MONTREAL
One bedroom: $1,402 month
Groceries: $211.70 month
Discretionary spending: Quebec, making things complex, has a combined sales tax rare of 14.975 per cent. This means, even if you catch the sales, your mixer is $310.42.
Total: $1,924.12
Oh boy, cutting it close. You’ll have a cool $75.88 left over. You could buy 84 bagels from St-Viateur Bagel. You’ll have to cut back on the bagels if you want cream cheese for them, though.
EDMONTON
One bedroom: $1,061
Groceries: $200.50 month
Discretionary spending: Hello low-tax Alberta. The KitchenAid classic stand mixer rings in at $269.99 at Canadian Tire. It’s on sale. Tack on five per cent GST, and you’re ready to bake for the low cost of $283.49.
Total: $1,544.99 month
You can survive in Edmonton, plus you will have $455 left over at the end of the month to spend on whatever you please. Perhaps your dog needs food, or you need laundry detergent or to pay for car insurance.
SASKATOON
One bedroom: $924 month
Groceries: $218.05 month
Discretionary spending: The tax man has come. You’ll be paying a whopping 11 per cent tax atop your fine new standing mixer. Which, for the record, is still on sale. But the bill is now $299.69.
Total: $1,441.74
WINNIPEG
One bedroom: $1,122 month
Groceries: $192.62 month
Discretionary spending: The province’s 12 per cent sales tax pushes your standing mixer cost up to $302.38
Total: $1,617
What will someone in Winnipeg spend their leftover $383 on? Perhaps some Jets swag. If you spend $142.29 on a Dustin Byfuglien hockey jersey, you’ll still have $240 leftover to spend on some other luxury, like flour and yeast — for your new mixer.
Now we’re talking. The Saskatoon CERB recipient has $558.26 left in their pocket. That’s enough to cover off monthly needs. Thanks to cheaper rent, it‘s one of Canada’s most affordable “big” cities.
OTTAWA
One bedroom: $1,706 month
Groceries: $186.87 month
Discretionary spending: With a sales tax rate of 13 per cent, your standing mixer is now $305.
Total: $2,197.96
No dice! Ottawa is out of your market. You’ll have to ditch the standing mixer to cover rent and food alone, and that leaves you with $107.13 sitting around at the end of the month. This isn’t enough to get you a transit pass ($115.50 a month). But it’ll last you for 29.7 rides on a bus — almost one per day.
HALIFAX
One bedroom: $1,271 month
Groceries: $208.04 month
Discretionary spending: With a sales tax of 15 per cent, this brings your standing mixer up by five cents to $310.49
Total: $1,789.53
A cool $210.47 is at your disposal at the end of the month. That’ll buy you 28 regular donairs from King of Donair — that’s almost a month’s worth of a legendary Halifax meal.
ST. JOHN’S
One bedroom: $880 month
Groceries: $213.52 month
Discretionary spending: Same as Nova Scotia, with a sales tax of 15 per cent, a mixer here costs $310.49.
Total: $1,404.01
CERB recipients can live a decent life here, with a solid chunk of change left over at the end of the month: $595.99. Heck, it’s almost rent for another month. You could even upgrade to a two-bedroom suite, for an average $1,069, and still have $406.99 left over for your fun money.
FORT NELSON
One-bedroom: $596 month
Groceries: $216.15 month
Stand-up mixer: $302.38
Grand total: $1,114.53
That gives you $885.62 to play with at the end of the month. You’ll be living in a small town, with just over 3,000 people living there. But with that spending cash, you could make some good friends.
nationalpost.com
One bedroom: $1,402 month
Groceries: $211.70 month
Discretionary spending: Quebec, making things complex, has a combined sales tax rare of 14.975 per cent. This means, even if you catch the sales, your mixer is $310.42.
Total: $1,924.12
Oh boy, cutting it close. You’ll have a cool $75.88 left over. You could buy 84 bagels from St-Viateur Bagel. You’ll have to cut back on the bagels if you want cream cheese for them, though.
EDMONTON
One bedroom: $1,061
Groceries: $200.50 month
Discretionary spending: Hello low-tax Alberta. The KitchenAid classic stand mixer rings in at $269.99 at Canadian Tire. It’s on sale. Tack on five per cent GST, and you’re ready to bake for the low cost of $283.49.
Total: $1,544.99 month
You can survive in Edmonton, plus you will have $455 left over at the end of the month to spend on whatever you please. Perhaps your dog needs food, or you need laundry detergent or to pay for car insurance.
SASKATOON
One bedroom: $924 month
Groceries: $218.05 month
Discretionary spending: The tax man has come. You’ll be paying a whopping 11 per cent tax atop your fine new standing mixer. Which, for the record, is still on sale. But the bill is now $299.69.
Total: $1,441.74
WINNIPEG
One bedroom: $1,122 month
Groceries: $192.62 month
Discretionary spending: The province’s 12 per cent sales tax pushes your standing mixer cost up to $302.38
Total: $1,617
What will someone in Winnipeg spend their leftover $383 on? Perhaps some Jets swag. If you spend $142.29 on a Dustin Byfuglien hockey jersey, you’ll still have $240 leftover to spend on some other luxury, like flour and yeast — for your new mixer.
Now we’re talking. The Saskatoon CERB recipient has $558.26 left in their pocket. That’s enough to cover off monthly needs. Thanks to cheaper rent, it‘s one of Canada’s most affordable “big” cities.
OTTAWA
One bedroom: $1,706 month
Groceries: $186.87 month
Discretionary spending: With a sales tax rate of 13 per cent, your standing mixer is now $305.
Total: $2,197.96
No dice! Ottawa is out of your market. You’ll have to ditch the standing mixer to cover rent and food alone, and that leaves you with $107.13 sitting around at the end of the month. This isn’t enough to get you a transit pass ($115.50 a month). But it’ll last you for 29.7 rides on a bus — almost one per day.
HALIFAX
One bedroom: $1,271 month
Groceries: $208.04 month
Discretionary spending: With a sales tax of 15 per cent, this brings your standing mixer up by five cents to $310.49
Total: $1,789.53
A cool $210.47 is at your disposal at the end of the month. That’ll buy you 28 regular donairs from King of Donair — that’s almost a month’s worth of a legendary Halifax meal.
ST. JOHN’S
One bedroom: $880 month
Groceries: $213.52 month
Discretionary spending: Same as Nova Scotia, with a sales tax of 15 per cent, a mixer here costs $310.49.
Total: $1,404.01
CERB recipients can live a decent life here, with a solid chunk of change left over at the end of the month: $595.99. Heck, it’s almost rent for another month. You could even upgrade to a two-bedroom suite, for an average $1,069, and still have $406.99 left over for your fun money.
FORT NELSON
One-bedroom: $596 month
Groceries: $216.15 month
Stand-up mixer: $302.38
Grand total: $1,114.53
That gives you $885.62 to play with at the end of the month. You’ll be living in a small town, with just over 3,000 people living there. But with that spending cash, you could make some good friends.
Where can you live your best CERB life? Here's what $2,000 per month will get you in cities across Canada
Don't even bother trying to live on CERB in Vancouver or Toronto where a one-bedroom apartment averages more than $2,000 per month. Here are some better options
