Living In Canada?

Question

I am considering living in Canada and wanted to get some input on choosing a city. Mainly I have in mind Montreal, Vancouver, or Toronto.

How much $ per month would I need to make a living? Lets say for rent(1 bedroom apartment), utilities, food, and entertainment.

How would you decribe the lifestyle in each city?

Any feedback is appreciated..

Answer 1

toronto is expensive, especially dowtown

Answer 2

Rent for a 1 bedroom apt. in Vancouver is going to cost around $900-$1,000 per mo. If you can find one. So you're going to need about $2500 per month to live on.

Montreal is eclectic, alive, vibrant and a lot of fun. It's very European in character and the least expensive of the three. Toronto is a big city. It doesn't have the character that either Montreal or Vancouver do. The lifestyle in Vancouver is very laid back, very west coast, and much given to outdoor activities, unlike Montreal which is more culturally focussed, or Toronto, where business rules.

Answer 3

Make sure that you have a way to legally immigrate here before you move. If not you will be turned away at the border. You can check out cic.gc.ca to find out if you can qualify to immigrate.

Toronto and Vancouver are VERY expensive.

I live in Montreal, so I can really only comment on that. Montreal has some of the cheapest rent in The Americas. I have a one bedroom, everything included (heat, water, electricity, garbage) for $660 a month. Thats considered somewhat expensive, but its a good building with a pool, sauna, nice patio, and bbq. Its also a good concrete building. You could easily get a 1 bedroom all included for $500 or less, depending on the area you chose (and that doesn't limit you to less than desirable areas). Montreal is very laid back and go with the flow with lots to see and do. You could easily do fine with making $1500 a month and have a nice place and money to spend.

Toronto and and Vancouver you might be looking at rent of $800+ for a 1 bedroom, and the cost of living is very high in both cities.

Answer 4

I’ve spent more time in Vancouver and it is my favorite. It is exceptional, but it is also expensive. Your costs for rent, utilities, food, and entertainment will depend on your tastes. Regarding monthly expenses, Vancouver is on par with San Francisco - with high rents and great restaurant food at reasonable prices. Toronto is more or less equivalent to Chicago because rents vary (considerably) by neighborhood. As for Montreal, I was only there once, long ago, for a few days, and it was fairly expensive.

Answer 5

me too! if another republican gets elected im def moving over the border

Answer 6

You can use the MLS website or Househunting website to find out the cost for renting an apartment in all three cities you indicated.

The Independent Grocers Association (IGA) have supermarkets across Canada, so you can compare the online prices that they show on the website for each city, to get an idea of the costs for food and necessities.

From my understanding of the three cities you mentioned, the cost of living is highest in Toronto, lowest in Montreal. However, this is constantly changing. To complicate matters, it is generally accepted that you will need to understand and speak at least a bit of French if you plan to get a job in Montreal or any other Quebec town, especially when dealing with the public.

You may want to take a look at the cost of living websites (two last ones below) that may help give an idea of Canada's costs.