Toronto, montreal, vancouver-which city is best to live and study in?

Question

i'm an international student from singapore intending to study in canada. which city is most cosmopolitan and tolerant of foreigners, safety, weather, city life, SHOPPING & MOVIES (haha), conducive to study in?

i heard montreal can get terribly cold! how do pple survive -18 degree celcius in January!!?? I am from the tropics so i really wonder...

Answer 1

I would say Montreal.

Montreal is one of the safest cities in Canada. Toronto is one of the dangerous, I think that is what my teacher told me, lol!

Yes, it can get pretty cold here, but you will learn to cope with it. I have to say this year wasn't too bad, though. There was more snow than usual, though. You just wear layers of clothing and stay inside as much as possible!

Montreal is very multicultural!

We also have great colleges, like McGill.

We have great nightlife, food, and shopping malls.

Answer 2

All three are excellent choices but I'd go with Toronto or Vancouver. Montreal is in Quebec and the French residents are not very friendly to non-French.

Both Toronto and Vancouver have plenty of immigrants with a strong Asian  presence. Vancouver has a larger Asian community both cities have a good support network.

I prefer Toronto but for you Vancouver might be a better choice for you. Travel home to Singapore is about 6-7 hours less of a flight from Vancouver and the weather is more moderate with winter not being as cold.

UBC and UofT are both great schools so no major advantage either way there.

Vancouver does have the Olympics coming which might be a plus or minus for you.

Answer 3

Most Cosmopolitan:

1. Toronto. It is the most diverse, with Canada's largest Chinatown, and every race is represented. On the weekend I get fine cheeses from St. Lawrence Market, East Indian sweets from the Little India neighbourhood, and Chinese buns from the bakeries in Chinatown. It's pretty easy to find products, cultural events, and people from all over the world.

2. Vancouver or Montreal. Honestly, all of these cities are pretty cosmopolitan...but Vancouver and Montreal are much smaller, and as a result they're a little less cosmpolitan.

Tolerant of Foreigners:

1. Toronto. It has an enormous immigrant population - white people are outnumbered - and there are tons of resources to help newcomers with cultural and language difficulties. In general, most people aren't hostile to foreigners...because most Torontonians *are* foreigners.

2. Vancouver. As other commenters have mentioned, it has a big Asian population - although it's mostly Japanese. When it comes to other ethnicities, it isn't as diverse.

3. Montreal. The other commenter is right - it gets you a lot farther if you can speak French and English somewhat fluently. It's less diverse.

Safety:

1. Montreal. It's got lower crime rates, it's smaller, and it's just generally safe.

2. Toronto. Although it's a big city, it's actually considered less dangerous and crime-ridden than Vancouver. As long as you don't live in a bad area - and the entire downtown core is pretty safe - you have nothing to worry about.

3. Vancouver. For whatever reason, it isn't the safest city - maybe because it has some really "bad" areas. Toronto does too, but they're not as easy to find.

Weather:

1. Vancouver. It gets very rainy, but it's also very mild weather, and when the weather is good it's very beautiful. Plus you'll be near the ocean, which is nice.

2. Toronto. Only because it's warmer than Montreal. Be prepared for humid weather - it gets hot in the summers, and instead of being a dry heat (like an oven) it can be described as "moist" or "hazy" due to pollution. However, Toronto is amazing in the summer - tons of stuff to do.

3. Montreal. You're right - it gets d**n cold in the winter. But like Toronto, it's a great place to live in the summer. All of my friends are immigrants (mostly from Asia) and they have found it okay adjusting - you just need to buy a really warm coat, gloves/hat/scarf, and winter boots. Usually that will cost you $250 Canadian or less.

City Life:

1. Toronto. There's really no argument here. Whether you're into theatre, plays, clubs, partying, restaurants, entertainment, books, art, music, or whatever...it's here.

2. Montreal. It has a great clubbing and music scene. It's a beautiful city and has lots of urban culture to offer.

3. Vancouver. If you're into the arts and music, Vancouver is great for that. Toronto and Montreal both have that urban edge to them, Vancouver is more laid back and goofy. So for me it feels a bit more like a town than a city.

Shopping & Movies:

1. Toronto. If there is a product you want, it's in Toronto. Whether that's fashion and apparel, jewelry, or whatever - shopping is really, really good in Toronto. Also if you like movies...it has a ton of film festivals, tons of theatres, and new/rare movies come to Toronto before they go anywhere else in Canada.

2. Montreal or Vancouver. I'm not much of a shopper, so I didn't explore these as much in Montreal or Vancouver. I did have a harder time finding "good shopping areas" than Toronto.

Conducive to Study:

1. Toronto. Because the University of Toronto is the most prestigious and it's right downtown in a great area. If you want to go to a college instead of a university, there are lots of options there too.

2. Vancouver. Only because the University of British Columbia is better for foreign students than McGill.

3. Montreal. McGill is another prestigious school, but again, you may have some language difficulties. This is really something you should choose by looking at the schools' websites and their programs.

If I were you, I'd take a look at this list - what parts of this are the most important to you?

In general, Toronto is the biggest, the most diverse, with the most to offer. It feels the most like a "big city". Vancouver is the opposite - it's more relaxed and friendly and feels more like a town. Montreal is somewhere in between, and prettier than the other two.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

I agree - considering you're originally from Singapore, I would strongly recommend the City of Vancouver for you.

There is a huge Asian community in Vancouver (much larger than the one in Toronto or Montreal) and that beautiful city is located right by the Pacific Ocean, which means that flights to and from your homeland will be cheaper and shorter. The proximity of the Pacific also means that the winters are usually much milder in Vancouver than in Montreal or Toronto, believe me!

Still in doubt?

Don't take my word for it!

See for yourself!

Good luck to you and I hope you will make the right decision for yourself and your needs!

Answer 5

University of Toronto is Canada’s most important research institution and has gained an international reputation for its research. It enrols more students, employs more faculty, and offers a greater range of courses than any other Canadian university.

Answer 6

Montreal- culture centre of Canada (so movies)

yes winters are cold and summers really hot..

shopping is great in Toronto and Montreal but I prefer Montreal..

safety : Vancouver or Montreal

all cities are tolerant ..(YES I'M french and I'm not rude to them ! stupid stereotypes !)

city life..idk..but Montreal in the summer is ********great HA!

(city of festivals)

Answer 7

Vancouver.

It is an English-speaking city.

The weather is not cold as in Montreal (example: 0°C in Vancouver, -20°C in Montreal).

For the safety, I don't know.

Visit the site of the city of Vancouver.

http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/

Answer 8

Robert has good points for Montreal.

People who said that french speaking Montrealers are not really welcoming non French has it wrong for most of the time, and definitively it is better to be English speaking in Montreal than any other language in Toronto...

Montreal the safest, the most interesting and the sunniest (Vancouver is less cold but get the most rainy weather, Toronto almost as cold and less sunny than Montreal)

You have the chance to learn another language and see mixed cultures.  If you care about integrating yourself, Quebeccers are well known for their open mind.

Finally, Montreal the cheapest and the closest to nature (Vancouver following near, but Toronto is terrible to find affordable lodging and everything).

Answer 9

Montreal is a great city. It may be coldest but it is crisp cold (not humid) . If you bundle up well you won't feel the cold. Most people in Montreal are bilingual and in some parts of the city English is heard more. McGill is a great university .The city is well layed out and easy to follow map. Public transportation is also very good. Great entertainment (in English and in French) I've lived in Toronto and Montreal, visited Vancouver and Montreal would be my first choice.

Answer 10

Reasons to pick Montreal:

- Great place to party... best entertainment (for teens and people in 20's)

- Best selection of girls.. (no offense to other cities)

- There are 2 english universities to choose from... And english universities are very-very diverse... So, no problem to foreigners there and surrounding areas.

Also, the thing about "SOME" people being not friendly (if you don't speak French) is true for some sub-urbs and east montreal. But this is not true for the main downtown area & west montreal... (where the universities are),,. Its all good man, I don't speak french.. and neither do half of my friends.

p.s.: I came to Montreal from a place where temp never went below 8-10C and was as high as 42C in summer... Trust me it doesn't feel as cold here as people make it sound.