Cost Of Living - Halifax
#1
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6
Cost Of Living - Halifax
We are in Halifax at the moment and I have just been offered a job. This is not something we were expecting - and at the moment we are a bit overwhelmed.
Can anyone give us some ideas of what living costs are like (heat, light, car, insurance etc.), some nice areas to look at for housing, rental costs and lengths. Basically, any information about living and working in Halifax. We would come over on a TWP - hopefully without needing an LMO based on the job (software development) so could apply at point of entry. (The chap I spoke to suggested driving over to Maine and back to get it in the next week).
We have looked at the forums in a 'wouldn't it be nice to live in Canada' sort of way and we have relatives in New Brunswick, so we are not complete Canada virgins, but at the moment I feel like I have been hit by a truck and my brain and memory are not working.
Thanks for any help
P & C
Can anyone give us some ideas of what living costs are like (heat, light, car, insurance etc.), some nice areas to look at for housing, rental costs and lengths. Basically, any information about living and working in Halifax. We would come over on a TWP - hopefully without needing an LMO based on the job (software development) so could apply at point of entry. (The chap I spoke to suggested driving over to Maine and back to get it in the next week).
We have looked at the forums in a 'wouldn't it be nice to live in Canada' sort of way and we have relatives in New Brunswick, so we are not complete Canada virgins, but at the moment I feel like I have been hit by a truck and my brain and memory are not working.
Thanks for any help
P & C
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
We have read through the Wiki, but it doesn't seem to have much in the way of specifics. What we really need to know is what is a reasonable salary to live on in Halifax. We are not expecting anything out of the ordinary - just a 3 bedroom house in a nice area and are trying to work out costs (electricity, heating, transport etc.) that don't appear to be in the wiki. Buying / renting costs we can find fairly easily, but the utility costs seem not to be easily available.
I need to give an answer early next week which doesn't leave us much time. Its all been a bit of a surprise.
Thanks for any help.
P&C
I need to give an answer early next week which doesn't leave us much time. Its all been a bit of a surprise.
Thanks for any help.
P&C
#4
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
Hi
Here is a link to one thread to get you going
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ng+nova+scotia
If you enter cost of living NS in the seach box in the orange bar at the top you will get lots of pages of threads.
Good luck with making your decision
Here is a link to one thread to get you going
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ng+nova+scotia
If you enter cost of living NS in the seach box in the orange bar at the top you will get lots of pages of threads.
Good luck with making your decision
#5
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
I pay approx $270 for electric every 2 months, heating is wood and we spent approx $2000 last year and $1000 for oil but that did last us approx 10 months (oil that is) Car insurance will depend on whether they accept your UK policy/no claims or not and type of car. House insurance again varies but age of house increases our price as it is over 80 years. Just renewed our home and car insurance and with discount cost us $3686
This is just a rough guide and it what we pay or paid.
This is just a rough guide and it what we pay or paid.
#6
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Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Normandy, France and occassionally Nova Scotia!
Posts: 3,373
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
We are in Halifax at the moment and I have just been offered a job. This is not something we were expecting - and at the moment we are a bit overwhelmed.
Can anyone give us some ideas of what living costs are like (heat, light, car, insurance etc.), some nice areas to look at for housing, rental costs and lengths. Basically, any information about living and working in Halifax. We would come over on a TWP - hopefully without needing an LMO based on the job (software development) so could apply at point of entry. (The chap I spoke to suggested driving over to Maine and back to get it in the next week).
We have looked at the forums in a 'wouldn't it be nice to live in Canada' sort of way and we have relatives in New Brunswick, so we are not complete Canada virgins, but at the moment I feel like I have been hit by a truck and my brain and memory are not working.
Thanks for any help
P & C
Can anyone give us some ideas of what living costs are like (heat, light, car, insurance etc.), some nice areas to look at for housing, rental costs and lengths. Basically, any information about living and working in Halifax. We would come over on a TWP - hopefully without needing an LMO based on the job (software development) so could apply at point of entry. (The chap I spoke to suggested driving over to Maine and back to get it in the next week).
We have looked at the forums in a 'wouldn't it be nice to live in Canada' sort of way and we have relatives in New Brunswick, so we are not complete Canada virgins, but at the moment I feel like I have been hit by a truck and my brain and memory are not working.
Thanks for any help
P & C
We are in Bedford, have a 4 bedroomed house, small garden.
council tax - $350 a month.
Oil (for heating and hot water) $400 a month
Electricity - approx $150 a month
Water - approx $100 a month
car insurance $160 a month (Kia Rio)
House insurance $120 a month
food bills average about $150 a week
rentals closer to Halifax more expensive, average in our area seems to be around $1500-$2000 a month
Fall River is a popular area, as is Porter's Lake. Depends what you want really - larger plots the further away you get from town.
Would avoid some areas of Dartmouth and central Halifax.
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: dundee
Posts: 186
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
We are in Bedford, have a 4 bedroomed house, small garden.
council tax - $350 a month.
Oil (for heating and hot water) $400 a month
Electricity - approx $150 a month
Water - approx $100 a month
car insurance $160 a month (Kia Rio)
House insurance $120 a month
food bills average about $150 a week
rentals closer to Halifax more expensive, average in our area seems to be around $1500-$2000 a month
Fall River is a popular area, as is Porter's Lake. Depends what you want really - larger plots the further away you get from town.
Would avoid some areas of Dartmouth and central Halifax.
council tax - $350 a month.
Oil (for heating and hot water) $400 a month
Electricity - approx $150 a month
Water - approx $100 a month
car insurance $160 a month (Kia Rio)
House insurance $120 a month
food bills average about $150 a week
rentals closer to Halifax more expensive, average in our area seems to be around $1500-$2000 a month
Fall River is a popular area, as is Porter's Lake. Depends what you want really - larger plots the further away you get from town.
Would avoid some areas of Dartmouth and central Halifax.
$120 a month for house insurance? for a bells and whistles policy on a similar house in the UK i currently pay £240 a year! also, approx £300 a month on oil and electricity, thats a huge amount compared to the £75 a month i pay here. phew, have to say i'm shocked, those bills alone come to £1700 a month never mind the rest! if salaries are lower, how on earth would you survive?!
#8
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Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto. ON
Posts: 919
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
With the exception of water (as we are well and septic) our spending it nearly identical to that of Vals. witht the exception of property and cars we have found nearly everything more expensive in Canada.
those figures are astronomical compared to what i had expect.
$120 a month for house insurance? for a bells and whistles policy on a similar house in the UK i currently pay £240 a year! also, approx £300 a month on oil and electricity, thats a huge amount compared to the £75 a month i pay here. phew, have to say i'm shocked, those bills alone come to £1700 a month never mind the rest! if salaries are lower, how on earth would you survive?!
$120 a month for house insurance? for a bells and whistles policy on a similar house in the UK i currently pay £240 a year! also, approx £300 a month on oil and electricity, thats a huge amount compared to the £75 a month i pay here. phew, have to say i'm shocked, those bills alone come to £1700 a month never mind the rest! if salaries are lower, how on earth would you survive?!
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: dundee
Posts: 186
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
hhmm very interesting indeed, certainly food for thought! would you expect this to be canada wide, as our summer reccie is based primarily around ottawa and also taking in GTA, quebec city and montreal. we have everything we could ever need here, apart from the weather, and really are only considering moving for a bit of adventure and to try something different. i certainly didnt envisage being any worse off than the UK, as i had been led to believe thats bills/costs etc averaged out fairly similarly to the UK!
#10
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
I pay approx $270 for electric every 2 months, heating is wood and we spent approx $2000 last year and $1000 for oil but that did last us approx 10 months (oil that is) Car insurance will depend on whether they accept your UK policy/no claims or not and type of car. House insurance again varies but age of house increases our price as it is over 80 years. Just renewed our home and car insurance and with discount cost us $3686
This is just a rough guide and it what we pay or paid.
This is just a rough guide and it what we pay or paid.
#11
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: dundee
Posts: 186
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
that's bonkers, it costs us £700 a year for insurance for building & contents and 2 cars, which is about $1300. do you anticipate this figure significantly reducing after a few years in Canada?
#12
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
We have a Ford 150 truck and the house is over 80 years old and big. House insurance is $2000 annually
This is after shopping around and getting discount with combining the 2 insurances
This is after shopping around and getting discount with combining the 2 insurances
#14
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
Interesting. I guess it must be the age of property and perhaps the Province. Ours is 2500sqft plus basement so probably about 3300sqft but only 10 years old. Vehicle is a 2009 Santa Fe and combined insurance with Johnsons is $1800 per year.
#15
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: dundee
Posts: 186
Re: Cost Of Living - Halifax
thats more like it!