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MindaLarie
I'm not looking for the "official" or "sanctioned" response, I'm looking for an answer from just regular folks. Is it better to live in the US versus Canada? Is it better to live in Canada versus the US? What's it like to pay for heat, gasoline, food, etc.?
Answer
I am an American living in Canada. There are pro's and con's to living in either country. Taxes are much higher in Canada, food is much higher, gas is much higher, going to the movies is more expensive well just about everything I can think of costs more here in Canada. That being said, Canada is much more environmentally progressive than the US, wages are typically higher in Canada, the health care is good in Canada, employee benefits are better for most jobs and crime is much lower in Canada. Canada is more geared to the outdoors and have more biking and walking trails than I have ever seen in the US. Yes, it is expensive to heat your home in the winter here but it is much cheaper to cool your home in the summer. Our home doesn't even have an AC unit as we would only need it 1 or 2 weeks per year. Our gas/electric bill is usually 300-325$ per month in the winter and it is about 60$ in the summer. Winter is harsh in some areas of Canada and can last for 6 months of the year.
I really don't prefer to live in one place over the other. I am here in Canada right now because my husband is working here. Day to day life is basically the same.
I can't really compare the school systems between Canada and the US because our son won't start school here until next fall. They do not have Pre-K here in Canada. I am interested to see what it is like here because I am a former school teacher from the US.
I am an American living in Canada. There are pro's and con's to living in either country. Taxes are much higher in Canada, food is much higher, gas is much higher, going to the movies is more expensive well just about everything I can think of costs more here in Canada. That being said, Canada is much more environmentally progressive than the US, wages are typically higher in Canada, the health care is good in Canada, employee benefits are better for most jobs and crime is much lower in Canada. Canada is more geared to the outdoors and have more biking and walking trails than I have ever seen in the US. Yes, it is expensive to heat your home in the winter here but it is much cheaper to cool your home in the summer. Our home doesn't even have an AC unit as we would only need it 1 or 2 weeks per year. Our gas/electric bill is usually 300-325$ per month in the winter and it is about 60$ in the summer. Winter is harsh in some areas of Canada and can last for 6 months of the year.
I really don't prefer to live in one place over the other. I am here in Canada right now because my husband is working here. Day to day life is basically the same.
I can't really compare the school systems between Canada and the US because our son won't start school here until next fall. They do not have Pre-K here in Canada. I am interested to see what it is like here because I am a former school teacher from the US.
What is life like living in Whitehorse, Yukon?
I am a Canadian and will be getting my Bachelor of Arts degree from York University in Toronto, Canada. I have always wanted to become a teacher but I really want to move to Whitehorse (yes I know it sounds crazy!). How much on average am I looking at to rent a 2 bedroom apartment? What is the cost of living like there (cable, phone, groceries, etc.)? Do you need a car up there?
Thanks in advance for your help.....
Answer
You are not crazy for wanting to get out of Toronto and into the most beautiful part of our country.
I lived in Whitehorse for 6 years, and on average for a 2 bedroom apartment I spent between $650-$800 a month. When searching for an apartment make sure you find one that heat is included, or at least electricity is included if it has electric heat. As you can imagine the heating costs are quite expensive in the winter. Kontiki Coconut Apartments is a good place to start looking. They own quite a few buildings in Downtown and Riverdale (the closest subdivision to downtown)
As for other expenses, cable and phone are no more expensive than the provinces--you can price them out at nwtel.ca. Bell is the only reliable cell phone provider there, at least it was when I left last year. I think Telus is starting to make an appearance though. Rogers does not work at all.
I'm living in Nova Scotia right now, and I found that groceries were no different aside from fruits and vegetables. As long as you shop at the Superstore. Super A is the other grocery store there, and is much more expensive, although I always found that their fruits and vegetables were always better quality. So if you price things out at both stores, usually you can shop for a decent cost. Walmart also has a grocery section there, so you can find some great deals there too.
Depending on where you live in the city you'd need a car. As well as where the school is that you'll be teaching at. If the school is in Downtown or Riverdale, I'd say no you don't need a car. The bus system is ok and alot of things are within walking/biking distance from those areas. If you taught/lived in another part of the city it would get difficult to travel around for basic necessities. Whitehorse is one of Canada's largest cities by land mass...and the subdivisions/schools are spread out over a very large area. Each subdivision has a name, and the streets are themed (In Riverdale, all the streets are named after rivers) so it gets easy to know your way around all the subdivisions.
Everyone always says the cost of living is more expensive, and in some ways it is. But there are so many other advantages to living in the territory, like there is only 5% tax and you do get isolation pay on your tax return. Also you can claim one trip outside the territory a year on your taxes because the government encourages people to not isolate themselves. To register your car, there is no safety or emissions test, its $45 a year for your registration. And I've never waited more than 20 minutes in the DMV. And if you lose your license its only $3 to replace. So there are a lot of things like that that I really miss because paying a little extra for groceries is so worth the simplicity of life.
You are not crazy for wanting to get out of Toronto and into the most beautiful part of our country.
I lived in Whitehorse for 6 years, and on average for a 2 bedroom apartment I spent between $650-$800 a month. When searching for an apartment make sure you find one that heat is included, or at least electricity is included if it has electric heat. As you can imagine the heating costs are quite expensive in the winter. Kontiki Coconut Apartments is a good place to start looking. They own quite a few buildings in Downtown and Riverdale (the closest subdivision to downtown)
As for other expenses, cable and phone are no more expensive than the provinces--you can price them out at nwtel.ca. Bell is the only reliable cell phone provider there, at least it was when I left last year. I think Telus is starting to make an appearance though. Rogers does not work at all.
I'm living in Nova Scotia right now, and I found that groceries were no different aside from fruits and vegetables. As long as you shop at the Superstore. Super A is the other grocery store there, and is much more expensive, although I always found that their fruits and vegetables were always better quality. So if you price things out at both stores, usually you can shop for a decent cost. Walmart also has a grocery section there, so you can find some great deals there too.
Depending on where you live in the city you'd need a car. As well as where the school is that you'll be teaching at. If the school is in Downtown or Riverdale, I'd say no you don't need a car. The bus system is ok and alot of things are within walking/biking distance from those areas. If you taught/lived in another part of the city it would get difficult to travel around for basic necessities. Whitehorse is one of Canada's largest cities by land mass...and the subdivisions/schools are spread out over a very large area. Each subdivision has a name, and the streets are themed (In Riverdale, all the streets are named after rivers) so it gets easy to know your way around all the subdivisions.
Everyone always says the cost of living is more expensive, and in some ways it is. But there are so many other advantages to living in the territory, like there is only 5% tax and you do get isolation pay on your tax return. Also you can claim one trip outside the territory a year on your taxes because the government encourages people to not isolate themselves. To register your car, there is no safety or emissions test, its $45 a year for your registration. And I've never waited more than 20 minutes in the DMV. And if you lose your license its only $3 to replace. So there are a lot of things like that that I really miss because paying a little extra for groceries is so worth the simplicity of life.
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Title Post: What's it really like to live in Canada? Education, government, cost of living, etc.?
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