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Cost of Living - Ontario

Cost of Living - Ontario

Old Jul 28th 2020, 8:49 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

If you are currently living in Lancashire almost everything will be more expensive in Toronto (GTA)...especially with 4 children.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 8:52 pm
  #32  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

If you are currently living in Lancashire almost everything will be more expensive in Toronto (GTA)...especially with 4 children. A decent 4 bedroom house will run into 7 figures.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 9:37 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

The Rossendale Valley is an outstanding and distinctive part of beautiful East Lancashire. Set in the South Pennine hills, it is the perfect retreat from the pressures of daily life.

Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.

https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley

I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.

The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.

Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 9:52 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian
The Rossendale Valley is an outstanding and distinctive part of beautiful East Lancashire. Set in the South Pennine hills, it is the perfect retreat from the pressures of daily life.

Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.

https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley

I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.

The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.

Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
Thanks for your thoughts, the fact you know how beautiful Rossendale is and what it has to offer, you will appreciate why I left London (kept my job but work from Manchester now) to enjoy a semi rural lifestyle with urban developments easily accessible (UK modest geography in comparison makes it easier of course).

Which is why I am not interested in moving to Toronto but ideally somewhere semi rural or a small city in Ontario (perhaps a 3 hour radius from Toronto such as Kingston) so you are not lost in the big city but not too far to be remote.

Open to suggestions of any good cities that give a good lifestyle balance and employment prospects.

One thing is for sure, since starting the thread, I’ve rediscovered my appreciation for Rossendale and UK in general. It’s not so much of a bad deal after all.

Thanks
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 10:07 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Personally I think the Rossendale Valley is a bit crap as it's in East Lancashire which is a blight on the rest of the County
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 10:18 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian
Personally I think the Rossendale Valley is a bit crap as it's in East Lancashire which is a blight on the rest of the County
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
Yes certainly doing my research and this site is part of it. Having lived in 3 very different countries, I am now looking for perhaps one final move if I can have my cake and eat it. And if I can’t, I’ll just have settle for the hand I am dealt which have done some research turns out isn’t bad at all. But it’s perhaps all relative and perception driven.

Great to hear lots of different views and thoughts.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 10:33 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Are you certain of your projected income? You've checked job sites, have the relevant qualifications and experience? That can be a huge disappointment in reality.
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Old Jul 28th 2020, 10:48 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by RossendaleValley
Thank you everyone for your inputs so far. It’s remarkable what you don’t know even when it’s comes to day to day living. This has really made me consider my options more carefully now especially as some of the costs quoted here seem way out of proportion when compared to what we pay here in UK especially insurance and council/property tax. For instance my home and car insurance combined is £650 for the year and the council tax is only £1,250 for the year.
I will continue my fact find until I get conclusive enough feedback and hope to make the right choices.
the upshot for me was the bigger better lifestyle, lovely landscape and great exposure and future opportunities for kids.
Thanks everyone who has contributed so far.
Regards
The insurance is going to be a killer, if it helps any apparently it's the same for Canadians that go to the UK. However property taxes for a $400-500k house in Kingston appear to be in the $3000 range so not too bad compared to £1250.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 12:15 am
  #39  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

I don't know if Lancashire has busses or trains but subdivision Kingston likely will not and anywhere rural in Ontario certainly will not. Thus the logistics, as well as the cost, of entertaining four children are daunting. They have to be driven to everything so that means two vehicles will very likely be needed.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 10:14 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by dbd33
I don't know if Lancashire has busses or trains but subdivision Kingston likely will not and anywhere rural in Ontario certainly will not. Thus the logistics, as well as the cost, of entertaining four children are daunting. They have to be driven to everything so that means two vehicles will very likely be needed.
Lancashire is I"m afraid north of the North Circular/M25/Watford Gap so any form of public transit other than the occasional horse and carriage led by a flat capped Andy Cap like character is what the OP is used to. As a result, rural Ontario transit will be what he is used to.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 10:27 am
  #41  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by RossendaleValley
the upshot for me was the bigger better lifestyle, lovely landscape and great exposure and future opportunities for kids.
I'll give you the bigger lifestyle (car, house, toys etc), and possibly the lovely landscape (although I'd personally go to BC for that, most of Ontario doesn't do a lot for me), but I'd definitely query the 'future opportunities for kids'. What do you think Canada will give them that the UK can't? Move for yourself as well, and because you truly love Canada, not the oft derided 'for the kids' excuse! It's going to cost you £30k or so to move the family, it's an expensive mistake to make if you don't get it right.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 10:52 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
Lancashire is I"m afraid north of the North Circular/M25/Watford Gap so any form of public transit other than the occasional horse and carriage led by a flat capped Andy Cap like character is what the OP is used to. As a result, rural Ontario transit will be what he is used to.

I thought that might be the case but even if there's a weekly horse drawn bus to Blackpool that's more transit than in Ontario once you get past the subway. I think it's grim for teenagers to be tied to their parents as they are here and for that reason lived on the tram line until they grew up.

Whether or not the economics make sense rather depends on how bad Brexit is going to be. If the OP works in financial services then running while the house still has some value might be the sensible course.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 11:13 am
  #43  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by christmasoompa
I'll give you the bigger lifestyle (car, house, toys etc), and possibly the lovely landscape (although I'd personally go to BC for that, most of Ontario doesn't do a lot for me), but I'd definitely query the 'future opportunities for kids'. What do you think Canada will give them that the UK can't? Move for yourself as well, and because you truly love Canada, not the oft derided 'for the kids' excuse! It's going to cost you £30k or so to move the family, it's an expensive mistake to make if you don't get it right.
I don't really know about the bigger lifestyle but most people seem to have the same things, at least if I compare the rural parts. Kids seem to have a PS4, in Canada it might be a Pickup, here in Ireland it's the SUV. Houses are smaller here but often there's a lot of land attached to it and in both countries people seem to have more weeds rather than a lawn. The hot tub thing used to be common for those returning from Canada but these days it's more the trampoline at the end of the garden so the parents can have some Quiet Time. If one truly loves Canada, it can make sense as you say. For all the other things I don't know and it can cost a fortune.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 11:38 am
  #44  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Just pray none of your 4 children want to play Iced Hockey.

That costs more than a college education with out any of the education.
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Old Jul 29th 2020, 11:42 am
  #45  
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Default Re: Cost of Living - Ontario

Originally Posted by JamesM
Just pray none of your 4 children want to play Iced Hockey.

That costs more than a college education with out any of the education.
See also figure skating, horses, sailing, skiing. Swimming is, I think, the only pastime that's initially cheap and has profit potential (through lifeguarding, though again, transit or parental vehicle required).
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