Cost of living in Canada?

[Garfield 2]

Hey guys.

So, my family situation has evolved quite a lot in the last two weeks, and we're most probably going to try to get rid of our mortgage and leave Ireland. Cost of living in this country has become ridiculous, and my parents had to borrow money off of me to fuel up their car.

 

What we are looking at is Canada. We are considering to move there, but I need to find out a lot of stuff.

 

What is the cost of living? I know rent is expensive, but what about your normal groceries like milk, bread, peanut butter, beef, chicken etc.?

 

Is insurance really that massive? I got a quote online and was quoted $5000 for a 1996 BMW 318i...

 

Thanks for your help.

[Icarus]

First and foremost, cost of living is going to depend on where exactly you're living in Canada. As you know, it's a massive country. The Atlantic region would be the cheapest, but job opportunities are limited there, unless you're doing something related to the medical field (e.g. nurse, doctor). British Columbia and Alberta are also more expensive, but jobs are also more numerous and better paying (Alberta being more industrial with oil fields).

 

Car insurance varies by province and it also varies on what you drive and the type of insurance you put on it. By law, you're required to have at a minimum what is known as PLPD (public liability and property damage), which isn't outrageously expensive. If you start getting stuff like collision and theft, the price will go up.

[Garfield 2]

First and foremost, cost of living is going to depend on where exactly you're living in Canada. As you know, it's a massive country. The Atlantic region would be the cheapest, but job opportunities are limited there, unless you're doing something related to the medical field (e.g. nurse, doctor). British Columbia and Alberta are also more expensive, but jobs are also more numerous and better paying (Alberta being more industrial with oil fields).

 

Car insurance varies by province and it also varies on what you drive and the type of insurance you put on it. By law, you're required to have at a minimum what is known as PLPD (public liability and property damage), which isn't outrageously expensive. If you start getting stuff like collision and theft, the price will go up.

Ontario region is what we'd consider. Toronto / Ottawa.

My dad is in the sales industry, my mom is in the administrative industry, and I'm basically an average employee, able to do most jobs.

I'm focused on Business and Marketing though.

[Rebel]

Before you can even consider if you're able to live there you should be looking at the Canadian Embassy. You can't exactly move out there willynilly like. I'm not sure on Canadian immigration, but from what I know you're parents are basically going to have to find companies that will employ them - which means that the company will pay for all of the immigration fees instead of you. Obviously there are more types of visas, so pick the one that is best suited to yourselves.

 

Let me put it this way, it is in no means easy to switch and live in a different country. Its a very expensive transition and hell, even getting my US visa was a sh*t load of money including all of the medical fees, travelling to embassy and all of the paper work.

[Garfield 2]

Before you can even consider if you're able to live there you should be looking at the Canadian Embassy. You can't exactly move out there willynilly like. I'm not sure on Canadian immigration, but from what I know you're parents are basically going to have to find companies that will employ them - which means that the company will pay for all of the immigration fees instead of you. Obviously there are more types of visas, so pick the one that is best suited to yourselves.

 

Let me put it this way, it is in no means easy to switch and live in a different country. Its a very expensive transition and hell, even getting my US visa was a sh*t load of money including all of the medical fees, travelling to embassy and all of the paper work.

US is much harder to get into than Canada. Obviously, we've known about visas before.

[sivispacem]

 

Before you can even consider if you're able to live there you should be looking at the Canadian Embassy. You can't exactly move out there willynilly like. I'm not sure on Canadian immigration, but from what I know you're parents are basically going to have to find companies that will employ them - which means that the company will pay for all of the immigration fees instead of you. Obviously there are more types of visas, so pick the one that is best suited to yourselves.

 

Let me put it this way, it is in no means easy to switch and live in a different country. Its a very expensive transition and hell, even getting my US visa was a sh*t load of money including all of the medical fees, travelling to embassy and all of the paper work.

US is much harder to get into than Canada. Obviously, we've known about visas before.

The fact that Canada is a Commonwealth country makes immigration from the UK (and vice versa) extremely easy.

[Oakshaft]

I live in Ottawa, and a bag of milk ranges from 2.99$ to 4.99$ and the average price of gas (gallon) is 1.20$

 

I dont own a car so I dont know about the insurance, but the rent for me is 900$ a month and with everything else it is about 1400$ and my apartment is fairly big

[okei]

It's good to know I'm not the only one who has been thinking of moving to Canada.

[Tchuck]

I'm living in Downtown Vancouver at the moment, and it's quite expensive. I'd guess living in nearby Burnaby or Coquitlam would make things a little less expensive. For 1.4k a month you can get a decent sized apartment in Downtown if you search well enough. If you have a car, parking will cost you around 2~4 dollars an hour in parking buildings, and there's parking meters on every street. Food is expensive, eating out can fluctuate around 10 bucks for a decent meal. Awesome city though.

[Otter]

Yeah. As another Vancouverite, I'll grudgingly point out that we're the most expensive city in North America. Yet wages do not reflect this.

 

Regardless, Ive heard from a lot of firends that obtaining a Visa is a simple process and, though they'll put you through the ringer with paperwork, it's relatively painless. Ontario's a great place, and TO is certainly our most "American" city, for what it's worth.

[Garfield 2]

Just got quoted $11,900 for insurance per year for a 2001 Mazda 323. WTF?! I drive a BMW 325i in a rip off country and yet the insurance is more expensive somewhere else?

[evh5150vanhalen]

Just got quoted $11,900 for insurance per year for a 2001 Mazda 323. WTF?! I drive a BMW 325i in a rip off country and yet the insurance is more expensive somewhere else?

I own a 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and my car insurance is around $1500 per year, but I live in Nova Scotia.

Commodities such as milk and bread ect are expensive here but our wages reflect the higher cost of living. The Irving ship yard in Halifax recently got the contract for building Naval ships for the Canadian government so that will be booming soon. Also there's alot more crime in other parts of Canada than on the east coast here, and the snow situation is less bad here and on the west coast around Vancouver, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta B.C interior and most of New Brunswick get dumped on usually with snow.

I'm a truck driver and i travel coast to coast and have seen every province in the summer and in the wiinter.

[Dingdongs]

Before you can even consider if you're able to live there you should be looking at the Canadian Embassy. You can't exactly move out there willynilly like. I'm not sure on Canadian immigration, but from what I know you're parents are basically going to have to find companies that will employ them - which means that the company will pay for all of the immigration fees instead of you. Obviously there are more types of visas, so pick the one that is best suited to yourselves.

 

Let me put it this way, it is in no means easy to switch and live in a different country. Its a very expensive transition and hell, even getting my US visa was a sh*t load of money including all of the medical fees, travelling to embassy and all of the paper work.

US is much harder to get into than Canada. Obviously, we've known about visas before.

The fact that Canada is a Commonwealth country makes immigration from the UK (and vice versa) extremely easy.

That doesn't apply from Ireland though, right?

[locolow2011]

I've been wanting to live in Canada too, Toronto to be more precise, its very unsafe where i live now!

[omgz153]

 

I live in beautiful Ontario! If you move to Canada this is where you are most likely to live. Here in Ontario we are very diverse culturally and people of all ethnic backgrounds are sure to enjoy the atmosphere. Here in Canada there is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth because all media is controlled by a board called the CRTC. Everything including food is 3 times more expensive then in the states which is very ironic considering we are neighbors! We all travel on something called the TTC because we can't afford our darn car insurances.

 

Aside from the jokes - Canada is honestly your best hope in terms of immigration. Immigrants from all around the world come to Canada because of a few things that honestly differentiate Canada from the rest of the world. We have a decent healthcare system, quite a reputable education system and overall it's a very welcoming place for immigrants. Canada is also a very expanding country because we own a enormous amount of Oil, uranium and a large list of other natural resources. There is quite a few high paying jobs available in the construction industry if you are willing to move to Alberta. Also the Oil industry is expanding in Canada because of the Bitumen deposits in Alberta. Overall the educational opportunities and job opportunities outweigh all of the flaws such as car insurance and price of living. It's the most immigrated country for a reason.

[Jay]

a bag of milk

I thought that was just an elaborate internet hoax until I saw it for reals myself.

 

All I know is that alcohol is more expensive in Canada than the US, which puts the prices on par with places like Ausland and the UK. They practically give booze away stateside, even with sales tax included.

 

[Dingdongs]

 

It's the most immigrated country for a reason.

 

Now that's just completely wrong. Infact, we in the US take in the equivalent of close to 6 percent of the Canadian population every year. Our first born immigrant population is greater than the population of Canada.

[Jay]

iirc, the US and Canada are the only developed Western nations that award citizenship to anyone born within their borders. There's criteria for places like Ausland, like one parent being born here, and if not you only get citizenship at the age of 10.

 

Or something like that.

[Dingdongs]

iirc, the US and Canada are the only developed Western nations that award citizenship to anyone born within their borders. There's criteria for places like Ausland, like one parent being born here, and if not you only get citizenship at the age of 10.

 

Or something like that.

Too shot to do the research on that now but that's probably correct. I know for a fact most of Europe doesn't do that as you said. Germany used to go by something sanguinis (again really shot right now) that was you need to have German blood to be a citizen since the Germans are all about nationalism and stuff like that stuff, but i think they changed it. I remember that i did a paper on Portugal's birthright citizenship stuff because portugal had birthright citizenship until the 80s. but all the developed british commonwealth realms except canada i believe have abolished it, australia nz got rid of it I know, and I think the British island nations that are commonwealth have it still though.

[Ryan]

I'd suggest Ottawa. I've been there several times and it's a beautiful city. It being the nations capital, there are lots of opportunities for industry and administration jobs. Not sure what the cost of living there would be or what insurance would be like there though. As Jay pointed out, alcohol here is pretty expensive. A 24 pack of beer will set you back about $40-$45 for domestic brews. The great thing about Ottawa though is that you can just cross the river and go on a 2 minute drive to Gatineau and get it for like half the price!

[Icarus]

iirc, the US and Canada are the only developed Western nations that award citizenship to anyone born within their borders. There's criteria for places like Ausland, like one parent being born here, and if not you only get citizenship at the age of 10.

 

Or something like that.

You're correct. The jus soli principle says that if you're born on Canadian soil, regardless of the citizenship of your parents, you are a Canadian citizen. There was an issue back in 1943 when the Dutch royal family was staying in Ottawa and Queen Juliana gave birth to Princess Margriet. The government had to declare the maternity ward at the Ottawa hospital as extraterritorial such that the princess would inherit her mother's citizenship and not become a Canadian citizen (which would have removed her from the line of succession).

[Garfield 2]

Darn, I didn't think Canada was so expensive.

I honestly hate public transport, and have no plans to use it at all.

[sivispacem]

That doesn't apply from Ireland though, right?

Indeed it does not; I forgot that this was in relation to Ireland.

[Garfield 2]

That doesn't apply from Ireland though, right?

Indeed it does not; I forgot that this was in relation to Ireland.

Still not as hard as getting a US Visa.

[Oakshaft]

a bag of milk

I thought that was just an elaborate internet hoax until I saw it for reals myself.

 

All I know is that alcohol is more expensive in Canada than the US, which puts the prices on par with places like Ausland and the UK. They practically give booze away stateside, even with sales tax included.

They dont sell it in bags any where else? lol

[lil weasel]

Only in Canada. In the rest of the world its: Cans, Waxed/plastic boxes, plastic Jugs and rarely Glass bottles.

[Garfield 2]

a bag of milk

I thought that was just an elaborate internet hoax until I saw it for reals myself.

 

All I know is that alcohol is more expensive in Canada than the US, which puts the prices on par with places like Ausland and the UK. They practically give booze away stateside, even with sales tax included.

They dont sell it in bags any where else? lol

Poland.

 

[kokot]

 

I emigrated from Canada 7 years ago.

 

Love living in the UK and I'm staying.

 

People can't understand it, they think Canada is some kinda paradise.

 

Sure I miss it sometimes, family and all.

 

It depends what you want but I find the quality of life better here in the UK. More holidays, more things going on and almost everything is cheaper except for petrol. Everybody always compares the price of petrol/gasoline to the cost of living but it's a one track mentality. Also London is completely apart from the rest of the country in terms of cost and that's the only thing most tourists see.

 

When I think of Ontario, I think of freezing rain winters and mosquito humid summers.

 

Or you can sell your soul and get a job in Alberta. Enjoy all the rig pigs who drive like complete arseholes in their big-ass pick up trucks.

 

Move to Vancouver for all the beautiful scenery and things you can do except you'll be a slave to the cost of living and will never get ahead.

 

Maritimes are beautiful and laid back but like was mentioned earlier, where are you going to work? There's no factories, no industry, no commercial sector, no trees or fish left ... but hey.. it's cheap there and about as close to ireland as it gets in Canada.

 

Forget Quebec unless you speak french.

 

Sorry to say but Saskatchewan and Manitoba will bore the sh*t out of you if you're used to living on a beautiful island with an amazing coastline such as Ireland.

 

Not trying to diss Canada, I'm just saying... it's not *all that*..

 

And you can't walk to your local pub or store.. you have to drive everywhere... you might need to drive for 8 hours or more to get to the next major city.

 

Cars are so expensive there, and insurance can vary .. plus nobody gives a rats ass about full service histories and there are no MOT's .. except in Nova Scotia and .. I dunno maybe in Ontario.. with all the salty roads and no inspections... the cars are knackered... half of them are american econoboxes that are built to self destruct when the warranty runs out. trust me an american ford focus is a *completely* different car.

 

Cost of petrol isn't so cheap like the states, and most of the cars there get 20 mpg. Diesels models are very rare, mostly big trucks and VW's.

 

Alcohol is a total rip off. A night out with drinks, obligatory 15% tips (basically it's expected... but you get a nice fake smile with your service fwiw) and then a nice expensive taxi ride back to suburbia ... well... most people just stay home, smoke weed and play videogames.

 

Of course I realize I'm painting an entire country with a few strokes of the ol' brush and probably somebodys gonna come on here and say "no way, i can walk to my local pub" blah blah but whatever that's my view.

[Garfield 2]

You always complain about the things you're used to. Just like Americans (or at least some of them) complain about the lack of diesel cars, I complain about the diesel market taking over petrol market here.

 

It's just different perspectives.

 

And also, Ireland is more expensive than the UK. It's not about the MOT anymore, it's the road tax that you have to pay huge amounts for unless you drive a horrid ecobox. You're ripped off on everything except for bread & milk in my opinion.

 

Just so you get the picture:

A two litre bottle of Coca-Cola costs €2.09

One litre of petrol costs €1.62

A Kinder Bueno bar costs €0.99

A 500ml can of Monster is €2.49

500g of grapes costs €2.49 at Lidl

Motor Tax for a 2008 Audi S5 is €2100.

Motor Tax for a 1998 BMW 540i is €1680.

Bread is €1.99 (a decent one)

Pork Chops are €8.49 / kg

Mince Beef is €3.99 / kg.

 

I went to the shop to buy strawberries. I paid €5 for two 250g boxes of Strawberries at Tesco.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Garfield 2

[negrodamus]

How do you intend to get the proper visas and work permits and so on? You can't just move to Canada like that, or any country outside the EU for that matter. You need the proper papers to even be allowed to live in that country.