canada vs australia?
 

can someone tell me if Australia is better than Canada or has an equivalent lifestyle?

Any cities than can be compared to Toronto or montreal?

in what terms?

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Hi I am Canadian and have lived twice in Australia. Sydney and Melbourne would compare to Toronto and Montreal in terms of amenities. They are both fabulous cities. But I am quite sure they would be considerably more expensive for real estate, rental costs and retail costs. Also, unlike Canada where most Medicare is free, Medicare in Australia is not free and you will pay for doctor visits most of the time. I find retail prices very high in Australia and often double for name brand clothes and cosmetics, CD's, DVD's and books. I think the quality of housing is not as good as Canada due to no insulation, no furnace ( yes it does get cold in Oz in winter). I think the restaurants and cafes in Sydney and Melbourne are amazing for quality. Hope that helps.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

If I were to do it all again I would choose Canada. If only for the housing, availability and cost of goods, not being situated at the arse end of the planet and access to cheaper travel. As mentioned above, a well built house rather than the paper mache efforts of queensland might be nice.

The sun in Australia is great, however, in the summer months you tend to find yourself covering up and avoiding nuclear levels of radiation. I find the sun is getting old real quickly. Probably like my skin thanks to the damage is too :p

That said, I would have to weigh up carefully the notion of living in months of cold weather and lack of light.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Similar thoughts, especially on the nuclear radiation, if your blonde/fair you dont do much outdoor living with a UV level of 16/17 :eek: The one reason I would not move to OZ is for its harsh climate, it is an extreme climate but many move here for the weather:confused: probably knowing little about it IMO.

Australia is too isolated for us and has become extremely expensive.

We do have a visa application in for Canada, much more difficult process than getting into Australia. 3 year wait estimated for us and the conditions on that visa are now twice as tough as when we applied.

Usually if we say we have applied for Canada it attracts comments such as life isnt perfect there:rolleyes: no shite sherlock:D were not moving for perfection, just a change and different way of doing stuff. I know Canada is much cheaper but wages can be lower, eyes wide open.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I'm also Canadian in Australia and would second everything said by Adirane. While Sydney and Melbourne are fantastic cities in their own right they are different to Toronro or Montreal.

And if I could do it all again I probably would not have moved to Australia in the first place; would have moved to Kingston instead where I could be 1/2 way between family in the GTA (just west of Toronto) and either Montreal or Ottawa.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Cold weather - yep. Gets a tad chilly :D

Lack of light - heck no - so bright and sunny in most/many of the provinces. I do love the Alberta skies.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Expected temp high for Winnipeg over the next 14 days is -7c. That sun sounds more attractive by the second. :)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Not that cold where I'm from. Was talking to my mother yesterday and she said it was +10 at her place. (Southern Ontario)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I always wondered did we apply to the right place as we were going through the process for the reasons you mention. But my OH just did not fancy Canada due to the winter.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Your mum is just showing off Dorothy :D

We're up to a positively balmy -4 today ;)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Will Cochrane get above freezing at any point in the next two weeks?
Those "bright and sunny" skies.... see much of those in mid-Winter during the eight hours of daylight? :)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I agree with this. The overall standard of living is higher in Canada, though expensive RE is also a big issue where I am in Vancouer.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

that's really only a problem on the west coast of canada, or so my cradle friends tell me. In Ontario/the prairies etc it is still sunny during winter.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Based on what? The only sort of index that makes any sort of attempt at quantifying this would seem to disagree with you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...elopment_Index

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Think we might hit +2 degrees on Thursday. It was about 6 degrees on Xmas Day - stunning day.

Yes - we do get many bright and sunnies - it is mid-Winter and it's bright and sunny outside right now at 4pm. Has been all week. We'll get another sprinkling of snow by Friday - that will be cloudy for a day - then clear once more.

Hard to explain the expanse and delight of the skies here really. (Check out my blog, she says blatently, for tons of sky piccies!)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Big skies in Oz too. :D

Re: canada vs australia?
 

based on living in a bunch of flats that I swear were made of nylon in Melbourne, (agree that building standards are lower) and then upon moving to canada discovering how cheap things could be, and how warm & solid homes were, not paying for doctors, etc.

I don't pay any attention those indexes like that.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I bet you would if it had Canada before Australia though.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I gave up on those indexes after iceland was voted Number one country to live shortly before it collapsed under an economic iceberg.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

and shortly before it probably was. Shortly after might be a different matter. :)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I was rather amused at the time to discover that my rather rich and very up himself UK brother had stuck most of his massive life savings in a certain Icelandic Bank:lol:

He probably go the high interest tip off a fourm too:D

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Your brother lost most of his life savings, hilarious, the winter nights must fly by in your place :rolleyes:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

:rofl:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

The guy is a total wanker, earning half a million quid a year easily and was paying my parents 40 GBP a week to live in their home :rolleyes: washing and cooking included.

He got the savings back anyway and according to him wasnt worried as with he could earn it back in a year:rolleyes:

Mega rich, he actually came and stayed with us for 8 weeks in total, never spent one cent here, then as a thank you asked if my teenager would like his old trainers (designer of course) .

You would have to search hard to find a bigger pratt.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Fair enough :rofl:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

It is really impossible to answer. Australia and Canada are usually within a few places of each other near the top of international life style, wealth, life expectancy surveys etc.

The lifestyle will really depend on which city and which area within that city you live in both countries, your preferred weather, and a million other little things. Lots of people having a great life in both and lots not.

For example, I think some people take advantage of the long cold freeze that happens in some parts of Canada and are out hiking, skiing or whatever having a great time. They know how to live with the weather. Other people sit indoors and feel trapped and depressed...everyone is different. Same in parts of Australia.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

FYI, on average, Australia wide, 78% of visits to a GP are free. All public hospitals are free. Public specialists are free.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Unless you know someone's brother you can't really comment...I don't know this brother, but I know mine and would have a similar sentiment if it happened to mine. He's scum, deserves all he gets :frown:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Whats the point of a forum, if you can't comment :confused:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Families can be painful - I know that too well:(


At least with the bro we get a laugh, he very recently bought a house worth probably 10 times the avg UK home - for cash. He sent out housewarming invites with a gift registry :eek: ( like you get for brides :lol:) I mean he sent these invites to people in the UK on pensions, teachers, a disabled relative :eek:

I am thinking of sending him a green and yellow bottle opener set from one of those awful tourist shops you get on the gold coast :lol:


Amazingly too, despite the couple of months he stayed with us for free:sneaky: he cant even put us up for one night in his swish new home:rolleyes:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I have lived in Calgary, Halifax and Perth. I can't say I experienced much of a difference in quality of life other than the weather. Depends if you like months of heat as opposed to months of cold.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

don't split hairs :p :) I reckon you know what I mean - it was the :rolleyes: I was reacting to - people give me similar responses when I mention my attitude to my brother, but when I come out with a few facts about him the :rolleyes: becomes :ohmy: Sorry if I read you wrong but it sounded like you were commenting on their attitude without knowing the background :)

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Make sure its from a really cheap shop so it breaks after one use :lol:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Isn't it weird how rich people are the tightest? I suppose that's how they get rich :lol:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Ah come on, half the fun of these forums is spouting an opinion on something you know little about :rofl:

Re: canada vs australia?
 

Australians have humor and personality. Canadians don't! Although this is a generalisation and not everyone I find Young canadians very deceptive and in general just full of shit. Can't say the same thing about Americans who are far more sincere.

Toronto is awesome though! It's like a big city but with plenty of room. Also has a sports bar with the worlds largest TV ahahahah!

Re: canada vs australia?
 

As evidenced by the post below yours - I'm glad I'm off to work before any Canadians respoind to it :eek::eek:

:rolleyes:Popcorn anyone?!

Re: canada vs australia?
 

I'll go one further and say that gen Y is, on the whole, has more than its fair share of asswipes in most first world countries thanks to the decades of disposable society and a peddled distortion that everyone can be a pop star.

My feelings are probably compounded by 1) being a grumpy old bastard and 2) not having any children so get to be smug about the whole issue.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

pot shots against the Canadian personality aside...! No one is denying that the weak factor for Canada is the winter, although I think that sunny and -5 is actually nicer than +40 and humid. Having just attempted to migrate to Australia, for us it totally wasn't worth it. We got better weather, and I love the good parts of Sydney, but looking at the house or unit we would have to live in compared to the lovely house we can have in Canada (Vancouver is the exception I know) it just wasn't worth it. I did pay extra for doctor's visits where I only got half the money back. It was so annoying to pay double for name brand cosmetics and CD's. But hey Australia is great, I won't deny it, just not worth it to give up a good life and standard of living in Canada.

Re: canada vs australia?
 

That said, I would have to weigh up carefully the notion of living in months of cold weather and lack of light.[/QUOTE]

Actually many parts of Canada, especially Alberta are very sunny in winter, not constantly cloudy at all! Agree there is snow on the ground for too long though...