christmasoompa

Yeah, but that was Swindon!

If you 'need more money' then I can't see how moving to Canada is a solution. By the time you've spent tens of thousands of pounds on moving, potentially had six months out of work before you can find a job, and given that cost of living is about the same, is it really going to give you more money each month?

If you want a more definitive answer, then maybe you could post saying what you anticipate earning, what area you would be living in, and how much you'd have as a deposit on a house - hopefully then others in the same area would be able to tell you if it's realistic or not and if you'll have a decent standard of living.

Best of luck with making the decision.

iaink

Cost of living is not static in Canada either FWIW. My oil bill is 50% higher this year than three years ago, and thats after speningg a lot of time and money to insulate my house better. I shudder to think what it would be if I hadnt put the effort in... Electricity prices hiked up so much the government intervened, and that help will come to an end in the next little while. Kids activities get more expensive every year.

Im not sure setting out for uncharted career territory is the best way to raise more money, its not at all uncommon for people to struggle to break into the canadian job market. and thats not factoring all the expense of actually moving.

The bottom line is you have to come to Canada for what Canada has to offer you, its the lifestyle that drives the move, not the stuff. There will always be someone with a bigger house, a fancier car, the latest twin deck atomic race skis. None of that crap matters, what's important is being happy, being settled in where you live, where your kids are raised, with what their future prospects are. Everything else is just so much window dressing compared to that.

Where are you going to be happy?

Once you have figured that out then figure out what you need to do to make it affordable! Lets face it, if average people can afford to live in Vancouver (average household income 65k, average house price 850k!) then if you cut your cloth to suit your means then anything is surely possible.

marcwales

We don't hate it here by any means. But at the same time we are aware of what Canada could be like, if the right opportunity came along. I work in manufacturing, and have seem a steady decline over the years. I know Ontario has seen a big loss in this sector too. But i may have an opportunity to get into the power industry over there through friends. Nothing for definite yet, thats why I'm checking this site out to gauge peoples experiences and opinions. nothing ventured nothing gained, but the pros have to outweigh the cons of moving. One of the major pros has to be financial for us. We can buy a house cash there so no need for a mortgage. Would wait for a better exchange rate though!! We don't want to live a rock star lifestyle, but be comfortable enough not to worry about money all the time.
It is interesting that most people who do emigrate seem not to find the dream they went for. After living away for a while we understand the draw of "home". You can't change where your roots are and how you feel. Thats why some people can move all over the world, and some live and die in the same area.
Lots to consider, but could be the best thing we ever did... Or not....

JonboyE

Where?

The biggest hill I can think of is Ivinghoe Beacon and, top to bottom, that is about the size of the stopping area at the base of Whistler Mountain.

I like the Chilterns but always thought of them as rolling downland rather than ski hills.

delsol79

I certainly would not base the decision on moving for more money - I don't think that is likely unless for some reason your profession is more sought after here. What do you work as? On other hand as I said I have less money but a better standard of living. I live in a nicer house and whereas I used to be away all the time with work I am now at home and get to see my daughter and we do a lot more outside stuff at the weekends. Those blue skies just pull you out the door. Then again if you are taking such a pay cut that you are only scraping by and stressing about bills then it really would not be worth it surely.

If you wanted to move somewhere cheaper in UK surely you needed to move north. I would have thought Swindon was more expensive than south Wales and it is Swindon!

christmasoompa

Coombe Hill, near Wendover. Admittedly, not quite in the same league as the fabulous Whistler, but just a bit of fun when taking the kids sledging.

iaink

You are talking about the money and the house again, thats just "stuff"... its not about the money or the house, its about Happy. Focus on what it will take to make you happy. More money or less expense by the sound of it. Are there simple options available. a second job or home business, a new job for more money, proving to your boss you are worth a raise? some ways to cut spending, consolidating debts?

I work in manufacturing too, Canada is healthier than the UK I suspect, but Im not convinced there is a long term future for it in Canada, there is so much outsourcing now and the exchange rate with the US is not helping any. Natural resources goes up and down here, but it will be here for the long haul...

Waiting for the exchange rate to turn around could be very masochistic, you might as well take it to the casino and put the money on red...

Atlantic Xpat

What do you do for a living? That'd help in the advice stakes.

(Manufacturing covers a multitude of sins. I worked in manufacturing too...)

woodworm

wow! I just paid $27 for a kilo of lamb loin chops at Costco....

dbd33

That's metric lamb. Regular lamb is $6/lb here.

jimf

I would consider X2 as the starting point for parity with the UK but it all depends on whether the move is from London to Monkton or Workington to Vancouver.

Maybe this is a Calgary specific issue bit I think the cost of grocery shopping here is very expensive. There is no way X1.5 would get close to UK standard of living in my opinion.

Novocastrian

In your first paragraph you point out quite correctly that simple UK vs Canada comparisons are meaningless. But in the second one you compare Calgary to the undifferentiated UK nonetheless.

gryphea

I agree that you need to come on 2 times salary for Calgary........

Boy d

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...United+Kingdom

Not sure how accurate this, is but there is also a function to compare cities, such as Vancouver vs London etc....

Pesonally, i think that 30,000 quid would spend like about 55,000 dollars. Definately not just a basic exchange rate calculations. Overall, there's not much difference and the slightly higher wages here evens things out.

helcat12

My OH hasn't had any issues living on 1.5 times (numbers) his UK salary in B.C - he has had no help from me, as I have been here working to support our mortgage and bills in the UK.
He eats well and has meals out from time to time and has had to buy all sorts of things like kettle, toaster etc.as well as general day-to-day essentials like Curly Wurlies

I don't think it is about money, although I agree that being poor is a recipe for unhappiness.

I think attitude has a lot to do with this. The OP is putting great emphasis on the financial, which I partly understand, but it is true that if you are emigrating for financial reasons Canada is not going to make you into Rockerfella!

This is an investment in a change of lifestyle and if you want a better quality of life (and I don't mean just owning more stuff) then you might find it in Canada.

From my OH's viewpoint and also a lot of posters on this site, it is hard to put a finger on it but they are happier and more relaxed in Canada.
They rarely say that they are any wealthier, though.

So I think the OP needs to really examine what he is looking for from life and if it is material wealth then perhaps Canada isn't the right place.