helcat12

I think if an employer was not paying a living wage for the area, they would get few applicants, apart from the desperate and the ignorant, but then, foreign migrants are often either one or both of these. Prospective immigrants are ripe for exploitation, and some employers do attempt it.
Someone (Oakvillian?) said that Canadians are much less reticent about discussing salary than Brits are used to. If that is so, finding out if a salary is suitable for the job and your needs from abroad appears tricky.

I agree, in the end it is a leap of faith.
TWP before you go the whole hog is my advice.

JonboyE

The $100,000 figure came from a newspaper report several years ago that said a family of two adults and two kids needed $100,000 total income to live in, and buy a home in, Vancouver. I can't imagine it has gone down between then and now.

There are probably fewer six figure salaries in Vancouver than, say, Calgary or Toronto, but they are there. For a couple it is only average wages. And it is not necessary to buy. Renting is a realistic way to live and it much cheaper than buying. (Yes, residential rental yields in Vancouver suck.)

I have to say that I don't think an arbitrary figure like this makes much sense. I have said it before on here but I think a person's quality of live is determined by what they spend, not what they earn. The two examples I give are a client who earns well into six figures who is permanently miserable because he is permanently broke, and the happiest family I know (two adults and three kids) who own their own home, service a mortgage, and get by on a little over $40,000 a year.

If there is a point to this ramble it is that even in one location a $ amount that provides and satisfactory standard of living for one person could be poverty or riches to another.

JamesM

Yes it is unrealistic.

It does explain though why so many immigrants are unhappy here.

Measure the depth of the swimming pool before you dive in.

Former Lancastrian

Here is an example why a UK wage is not advantageous if seeking a similar job in Canada.

A police constable in the UK at the highest pay rate is earning approx 36,500 quid and using a 1.8360 exchange rate is $67,015 in Canadian dollars.

An OPP constable at the highest pay rate is earning $94,701

So yeah go ahead and demand your UK salary.

helcat12

People can always get by on less if they try. Me and the OH have been made redundant 3 times between us and managed on a shoestring at times.

The usual reason for emigrating (although not our reason) is economic. People think they will be better off financially here. Does that ever really happen?

As you say, money isn't happiness or satisfaction with life.

helcat12

I agree with this completely.
We did.
Most people don't.

I think many immigrants are unhappy because dollars look like big numbers until you are living here. (See the example from Former Lancastrian). They expect to be living in clover, only to find that they have got pretty much the same standard of living.

JamesM

Excellent point.

In London Officers get an additional 6,600 GBP in London Weighting.

What is odd is how frat boy police are in Canada and yet they are paid more??? Go figure....

Also far superior benefits in the UK.