A new CoPR holder, worried by a friend's claim that a senior .NET developer earning 6.5K CAD/month post-tax barely covers living expenses, asked the group whether that's realistic.
What the thread's budget breakdown suggested:- 6.5K CAD post-tax is generally considered a decent starting income, and for a single person, rent plus groceries can realistically be managed within about 2.5K CAD/month if you're not a lavish spender.
- Grocery estimates in the original claim (1.5K) were flagged as too high — members estimated roughly 200 USD/CAD per person per month is more typical (about 500 for two people), suggesting the friend's budget breakdown may have been overstated or reflected a different lifestyle.
- Transportation costs depend heavily on car vs. transit. Members noted car insurance is notably expensive in Ontario, and that a transit pass (200-300/month) or occasional rideshare use is a cheaper alternative to owning a car, especially early on.
Takeaway: a single applicant earning 6.5K CAD post-tax should generally be able to save meaningfully after rent and groceries — treat highly specific budget claims from any one person's experience as one data point, not a universal benchmark, and factor in that avoiding car ownership (given high Ontario insurance costs) can meaningfully improve your monthly savings.