Hi all

New poster so please go easy!!!!

I have been approached about a role in Calgary in construction and was after some info on costs and salaries.

At present My wife and I both earn together around 80k. The role I have been approached about is around $110k

How will that stand us for living and will my wife need to work? We don't want to come and be worse off or in the same boat of working full time and not seeing the kids and having no network of support.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, and welcome to BE.

What exactly is the role? 'Construction' covers everything from carpentry to managing director, so whether it's good or not will depend on how senior it is, and what type of role.

And what kind of lifestyle would you want to support on that $110k? i.e. how many cars, what size house, do you want to eat out every night etc? If you can give a bit more info then those in Calgary will be able to tell you if that's a reasonable salary for your lifestyle or not. If it helps a bit, the general rule of thumb on the forum is to times your UK salary by 1.8, and that would give you an equivalent standard of living (very roughly obviously), so your £80k in the UK would need to be $144,000 using that as a guide.

Re: your wife needing to work, what kind of visa will you be on? That, and your job, will dictate if she can work or not - not all spouses are allowed to work.

For an average mortgage in Calgary ($240,000) such a salary would provide you with a comfortable life. Clearly, if you wish to have all the toys, lots of vacation, each out every night, etc. that salary may not be sufficient but I suspect that there are more in Calgary earning less than that than there are earning more than that.

All true, but the same could be said of a family earning GBP80k in the UK, which is what I believe the OP said. The more pertinent question is "Does $110k buy you an equivalent lifestyle to GBP80k in UK". There are many variables, but to generalise for Canada I'd say no. Christmasoompa 1.8 conversion factor seems nearer the mark.

what is the role you have been offered?

I would say no you would not have an "equivalent" lifestyle on that money (if you are talking about materialistic things.

I would also say it's a choice you have to make. We prefer our lifestyle over here a lot more but don't have as much left over at the end of every month like we did in the UK.

this can be a useful tool to give rough idea of what you should expect to earn for a certain role, granted there are differences in situations etc but its useful to get an idea and to other forum members too

Its also useful for understanding requirements for job roles in Canada along with longer economic outlook etc

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/con...ng.do?cid=5223

You know I would almost say 1.9x or 2x is more what you want to have the same lifestyle but as people say too many variables. I mean 80k in Manchester is very different to 80k in London so you have that element as well.

I do think you can have a very decent lifestyle in Calgary on 110k, many many people do not earn that but I certainly don't think you would call it the luxury life.

I am 1.8x and I still had more left over money in UK.

I think in calgary about 1.9 or 2 is equivalent