4

$76.8 CA$105

-24.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 CA$74.0

$36.11 CA$49.48

49.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.7 CA$70.9

$36.65 CA$50.2

41.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.56 CA$17.21

$13.38 CA$18.34

-6.13%

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

$871 CA$1,193

$1,500 CA$2,055

-41.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.1K

$11.7K CA$16.1K

37.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 CA$80.3

$71.5 CA$97.9

-17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.97 CA$64.4

$56.5 CA$77.4

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$118

$147 CA$201

-41.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$113 CA$155

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 CA$1,901

$1,415 CA$1,939

-1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 CA$1,618

$1,306 CA$1,789

-9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 CA$3,202

$2,206 CA$3,023

5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 CA$2,583

$1,841 CA$2,522

2.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,823 CA$5,237

$5,184 CA$7,102

-26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,596 CA$4,926

$4,476 CA$6,132

-19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,125 CA$4,281

$3,181 CA$4,358

-1.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

6.63

-13.88%

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

Last update for Calgary: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barrie: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,388 in Calgary and $1,415 in Barrie. 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $73.0 in Barrie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $405 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

Calgary vs Barrie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Barrie differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,510 vs $2,663 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barrie earns 2% 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: $1,388 in Calgary versus $1,415 in Barrie. 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 $871 in Calgary versus $1,500 in Barrie. 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.