edincan32

Hi, we are a family of 3 (2 adults in 30s and 1 year baby) looking at possibility of moving to Toronto (well the outskirts). Wife is a citizen but never actually lived there.

I've listed below what our monthly outgoings are in the Uk and converted into CAD. I understand this is a hard thing to gage but what is the cost of living in Toronto. Can any kind families try and help out?

I understand we wont convert over there as you earn in CAD and spent in CAD.

Our set up would be me working full time, my wife working 2 days a week and nursery 2 days a week for our little one. We would look to rent a 3 bedroom house hopefully no further than 25-30km form Toronto center, and hopefully a fairly modern build.

So please any helpful families willing to help out please do, and ask anything else I've forgot, this is just my first thread. I am going to look at rental prices and broadband etc things you can work out online

Thanks

Mortgage £922 $1459
Council Tax £156 $246
Elec £60 $94
Gas £60 $94
Sky £32 $50
Broadband/phone £10 $15
Food & Toiletries £450 $712
TV License £12 $18
Life Insurance £48 $75
Mobile x 2 £25 $40
Car Payment £192 $303
Contacts £10 $15
Home Insurance £25 $39
Child Care £186 (1 day a week) $294
Bus Fares £45 $71
Car Maintence35/INS26/Road Tax11 X 2 £138 $218
Work Money £40 $63
Fuel £150 $237
Cash £500 $791

Shard

Good list, I think someone has suggested a "rule of thumb" expense factor in another thread, something like 1.8X UK sterling costs to get Canadian (this is not the FX). Perhaps someone remembers it or you could forum search. Basically, at current FX Canada cost of living is slightly higher than UK (disregarding property as that is area specific) My only input would be no tv licence!! Oh, and Welcome to BE!

izzi81

No tv licence, but Internet/phone will be more expensive... You can get bundle deals for your tv/Internet/phone so it depends who you go with and what service you want, but it could be $99-$150.... We're in NS so different supplier but currently paying $100 approx for tv and high speed Internet (we didn't bother getting a phone line).

Mobiles are also more expensive, a good site is www.comparecellular.com but expect about $40 per mobile unless you can get a good deal or don't need much of a mobile package... You also pay for incoming calls here!

Atlantic Xpat

A search should dredge up innumerable threads on this subject. However figure $100-200 a month for internet/tv/phone and $200-300 a month for heating/cooling/electricity. Your car payment of $303 wont get you much ... that'd support a $16kish loan over 5 years. And I note that you've not included car insurance which will be another $200 a month. I suspect your mobile phone figures are insufficient as well.

All in all, Canada is more expensive a place to live than UK on the "minutiae of life" outgoings. Cheaper on housing (or at least more place for your mortgage payment than UK) and massively cheaper on fuel. Aside from that, its a wash or more expensive IMHO.

Shard

True. OP, second hand cars are more expensive than in the UK owing to the lack of an MOT system (which effectively accelerates the depreciation of vehicles owing to running costs). Check AutoTrader.ca .

edincan32

Thanks for the replies so far, if any families would like to share a similar list that would be great feel free to post or message.

I had read cars were more expensive in Canada and no MOT, I had included insurance see below..INS £26 x 2

If anyone in a 3/4 bed house with 1 or 2 kids could share that would be great especially things like

Mortgage/rent, Council Tax, Elec, Gas, Food & Toiletries, Life Insurance
Home Insurance, Child Care, Travel costs from 25-30km outside city,Car insurance, road tax

Thanks you so much

Atlantic Xpat

Sadly, insuring a car, any car, anywhere in Canada is going to cost you a man sight more than 26 quid a month. My estimate of $200 for car insurance alone is not unusual, particularly for a newly landed immigrant.

scootb

Renting a 3 bedroom main floor-$1400(includes electric,etc..)
Broadband/TV-$80

Shopping-$600

Car Insurance-$120(I shopped around and found someone that accepts my UK history for insurance)

Car payments-$0(I saved a few thousand $ and bought mine cash)

Fuel-$120-$200 depending on where I go at weekends,and thats a 3.3ltr V6 city driving mostly.

Mobile-$40(Koodo)

Life Insurance-$0,I get free family Insurance through my union.

Contact lenses$139 for 6 months supply of 1 week all day/night,I could get them free via my union but plan on laser eye surgery which the union covers most of the cost on so haven't claimed for contacts.

Total=$2360 per month for a family of 5(2 adults,3 kids),things don't have to be too expensive if you shop around,and don't need designer clothing,and huge TV's!

I am still left with around $2000 per month spare income so for me I am much better off than in the UK,no more living wage to monthly wage.
If my missus worked as well I would consider a newer car,but I can't fault my Dodge Caravan,it took the 5 of us,plus my dad,and our collie to the Rockies in comfort.

Not everyone is happy living like me though,some NEED a big fancy new car,some NEED a big fancy house,some NEED huge 60" TV's etc..I am happy with my 32" TV for just now.

I do work damn hard for what I get,but back in the UK I just did not have the same opportunity,or income.

jwtimmon

That's super cheap, is that in Edmonton AB?

ChrisCDN

We're a family of 4 (early 30's with 2 kids under 10), and we've mostly lived paycheque to paycheque since arriving here a few years ago.

I would bank on needing to earn $80-$100k per year (between you) to get by, and obviously more if you want annual holidays, etc.

gemmab1979

We are in northwest calgary and pay per month

£1850 rent
£250 bills (subsidised )
2 x £94 monthly transport passes
£800 food
£400 socialising
2x £40 phones
£50 gym membership

The house is big and in a really good area so think we have a good deal, when we buy a car it will be another £500 a month for hpp and insurance at least

And I've just realised I've put £ instead of $, been here 3 months and obviously just can't let go lol..!!

Siouxie

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...&city2=Toronto

foreigngirl

Not sure if this is going to be helpful as we're in Vancouver and there's just two of us, but yesterday we added up all our shopping receipts from 1 April until yesterday (we wanted to do this every month, but fell 'a bit' behind) and it amounted to $1900. That's shopping only (groceries and household products you can buy in the supermarket) and alcohol (although note that I stopped drinking on the last day of April as I found out I'm pregnant - now that's a saving of about $150/month).

Our rent is much higher than in the UK, but overall we're paying around the same as there's no council tax here, we don't need a car and neither of us commutes. We also have a gym and pool in the building, so no need to pay membership. And the standard of living is actually priceless (harbour and mountain views, for example).
We pay around $15/month for hydro (electricity), whilst it was around 150GBP/month in the UK (plus no heat in the winter, whilst here we hardly ever had the heating on). Our internet is $14/month, I think it was around 25GBP in the UK. Although this is only for a year, it will double after the first 12 months, but I'm sure we'll be able to find another deal.
We use PAYG on our UK phones, which is very cheap as we don't call anyone (we even Skype each other).
We always thought that our biggest expense (apart from rent) was the shopping, but actually when we added up those receipts, it doesn't look that bad, I don't think. And I cook everything from scratch, no ready meals, and I think we eat well (lots of meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc.), we never think twice about buying something - we want it, we get it.
We also spend a lot on going out (i.e. drinking), however, that has also gone down since I've got pregnant. We eat in restaurants around once, twice a week, but we hate it every time, so we'll probably stop that.
Oh, and we pay $120/month for MSP (health insurance) and around $80 for extended healthcare.
I think that's it. You probably don't want to know how much I spend on cosmetics and clothes, do you?

edincan32

Thanks so much, all posts are welcome as Toronto is where we would aim to go but haven't ruled out other places.

I am trying to gauge an approx cost from my list and then work out form that what salaries we can expect to earn, to basically find out if the move will be for the better.

I will go through the figures posted so far and re post with what I think would be an approx guide in CAD and people can then comment from there.

foreigngirl would you say you earn $80-100k between you and your partner (PM if you wish)

Can anyone share approx child care fees per day (nursery)?

Obscure Roman Emperor

My daughter runs a childcare place here in Ottawa (private home), she charges $40 per child per day, that's about average here. She's non-registered so cheaper, for registered childcare in can be up to $20 per day more. For nursery places maybe add even more. And it depends on the age of the child, under one year old is more expensive. The area you're in also comes into play.