There isn't a lot of variation -- most of them are public, and if one is much cheaper than another for foreign students it will sooner or later raise its fees. I would recommend a university over a college, and suggest you look at the following:
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- University of Manitoba
- University of Saskatchewan
- some of the colleges and universities in Nova Scotia
- if you are Christian, you might look at some religious schools which may have scholarships. I'm sure that these are very competitive, though.
All of these places are acceptable schools (though not the best, overall), and are in places that are cheap to live.
If your parents are struggling to pay for Canadian tuition, make sure that it is worth it for your family. Just to study is not -- the education here is not necessarily better than elsewhere. However, if you think that you will have a chance to immigrate afterwards, that is worthwhile; only, it depends on the regulations at the time. A few years ago, CIC changed the rules with the Express Entry in a manner that made it more difficult for foreign students to apply; it was a very unfair move, and severely hurt many people who had spent a lot of money to study, expecting that it would be followed by an easier track to immigrate. Now, it's possible that the rules are being made somewhat more accommodating for foreign students again, I'm not sure.
Let me know if you have any questions about specific schools, I'd be glad to give you my opinion, though it might often be general.
