A fresh haircut can boost a man’s confidence, but in Toronto, the rising cost of men’s haircuts is becoming a serious concern. Many men say prices have climbed sharply, making regular grooming more expensive than ever.
One Reddit user shared, “Yesterday I got a cut and my beard done for $55, I tipped $5. $720 a year on hair cut plus beard seems ridiculous.” This sparked a long discussion about the growing expense of haircuts and how it affects tipping habits, with some men even skipping tips.
Another user said, “It is crazy out here. I get a haircut once a month, $40 and $5 in tips. Then I just use my trimmer to keep the fade fresh, I hate it.” Others added that prices now range between $40 and $60 per cut, which many find excessive. Some have even stopped visiting their barbers or started cutting their own hair.
Julio Benitez, manager of The Village Barbershop downtown, explained the price increases. “There’s a lot that goes into it, like rent mostly. It goes up, so you always gotta charge up a little bit to meet ends with the rent,” he said in an interview with Now Toronto.
Benitez noted that prices also vary based on the barber’s skill, time, and services offered. “Definitely $40, $45, $50 dollars—that’s what most barbers nowadays charge,” he added. However, he acknowledged that some barbershops charge even more, sometimes $75 to $100 per cut, which he called “a little bit outrageous.”
Barber Alvin Auayang of Mad One Barbershop attributed the rising costs to inflation and the fact that many barbers are self-employed contractors. “With the skills they’ve developed and all the education and knowledge they have to share with clients, it raises the price to offer more value,” he explained.
Auayang said this leads to “competitive pricing” among Toronto barbers. Despite complaints, he urged clients to keep an open mind. “We work hard to provide the services, and all we want is to give you peace of mind,” he said.
As prices climb, Toronto men continue to weigh whether to pay more for their next cut, trim their own hair, or skip grooming altogether.
