Barrie cityscape

City snapshot

Cost of living in Barrie

Barrie , Ontario.

Ontario

Monthly baseline

$2,657

Total annual: $31,884

Balanced salary needed

$58,500

Balanced

Population

Ontario

Crime Severity Index

Sources and methodology

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,281
2 people$3,226
Family of 4$4,562

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 97% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartmentNo current published observation
1-bedroom apartment$1,780

2026-01 · Barrie, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$2,140

2026-01 · Barrie, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$2,430

2026-01 · Barrie, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$545

2025 · Ontario

Local Indicators

Population252,446
Employed people130,200
Median after-tax income$79,500
Crime Severity Index48.1

Barrie, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Cost breakdown

Rent (1bd)$1,780
Groceries$631
Transport$246
Total monthly$2,657

Move-in costs

First month + deposit (2x rent)$3,560
Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500
Basic household setup$600
Estimated setup total$6,660

Plan the next step

Housing and rent

Rent (1bd): $1,780.

Rent (1bd): $1,780 · Total monthly: $2,657

How this city compares

Barrie ranks #3 of 47 tracked cities by baseline monthly cost and is +$493 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164
Largest cost driverRent (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Barrie.

Essentials$47,800
Balanced$58,500
Comfortable$70,000

Best for

Barrie is strongest for ontario context and a higher baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Rent (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $2,657 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $6,660 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 67% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is +$493.

Living in Barrie: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Barrie: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Common questions

What is included in Barrie's monthly baseline?
The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?
National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Barrie salary estimate?
Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

  • Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
  • Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
  • Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.
Sources and methodology
Calculation transparency

Data, sources, and assumptions

Results combine Canadian tax rules, city cost baselines, and market assumptions versioned with the site code.

Data synced
Jul 10, 2026
Federal/provincial tax
City cost baselines
Market rates and assumptions
Estimates do not replace tax, financial, or legal advice.
Sources and methodology
statcan_rent_34100133: ok 2025; statcan_gasoline_18100001: ok 2026-05; boc_valet_mortgage_5yr: ok 2026-07-08; tax_fallback_2026: ok 2026-01-03