Zeus, I live in the Metro Atlanta, GA area, so I have no idea whether any paint shop prices here would be relevant to you in Canada. Just call around to shops who do HD paint work for prices in your area.

Also, you need to ask whether the painter will shoot test panels (to assure a great color match), sand wet coats and clear coats, etc. The difference is in the finished product. You can get a car shot for $300, but it's not likely to be as good as a much more expensive product.

I'm all for being thrifty (but not cheap), everyone has a budget, and we don't always get what we pay for (i.e. paying more doesn't assure "better"). Shop, ask for recommendations, get details of what the painter is going to do, etc.

Do some research on painting; there are lots of websites on the topic; and, hopefully they will help you get educated on what's involved and make you a better shopper/consumer.

Carl