The short answer
Criminal defence fees in Canada vary by complexity, exposure, and counsel experience. Across the country, expect roughly $1,500 to $5,000 for a guilty plea resolution on a summary matter, $8,000 to $25,000 for a hybrid matter that proceeds to trial, and substantially more for serious indictable charges. Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary tend to be on the higher end. Smaller centres like Kitchener, London, and Halifax run lower. Free initial consultations are common; many firms also accept e-transfer and major cards.
Block fees, hourly retainers, and unbundled
Most criminal defence work is quoted as a block fee per stage. Common stages: bail hearing, disclosure review, judicial pretrial, trial preparation, trial. Block fees let you know the total up front. Hourly retainers are also used, especially on complex files where the path is uncertain. Unbundled retainers (limited scope, fixed fee for a specific task such as a bail hearing) are increasingly common and reduce cost.
What changes the price
Severity of the charge. The number of charges. Whether bail is in dispute. Whether disclosure is voluminous (e.g., wiretap or complex fraud files). Whether Charter motions are likely. Whether the matter is summary, hybrid, or indictable. Whether expert evidence is needed (toxicology, accident reconstruction, forensic accounting). Whether prior counsel is to be replaced (with associated catch-up work). Whether the client is in custody (custody adds urgency and a different work pattern).
Legal Aid
Legal Aid Ontario, Legal Aid BC, Legal Aid Alberta and equivalents fund criminal defence subject to financial eligibility (income and assets) and case eligibility (charges that carry a risk of jail or have related consequences). Not every criminal lawyer accepts legal aid certificates. The list of accepting counsel is published by each provincial plan.
How to keep cost down without sacrificing quality
Get a fixed block fee in writing. Provide every document the lawyer asks for on time. Stay off the discovery details with the lawyer until after disclosure is reviewed. Do not retain a lawyer to argue every motion when the file would more likely resolve at a judicial pretrial. Ask about unbundled retainers if your file is at one specific stage (e.g., bail or sentencing only). Compare two or three lawyers before signing.
A note on cheap lawyers
A criminal lawyer who quotes you a thousand dollars for a trial is not doing the work. A criminal lawyer who quotes you forty thousand dollars for a simple summary matter is overcharging. Reasonable Canadian benchmarks above are a sense-check.