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Cost of Living in Canada

12K views 164 replies 109 participants last post by  Aussie_Skippy  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
costoflivingCANADA
Canada is one of the richest countries in the world. The per capita income is remarkably high and it is a distinguished member of the Group of Eight (G8) as well as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The economy is basically a free market and the government tends to apply statutes and policies less strict compared to the United Kingdom.

The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is higher compared to other European countries. Comparatively, here are the prices in a nutshell,
  • The cost of living in Toronto is 30 percent lower than in London, UK.
  • The cost of living in Vancouver is 12 percent lower than in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • The cost of living in Canada's capital, Ottawa, is 5 percent lower than in Glasgow, UK.

At present, economists are worried about the declining unemployment rate although production and living standards are still considerably high.

Cost of living expenses in rural areas can be significantly low. However, living in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver can be very expensive. Canada’s mining, oiling and logging industries comprise the bulk of its financial support that keeps foreign debt almost nonexistent.

Migrating in Canada will cost much less for those who come from big urban cities in United Kingdom. Space and living conditions in Canada are excellent although getting private land will still be expensive. Only 12% of the land is inhabited and almost 18% of the overall population is comprised of immigrants from Europe and Asia.

As shared in Canada Expat Forum last August 23, 2009:

Apart from all of that we still love it, the kids love it, in our area there are clean small play parks, none are vandalised!! with slides, climbing frame etc, my husbands journey home is 20 minutes (was 60-90) and at a max 80kph (50 mph!). We are struggling until I can work as a nurse, but hopefully it will all work out, if you want more let me know

Food and Drink Costs in Canada

The Canadian food processing industry (NAICS 311) is one of the third largest companies and its biggest food industry. 3.7% of per capita GDP is attributed to the food processing industry and together with farming and agriculture makes up 6.3% of the country’s total GDP. Meat processing remains as the biggest financial source in the food industry.

Some of the products that Canada is known for are sausages, hotdogs, hamburgers and canned goods like meatloaf and corned beef. The farming industry has also helped a lot in contributing sales of frozen or canned vegetables and fruits like olives, pickles, corn, cherries and licorice.

As for drinks, Canada has a number of large breweries and wineries. Canadian beer and wine are popular among local residents and Americans. Some examples of well-exported beer products are from Quebec and Montreal. Food and drinks in Canada are priced fairly but not altogether cheap.

There are also baked goods and pastries available but these are also quite expensive especially in the big cities. Some people are able to acquire very affordable products like rice, corn, fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets. An average family of four spends around 300 to 400 euro every month for food and drinks.

There has been a bit of a worry though in light of the current financial downturn worldwide. A looming price war in the food business is welcome news for cash-strapped consumers. Grocers, on the other hand, may face some challenging times down the road, and shareholders seem to agree. In the long run, it would provide most benefit to buyers all throughout Canada.

Clothing and Accessories Costs in Canada

Canada invests a lot in the fashion industry so modernized street fashion can be seen everywhere. Buying clothes and accessories in branded shops is going to be expensive. There are also runway shows, fashion magazine debuts and designer premieres that showcase the latest trends. Canadians know how to dress for the occasion but most of the locals tend to dress casually. In almost all the major cities, people are more fashionable and usually wear private label clothing, jewelry and footwear.

There are however, affordable clothing due to the growth of Chinese imported products. Locally made items have decreased by almost 7% due to the heavy competition brought about by wares that can be bought in bulk and wholesale. Other convenience and factory outlets also released several cheap accessories spurring Canadians to continue shopping and spending as despite the current recession as spending statistics show comparing the fiscal years of 2008 and 2009. Clothes have also gotten larger in size since the obese and overweight population was foreseen to have increased drastically.

Housing Costs in Canada

Canada’s construction sector has constantly grown over the past five years. In smaller states like Ottawa and Alberta, mortgage rates have also increased which boosted the consumer price index (CPI). The national average is now at all time high. Inflation levels have been very promising since more immigrants are coming in giving an estimated 3% rise every year.

The increase prices of real estate have not dampened the homeownership zeal of Canadians. Canadians need to provide initial deposits with concurrent costs that could last as long as a lifetime. On the positive side, most citizens have an average of over 13% disposable income.

Living in big cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Ontario is expensive but the rising rates of mortgages in other fast-growing urban states only make a slight difference. Laws and regulations on homebuilding, lot ownership and rental differ between cities. The Canadian government does well by monitoring landlords not to overcharge for apartment and condominium rentals. On the average, about 40% of the normal working individual’s income goes to housing costs which includes utilities and gas and experts predictions of an upsurge in this market in the near future.

Services Costs in Canada

The Canadian government is very generous in giving social assistance to all citizens. There are benefits that help support payment for commodities, food, house repairs, medications, health care car repair and fuel as well as on education. Scholarship grants are available from several public and private institutions. Workers also receive insurance and benefits during medical and financial situations. Some older individuals who did not finish their college degrees are also given the opportunity to study for free.

One of the model health care programs has been Canada’s very own as various levels of government pay for 71% of the health care costs, much of it is publicly funded in the Canada Health Act.

Canada also has equalization rights wherein the government provides income redistribution for those earning less than what is required for the whole family to cope and survive comfortably. Taxation rates can be adjusted by the government provided that citizens request and provide sufficient evidence of low affordability status. Canada is one of the leading nations in the world when it comes to social groups and programs. This sentiment is shared on Canada Expat Forum last June 4,2009:

A quick search yields multiple answers, depending on what you are considering.

Per wiki:
  1. Norway
  2. Sweden
  3. Canada
  4. Belgium
  5. Australia
  6. United States
  7. Iceland
  8. Netherlands
  9. Japan
  10. Finland
However, the current world economy has caused major impacts to living conditions in the listed countries.

Employment Costs in Canada

Currently, unemployment rates in Canada are increasing and it has reached 4% , the highest in decades.

Since most Canadian-born citizens are moving to the United States to find higher paying jobs, skilled workers are in demand. The areas that need more hands are in the fields of engineering, construction, education and health care.

Overall, most cities are still doing quite well. Newfoundland and Labrador have high unemployment rates reaching 15% while other provinces almost have flawless records.

The service and trade industries are still the national providers of financial support. This ably supports a wide tax base at a rate of 30% for income earners and VAT at nearly 4%. Canada is the biggest producer of uranium in the world along with other minerals like gold and nickel. Agricultural products like wheat have also been on the rise in the past years.
 

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#2 ·
The government of Canada does NOT give welare money for car repairs! You wish. Here in Vancouver a modest 1bedroom apt is mininum $900+ a month and 'welfare' gives a single person $530 a month to live on. $175more if you have children. This includes Rent, food, transportation, clothes,utilities, ect ect. People on Welfare in Canada cannot afford cars. They cannot afford the bus for a month! $2.25each way times 5days a week=$90 a month. Also minimum wage is $8.00-$860/hour. (Think resturant jobs, cleaning hotels, working in clothing stores ect) There are 35,000 homeless people in BC alone. If you're thinking of moving to Canada you better be a skilled worker and not expecting any handouts. or move to the rural areas where the racist uneducated live. Sorry to upset anyone or disapiont, but you should know the truth. If you don't earn at least $60, 000 a year you will most likely have to walk to work once in a while and miss a few meals. Government handouts are reserved for desperate situations and do not sustain a good quality of life. If you are prepared to get skilled, work hard, be part of your community, obey the law and save for the future,you will do well to move to our beautiful (but not perfect) country and we'd love to have all who are peaceful, hardworking, honest and want to share our way of life. We will welcome you with open arms.
 
#3 ·
Just an FYI Ontario is a province and not a city, in fact Toronto (the city) is located in Ontario (the province). I think the writer was looking to say Ottawa which is another large metropolitan area that has a high cost of living. Montreal aswell has a high cost of living, it is located in the French Province of Quebec but does have a large English population.
 
#4 ·
Despite the shortage in many fields of services - e.g. health care - you can hardly find a job in Canada even if you are a skilled worker, even after you passed through the tough & frustrating exams. and tests to prove your skills and experience. As a new commer I discovered that it ia really a tough and unhappy experience moving to Canada, I start questioning myselef why they are accepting us for immigration as skilled workers if they already know that we can not work there? I advice every one to think and revise his decision 1000000 times before moving over Canada
 
#5 ·
hi tarek, you have quoted a true experience to an immigrant, i am a physiotherapist from India, and planning to immigrate to Canada,, now by seeing your experience i have to think many times is it possible to lead a happy life and save some money after a long process of paper work to immigrate and passing a frustrated licensing exam to practice there.....once i go through all this horrible procedure i may get $ 30-35/hour, do u any one think i can save more to take back to my country some day or to invest there in Canada....
 
#6 ·
Re: rural area/racist comment - I prefer to think of us as being those who have not been brainwashed by our government into thinking the current wave of immigration and the predominance of certain originating countries is good for Canada and our way of life. I don't think anyone can argue that most Canadians are suckers and have on many occasions been taken advantage of by many who immigrate here. They bring their baggage, disease, social problems and in many cases a way of life that is inconsistent with ours. Inconsistent with many who are civilized.
Examples: Tamil blocking of the Gardner (we should have water cannoned them and sent them home), Ruby Dhalla wanting to extend seniors benefits to immigrants ( why don't we all just take care of the worlds aged), Sikh daggers in our schools, Turbans in the RCMP, honor killings, the stealing of Vancouver by the orient and the list goes on. All the while this flood of people has increased housing costs for multi-generation Canadians and decreased our quality of health care and education due to overloading. No open arms here!
 
#7 ·
You might be better advised to stay in your home country. Canada, is not the haven one would think. And if you do move here you are pretty much relegated to ethnic communities where you are welcome. Most Canadians will not use the services of third world professionals. Little Temple on the Prarie is a joke. Canada is not like that at all.
 
#8 ·
It makes me slightly irked about all of these comments about Canadians being racist and not accepting immigrants. I don't know where you live, but I live near Toronto and let me tell you, their is a large population of employed immigrants. It is a law that a company must hire a certain ratio of ethnicities and sexes, the only problem now is that with the increasing population of immigrants, an immigrant would have lots of competition for a job, from fellow countrymen, to born Canadians alike. Canada is the most multicultural country in the world, and we accept the qualifications and experience, no, value these, greatly. As long as you are willing to put in as much effort as possible to contribute to the economy and experience our culture, and not mooch of our welfare, you will do fine.
 
#9 ·
i live in india and wish to settle in canada. i want to settle under investor catagory. i plan to buy franchises like subway, quizno etc.. funds available with me are half million dollars. do youthink i should shift and how much money could i earn by investing half million here in any business. what would be cost of living for a decent livivng for a family of 4. kindly suggest soon
 
#10 ·
Sunny Sahney, you sir (or madam) are clearly a moron. What sort of a question is that? Like some comment forum on the web is going to give you the golden goose egg as an answer!?

I would say definitely shift - for the sake of your present neighbours - but in lieu of the fact that you will be moving to Canada and most likely imposing your stupidity onto a new set of residents in your community... Don't! stay where you are with your half-million squarely stowed in ICICI.
 
#11 ·
It depends on what type of franchises - subways, quizno are relatively more expensive, you have to be careful that franchises cost more than just franchise fee, you have to factor in the rentals, staff cost. There are tons of other businesses to choose from, for instance, you can buy 2 franchises, one in take-out, one as a restaurant. I was looking at Boston Pizza for instance.

Another possibility is to invest in properties in Canada, the market has come down a lot since May, and rental yield is not too bad.

But why into franchising, that kind of money is enough for you to start a nice business in Canada.

Living cost in Canada is reasonable, it's much cheaper than Australia where I am moving from.
 
#12 ·
Just moved from Australia to Canada, what a relief. Living cost in Toronto is even lower than Brisbane in Australia, and there are over 7 million people in the GTA! Vancouver is a bit too expensive, mainly in the housing, but still cheaper than back in Australia.

As I have lived in US before, living cost in US is still generally cheaper, especially in the southern states, however, property tax in US seems to be much higher - although, services are provided differently. in Toronto, the property tax includes the government come and pick your unwanted furniture and appliances, we don't get such luxury in Australia, they charge you based on per trip and by weight "double dip"

Food wise, I think Canada and US are very much comparable (cost), clothing, Toronto is certainly cheaper than Vancouver, and very much on par with US. Cars are more expensive than US (well, who is not??), fuel is 30% more expensive than US but 30% cheaper than Australia.

I think both Canada and US are great places to live especially if you are a business owner - if you run a web-based business where location does not matter, it is even better..do take opp. to travel cross-border to outlets in US, that's where good values can be found.
 
#14 ·
I am an American, I don't find Canadian arrogant at all..and vice versa..we are all equal.
I travel across the border all the time including Niagarra Falls.

The only thing I wish to express my concern is Canadian businesses charge par rate if you pay by USD, while it makes sense now, I do think, back in 2009, when the rate was 0.90, that's a 10% additional charge if I pay by USD...
While it is unfair - at least, from what I see - they will inform you first - I guess, if we do come to Canada, we should withdraw some CAD from local ATMs anyway..

One guy at Toronto airport is very polite. This lady was buying a sandwich, she is from Seattle, the guy apologized that it will be on equal rate, and suggested her she could either go to ATM or use credit card..
 
#15 ·
Hi, I am from Australia & my husband & I would love to give Canada a go. My husband is a policeman so I guess he would try & find work where ever possible. We love the rural areas. Those areas seem so picturesque. My husbands brother lives in Thunder Bay. Way too cold. We love all the images we google of chillawack. The cost of living in Australia is becoming ridiculous. To buy a handful of groceries your never leaving the store without spending at least $70. The electricity is constantly going up & we have all been warned that water is also on the rise. Our fuel is soo high compared to the States also. My husband & I can't believe how boats, cars etc are unbelievably overpriced compared to what you can purchase the exact same models for! Australia keeps you & makes sure you can never enjoy anything..
 
#16 ·
Hello, I am an inmigrant, 15 years here, 10 + years university, finished here in vancouver BC (at SFU), coming to canada was the worst mistake of my life, I brought much more money here than I ever have been able to generate. I would tell to prospective immigrants, yes come, if you are doing really badly in your country, if your country is at war or something so hard like that this will be heaven for you. if you however are a professional in your country, don't even try, unless you are british, or irish, or australian, any of the last three nationalities will quickly get a job and be licenced. anyone else will have to clean toilletes, be treated as a retard because they have a bit of an accent, and etc etc. If you have money you made in your country definitely do not come and definitely don't bring it, you will loose it in cost of living expenses and most importantly you will be taxed.... I have a lot of highly educated immigrant friends, not one is happy having come here, but now that we are here we have to suck it up, because we can't even make enough money to go back to our own contries or to the standard of living we had in our countries.(see more below)

 
#17 ·
One more thing, if you are not from one of those blessed countries of the G8, forget also about ever seeing your family, your parents, etc, they wont let them in here to visit and they will be accused of trying to come to stay here. think very hard if you want to come here to be absolutely isolated from your family for the rest of your life, specially when you wont have enough to pay for a ticket to go see them.
And think that childcare here also sucks, if you are an immigrant prepare to shell out more than $1000/month/child on child care, if you do not have family to help you that may mean you can't work if you are a woman, because you will have to stay at home taking care of your children until they are 5 yr old, one more thing, school here is not free, really, they will tell you it is, but on second look children start going at 5 and what they call full day school means they are in school until 4:00 pm (sometimes 3:00 pm) guess what? any job you or your wife get here is going to be until minimum 6 pm and you will be expected to stay sometimes longer for the team...
 
#18 ·
without family there will be no one to pick your kids up. you will have to pay something called after school care, and that is just as costly as schooling in other countries.
my sister lives in paris, she spends 200 euro a month for groceries for a family of four, we spend 750 for a family of four, and we have to buy a lot of poisonous obesity causing fructose laden crap, fruits and vegetables are so expensive you will have to lower your intake..and that is for the ones full of pesticides, I can't even think of what organic would cost....
 
#19 ·
to sum it up, worst mistake ever made, not just by me but many of my friends from many other countries. don't let canada woo you and think that you will have your engineering license here or your nurse license or doctor license... or any profesioonal license, you will do various jobs like cleaning and construction and retail sales, you will loose your money and you will never go back to your country after such failure. you will stay here trying to make it and then one day you will just try to make your own bussiness in cleaning or as handyman or something like that, lower your head, forget your were a scientist or engineer and try to help your children make it....

 
#20 ·
Hi Tammy

We are also from Australia and moving to Canada soon - cost of living in Australia is a complete joke..it's also a primary reason why we are leaving as well..no life in Australia.

Now, as a policeman - I am not sure about the licensing requirement - but maybe in security related industries.

I am going to settle in Toronto, for the size of this huge city (7 - 8 million), it's affordable and much cheaper than Australian cities. Property price in Toronto is about 1/2 to that in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. $300,000 gets you a nice apartment (condo), and $500,000, you get a nice house.

If you like relatively rural areas - try the northern part of Ontario (GTA), like Aurora, Newmarket, we are going to move to Markham or Richmond Hill area. Or you can try southern Ontario, like Kitchener, London, or near Niagarra Falls.

Being in Ontario means you are at least within good distance to major metropolitan areas and cities, but still enjoy the peaceful life.

I would not go to Vancouver, too expensive and too over-rated, although still cheaper than Australia :)
 
#21 ·
I just done my analysis between Toronto and Vancouver...after spending weeks over there.

Decided to go to Toronto - more jobs, more business opportunities and more people and much cheaper than Vancouver.
Vancouver is beautiful, I have my relatives there too -- but there is actually a lot of Vancouvrite moving to the east coast, especially young families and couples. Vancouver is expensive, though not as expensive say many parts of Asia, Australia, NZ or Europe - but expensive in North American standard.

I am glad I have checked out Toronto and found it much better than Vancouver for my business and living cost is 1/2 to Vancouver...that's what I want to be, mountains and landscapes are meaningless to me.

Immigration is never easy - we have done this before moved to Australia, it would take years sometimes to get a job.

My feeling is: as a new immigrant - keep your options open. There are many successful ethnic people in Canada - Mr. Don't DoIt has his points..but do not let that discourage you.

Especially in Toronto, I can see so many successful ethnic people (but not in Vancouver for some reason - seems to be more for riches)..In Toronto, I can see Indian families running tour operating companies, a lot running schools, day care centres, there is also famous Hakim Optical, many medical centres are owned by Indians, of course, lots of retail shops. Chinese are also doing well - like architectural firms, accounting & law firms.

You should always think - should I run a business or should I be an employee - often, I found running a business is easier and better way when you move to a new country. ..qualification recognition is a problem for any immigrant in any country, be flexible and be open-minded...and be ready to move to other cities.
 
#22 ·
No one ever said immigration is an easy process - integration into society can take years, and some have taken generations.
No matter if you have high education or qualification from your home country, be it India, China, UK...don't assume you can be in the same position. My Dad graduated with Master from top American university in agriculture and that was not recognized at all in Australia for instance, my friend graduated from MIT in engineering was not recognized by Australian companies as they have never heard of Ivy League.

The same could happen to Canadian immigrants - although, so far, since arriving here, I found Canadians much more open-minded than Australia and New Zealand, where we have spent many years living there.

But a degree & experience overseas often are meaningless..as most companies are focusing in doing "local business", instead of complaining, do the following:

1. Can your skills be used to help Canadian companies to export
2. Maybe your previous job is to export / develop into US markets - then Canadian companies would also need that
3. Would you consider consultancy or contractor position?

Also, set up a small business first. Successful people are often business owners not employees - same in Canada, I have met many successful Indian and Sri Lankan families in Canada, yes, they were engineers or teachers before...since they moved to Canada, they set up their own business. Some teachers are now principals running schools, some have set up services, one Iranian couple decided to run a hotel tailored for new immigrants - even though they were engineers before.

Immigration is a new life, it's a change, and this applies to job and opportunity as well.

Wish you and myself good luck in this wonderful country.
 
#23 ·
It is worse in the uk, immigrants come here wiv no skill or legit documents to be here and some don't speak english yet they get free housing and make more british homeless or jobless which is why we move to places like canada to work and not get any freebies and besides most white canadians are of british or european descent so don't diss us we pay fair and square!
 
#24 ·
If you had bad luck, it doesnt necessarily mean that everyone else is gonna have the same situation as you had. I dont think people from third world countries are gonna end up cleaning toilets and all that bad stuff you had said. I am from a third world country and I have lots of friends and families who are professionals and have gotten their license and had gotten very good jobs, so I don't believe in what you are saying that you cannot get your license. Immigrating to another country is a risk, and everyone planning it should always know that. It all depends on you whether you want to take that risk or not. It just sucks if things didnt go as you have expected. Not everything is a bed of roses, you have to work hard and rise to every failure. Stop whining and move on with your life.
 
#25 ·
I totally agree with you on the last part, people always expect that moving to another country is a bed of roses that it will save them from whatever slump they are in now. But they should know that no country has not its own cons and pros, its own flaws, it will all depend on what you want and what you need and what you can work with. Its just a matter of doing well with what you have and what you got, make the most of it and work hard, not everything is free you know!
 
#26 ·
I'am a mum of three and we are just waiting to move to canada. I really wanted some help to find out about the cost of living in canada. Coming from the uk.Do you still get child benefit for my children etc. So really i wanted to get as much information i can so i have a idea of what to expect. Anything would help. thanks jemma