Newcomer budget calculator

How we estimate your budget

The calculator starts from the average asking rent in your city for the home you choose: a 1-bedroom for one or two adults, or a 2-bedroom if you have children or more than two adults. If you type your own rent, we use that instead. A room in a shared home uses $909 per adult, the national average for shared homes in August 2026.

Then it adds:

• Groceries: $450 per adult and $250 per child
• Transit: one adult monthly pass or fare cap per person you enter (for example $155.10 in Toronto, $148.50 in Brampton, $145 in Mississauga, $117.20 in Surrey for one zone)
• Phone: $50 per adult
• Utilities, internet and tenant insurance: $255 a month in total
• Money sent home and other costs such as childcare or loan payments, from what you enter

If you add your take-home pay, you see what is left each month, or how much you are short.

Cash you need for your first month

The second table shows the cash to have when you arrive. It adds:

• Your first month’s rent
• The deposit allowed in your province: last month’s rent in Ontario, up to one month in Alberta, up to half a month in B.C., Manitoba and Nova Scotia, and none in Quebec
• Two weeks of temporary housing at $450 a week while you search
• Setup: $2,000 plus $350 per person for basic furniture, kitchen items and winter clothes
• Everything else for one month, without rent or money sent home

Bring more if you can. Most newcomers need 3 to 6 months of costs while they look for work. Read your first 90 days budget for a longer plan.

Worked example: one adult in Toronto

One adult renting a 1-bedroom in Toronto at the city average, riding transit, earning $3,800 a month after tax and sending $200 home:

• Rent $2,234 + utilities, internet and insurance $255 + groceries $450 + transit $155.10 + phone $50 + money home $200 = $3,344 a month
• Left over: $456 a month
• First-month cash: rent $2,234 + last month’s deposit $2,234 + temporary stay $900 + setup $2,350 + other costs $910 = about $8,628

The same person in a shared room ($909) would have about $1,780 left each month. That is why many newcomers start in a room, then move once they have a job and some Canadian credit history.

GTA suburbs and Surrey

Brampton, Mississauga and Surrey are home to large newcomer communities. In July 2026 a 1-bedroom averaged $2,001 in Brampton, $2,052 in Mississauga and $1,794 in Surrey, compared with $2,234 in Toronto and $2,377 in Vancouver. Check what your commute costs: a GO Transit trip or a 3-zone TransLink pass can cancel part of the saving. Compare cities side by side with the cost of living calculator.

Save, print or share your budget

Below your result you can download your budget as a text file or print it or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print window. Nothing you type is sent to us; the calculator runs on your device.

Ways to make the numbers work

• Start in a shared room or a basement unit, then move later. See renting your first apartment.
• Choose a no-fee bank account for your first year. Compare newcomer bank accounts.
• Use a prepaid phone plan until you have credit history.
• Check free help: free and discounted things for newcomers and low-income transit passes in many cities.
• Send money home at a lower total cost. A 1% better rate on $200 a month saves $24 a year. Compare transfers.

Common questions

Sources

• Rentals.ca and Urbanation: National Rent Report, September 2026 (August data)
• Rentals.ca: Toronto average rent (July 2026)
• Rentals.ca city pages: Brampton, Mississauga, Surrey, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax (July 2026)
• TTC: Fares and passes (monthly fare cap)
• TransLink: Pricing and fare zones (from July 1, 2026)
• City of Mississauga: MiWay fares from January 1, 2026
• City of Brampton: Brampton Transit fare changes, February 9, 2026
• Edmonton Transit Service: Fares and passes
• City of Winnipeg: Transit fares
• Halifax Transit: Fares, tickets and passes
• Calgary Transit: Fares and passes
• STM: Monthly pass, all modes A
• OC Transpo: Fares
• Ontario: Guide to Ontario’s standard lease
• B.C. Residential Tenancy Branch: Deposits and fees
• IRCC: Express Entry proof of funds

Checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.