New Brunswick is a perfect destination for families to settle, especially people looking to own property. However, you must be wondering about the cost of living and if it’s affordable before deciding to move to Brunswick. So, what’s the cost of living in New Brunswick?
New Brunswick offers a lower cost of living than most provinces in Canada. The cost of living per month in New Brunswick is $612 for a person and $1898 for a family of four, excluding rent in both cases. In New Brunswick, the average salary is $65,910 per year, which is among the lowest in Canada.
Beyond this, other factors also influence the living cost in this province. In turn, they’re important to help you understand what to expect if you decide to live in New Brunswick.
To keep you informed, in this article, we’ll explore the cost of living in New Brunswick and the factors that determine the cost of living in New Brunswick.
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What Is the Cost of Living in New Brunswick?
New Brunswick offers a lower cost of living than most provinces in Canada. It has been ranked 12th most expensive city and 9th best state to live in Canada.
The cost of living per month in New Brunswick is $1275 for a person and $2893 for a family of four, including rent in both cases. Luckily, in New Brunswick, the average salary is $65,910 per year.
However, the province doesn’t favour money-oriented, fast-moving career paths and cosmopolitan nightlife. Regardless, it’s the perfect location for medium and low-income earners with regards to real estate and utility bills.
Factors that Influence the Cost of Living in New Brunswick
Some factors that influence the cost of living in New Brunswick include:
1. Feeding
a. Groceries
Groceries’ shopping cost varies depending on the individual and factors such as food quality, number of people you intend to feed, appetite, among others.
The average estimate for groceries in New Brunswick is $200 – $300 per person in a month. Food products, particularly meat and dairy products, are negligibly higher than the national average.
b. Eating Out
A basic lunch menu may cost up to $15 at an inexpensive restaurant, while fancier restaurants cost around $50 – $80. A three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant costs $70.000.
A regular fast food meal equivalent to a McDonald’s meal costs up to $7.53. A beer in a bar is $4 – $6, and a cocktail costs $8 – $9.
On average, the cost of food for a year is $6,082, according to the Government of New Brunswick.
2. Monthly Bills (Utilities, Internet, etc.)
The cost of essential utilities in New Brunswick, including electricity, heating, cooling, garbage disposal, and water for an individual, is $87.7 per month and $135 per month for a family. Phone bills and internet services prices vary depending on the telemarketing companies.
However, a cumulative average reaches $131.7 per month. The cost of power, heating, and food are significantly lower than anywhere in Canada and the whole of North America.
3. Transportation
In almost all the cities, transit passes are available for low-income earners.
Monthly transport passes offer unlimited bus rides for the duration of the card. In New Brunswick, the monthly ticket costs $53.5.
A regular transport ticket costs $2.01, and a taxi ride for 5 miles (8km) costs $11.4. For more mobile residents, the average price of gasoline and other fuels is in the region is $2,623 per year.
4. Healthcare
In line with the national government directives, all citizens and permanent residents of New Brunswick enjoy universal, publicly funded healthcare.
New Brunswick Medicare pays for medically required services, excluding selective procedures deemed not to be necessary. Additionally, residents might opt for health insurance premiums from the private sector.
Also, the government of New Brunswick provides “The New Brunswick Drug Plan” as a prescription drug plan that provides drug coverage for residents without drug insurance.
The Canada Revenue Agency calculates premiums based on the annual family income. Children under 18 won’t pay premiums if any of the parents are beneficiaries of the plan.
5. Car Insurance
Insurance costs depend on the age, driver history, car type, location, mileage, type of coverage, and the overall safety record of the car.
Since private brokers provide insurance rates, the prices are highly customizable to individual situations. However, the average vehicle insurance rate in New Brunswick is $867 per year or about $75 per month.
Car insurance is mandatory and provided by private brokers and companies.
The law requires four compulsory coverage of a car in the province, and they’re:
- Third-party liability. The minimum coverage is $200,000
- Accident benefits
- Uninsured motorist
- Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD)
6. Home Insurance
The price of insurance coverage varies depending on the size of the house, location, and the type of coverage.
For example, the average home insurance for homeowners is $781 per year or about $60 per month. Also, condo insurance is around $40 per month, while apartment (tenant) insurance can be as little as $15 per month.
7. Real Estate and Rent Pricing
Real estate pricing in New Brunswick is one of the cheapest in Canada.
Generally, the average house price in New Brunswick is $185,200. Additionally, the average household income percentage taken up by ownership costs ranges between 21 to 31% depending on the type of home.
Rental prices vary depending on location, size, and type of house.
For instance, one cheap bedroom apartment costs $487, and a one-bedroom apartment downtown costs $647. Also, a 3-bedroom apartment downtown costs $1023, and a cheap 3-bedroom apartment costs $749.
8. Income and Property Tax
The provincial mandatory minimum wage is currently $10.30 per hour.
The personal income taxes for the province are slightly above the national average.
In New Brunswick, every person who owns property or leases the property from the crown (both Federal and Provincial) pays property tax. New Brunswick is the only province in Canada with non-owner-occupied tax.
The provincial property tax rate for residential housing is $1.1233 per $100 of valuation, and the other residential property rate is $1.2173. For non-residential property, the tax rate is $2.1860 per $100 of assessment.
9. Education
In Canada, the government provides all citizens and permanent residents under the age of 20 free education until high school through the public school system.
International Primary School costs $9153 per year and Preschool, or Daycare costs $597 per month. As a bilingual province, New Brunswick offers parallel public school systems in both French and English from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.
New Brunswick has four publicly funded universities and other post-secondary institutions. New Brunswick has the fourth-highest undergraduate tuition fees among Canadian provinces, at an average of about $5,500.
The New Brunswick Department of Education grants provincial loans, grants, and bursaries for citizens and permanent residents. Also, each university and some community colleges offer scholarship programs as a form of financial aid.
10. Others
A movie ticket costs between $10.25 and $11.50, depending on the city.
Also, it costs around $2,606 for childcare outside the home and $1,291 inside the home per year. On average, children’s camps and sports equipment cost about $770 for a year.
The government of New Brunswick has estimated recreational activities to cost $3,156 per year.
Should I Move to New Brunswick?
Beyond the relatively low cost of living, New Brunswick is one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada.
It provides beautiful camping sites, plenty of hiking trails, and breathtaking landscape.
In addition, the local community has very friendly residents.
With less than 800,000 people, the residents have the opportunity to foster a great sense of community. If all of these appeals to you, you should consider moving to New Brunswick.