People struggle by on it.

Do you mean in Vancouver (with higher property prices) its a struggle? So how much of a struggle is it? (or are you kidding)?

Would that be adequate to "get by" comfortably in other states (ie Alberta) - I know that standard of living will dictate how far it will go but is $80,000 enough (my "sums" would suggest that for me, it is but someone living in Canada would be better placed to give an accurate opinion) or is it financial suicide?

Mostly kidding. $80k - $90k is a decent salary by Vancouver standards.

The whole "how much is enough?" question is so subjective. It depends so much on what you decide to spend your money on. I can see that if this is a sole income with a family in expensive sports programs, a mortgage and car payments and so on, you will need to budget carefully. However, I know plenty of families that manage just fine on less.

For a single person renting downtown it can, IMO, provide a great lifestyle. For a couple both earning that it is more money than I could shake a blunt stick at. But it has to be said that my assessment reflects my priorities, needs and wants.

As you suggest, the problem with Vancouver is that real-estate is so expensive compared to many parts of Canada. Otherwise, AFAIK, cost of living is roughly the same. I have not lived in Alberta so I don't want to pretend that I can give you an accurate opinion. However, I expect I would be OK on $80k in anywhere other than Fort McMurry.

P.S. Provinces, not states.

Lesson learned

As usual a well rounded and logical answer, I share your sentiments regarding lifestyle and as I have mentioned my sums would indicate a reasonable standard of living but your reassurance is comforting

I did a "Hard Yakka" calculation for something earlier, ie find out the potential price of the item in each country then take your potential salaries (UK & Canada) after tax, divide that figure by 365 (ie days per year) which will then give a £/$ per day figure which you then divide into the price of the item you desire

That will outline how many days work/salary it will take to buy that item

For me, in the UK it would be 358 days and Canada would be 185 (almost half)

I doubt every item will be as favourable for Canada (some may well even show the UK as better value) but I found it very interesting

Depends on the lifestyle you want and how many in your family. Single person, no problem. Family of five? Struggle imo.

I wouldn't say so but it does depend on your lifestyle. Some single people may find the $80K a struggle too.

Make sure you do your calculations carefully
item prices in the Uk include tax, In Canada tax is added on afterwards
We have sales taxes, so you pay tax even on second hand goods, and very little is tax exempt
And don't forget with out the right insurance, dental and medical expenses can be very very painful

I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all who have posted in this thread. I was considering moving to Canada and have found the info provided really useful.

We both like it here very much, but then we've no kids to worry about which makes it easier. My advice would be to do plenty of research, visit and save as much money as you can, not just what you think you'll need.

Living in Vancouver, I would say that a family of 6 with an income of $80-90,000 a year would find it difficult to find a place to buy and to sustain a mortgage.

Housing costs go up and up every year.

As an example .............. a small house (bungalow type) on a 33' x 120' lot on a residential street in the southern part of Vancouver, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms (1 en-suite), and a full height basement was valued at OVER $1 million in January of this year.

That was an increase over last year's assessment of around $200,000

That high value is largely due to the value of the land ............. the house is basically worth nothing

If that little house were to go onto the market tomorrow, it would be bought by a developer who would knock it down, and build a 2 storey + basement house, probably 4 or 5 bedrooms and 3 or 4 bathrooms ............. and it would then go on the market for over $2 million, possibly as much as $2.5 million

The new house would still only be about 27' wide by about 80/85' deep

The reason for the very high cost of land is because Vancouver cannot expand, it has all the land that it will ever have ..... that's because it is surrounded by water on 3 sides, and by another city on the 4th.


There are good schools, a park and a community centre close by ....... a good selling point. It is about a 20-30 minute drive into downtown, unless it is rush hour. It is within a 10 minute drive from the airport.


But those are the facts of living in Vancouver!



I would seriously recommend that you visit Canada, several times, in summer (blackfly and mosquito season), winter (snow, -40C, or rain), spring and fall, AND go to different areas.

We have now lived here for over 44 years, and have been lucky enough to visit and spend time in all the provinces and one territory (still have to go to NWT and Nunavut).

EVERY area is different, and the people in every area are different.

You have to find the area that is suited to you, and that you suit.


Then you need to check what the employment opportunities are in your area of expertise, and, very important, whether your qualifications and experience will be acceptable over here.


From tales told by friends .............. you also need to consider your children.

How old are they? If into their teens, have you consulted them to see if they want to leave the UK?

I know people who were brought here in their mid-teens, and never ever settled. They loved their parents, but also hated them for bringing them here. One escaped back to the UK as soon as she possibly could. Other children, of course, settle perfectly well.

Quote:-


better not say that!!!!!!!


Canadians HATE to be considered "Americans".


In point of fact, the only Canadians who sound like Americans are some who live in Hamilton, Ontario, where the accent is very similar to that of the Bronx in NY.

There's subtle differences in accents to the trained ear but then there is in the US but to most you all sound the same. The cultures too, are almost indistinguishable, its just lot colder in Canada.

I can't tell the difference between west coast american and west coast canadian.

Easy - theres`s a border between them

This sounds like the ideal scenario, but it would take a fair while and cost loads, most people dont have the time or the money to do that level of testing, and then pay to emigrate.