I'm sure it would be but better to compare something a tad more similar though.

We had a similar debate earlier in the year. Moncton (whisper it ) is not as big as Bristol but bigger than Bath.
If 'lucky' enough to rent at the cheaper end of the scale in Bristol & Bath one is left with about £450 to £500 from net minimum wage of £1000 a month.

Minimum wage in NB pays $1500 a month net. Even renting my above norm 1 bed flat leaves $960 - close to £600. That's £100-£150 better off financially and in much nicer accommodation.

Before we moved here from Montreal we went to a Brick to check out/price up furniture. It all seemed good enough and very similar to the stuff we bought from Leons (no Brick here) - they also get criticism from many on this site.

you what?

I've seen pickups driving around with completely smashed windscreens and axles which appear to no longer be "one" unit.

The wifes mother has one of those awful pontiac minivans and the whole underside is full of that standard rust and holes. Don't think she's had any hassle.

No one is allowed to sit on them. That's the trick.

Its a definite issue in BC with all the stores I have been to owned by Loblaws.

I liked Sobeys when I lived in Ontario, good store. (Not owned by Loblaws.)

Metro wasn't bad either. (also not owned by Loblaws.)

There isn't an annual inspection (unless it's a commercial vehicle, in which case there is) - it's only done when purchasing a vehicle.

When do I require an Safety Standards Certificate?
An SSC is required when:

registering a rebuilt motor vehicle;
transferring a used motor vehicle to a new owner as fit;
registering a motor vehicle in Ontario that was previously registered in another province or country;
changing the status of a vehicle from unfit to fit.

Must save a fortune if you are running your vehicle into the ground before taking it to the tip!

Interesting topic. As someone who was born and raised in Southern Ontario I'd like to weigh in on a few points. I'm going to use southern ontario as my model.

1. Canada is huge. Different parts of canada have very different climates, economies, taxes, health care, car insurance, education just to name a few things. You can't really compare Canadian prices with prices back home. Comparing prices in Vancouver with a similar sized city in the UK is far better.

2. Dairy is grossly overpriced. Until its opened up to competition, it's going to be expensive. Having said that, in the Hamilton region you can get 4L of milk for around $4.50 if you know where to go (Shoppers, wal mart, convenience store).

3. One reason why used cars are expensive is supply and demand. You need a car in southern ontario so that means prices will be higher due to demand. As for the rust thing. Winters will do that to cars. It might be easy to say why not buy a new car? But many people can't afford to buy new cars. With high insurance rates, gas prices, etc. they just don't have the money. So they drive around with some rust on the cars. The frequency of seeing these types of cars increases with the neighborhood you are in. St. Catharines/Welland isn't exactly the best place. Sorry to say. So you will see more of these clunkers. Ancaster (affluent neighborhood in Hamilton) will have very very few of these and more higher end cars. If you want to buy a decent used car with no rust and is well maintained, don't shop in St.Catharines/Welland. Head to Burlington or even Upper James street in Hamilton. You can get a good car at a decent price.

4. Car insurance in ontario is a rip off. You need insurance, and you need a car and there is very little in terms of gov't regulations/controls so the insurance companies can charge outrageous prices. My advice is every couple years or so call up other companies and see what they are offering. Sometimes you'll find that the loyalty discounts you get aren't that great.

5. Telecommunications is heavily regulated by the most corrupt organization in the country-CRTC. The big boys own and control everything.

6. For things like fruits and vegetables, go to farmer's markets or if you are in southern ontario you can hit up any one of the farms during the summer and buy direct as they will usually have a stand near the road. Between Stoney Creek and St. Catharines is a great place with many farms. For apples, I recommend Myers Apple Farm in Flamborough.

7. Sadly prices aren't likely to change anytime soon. Canadians are content with being average and not disturbing things. We complain about these things all the time but we never do anything. Sad but true.

Welcome to BE

Thanks for your imput - it's always good to hear another persons view.

You can't seriously compare Moncton and Bath though.

No disrespect to Moncton, but Bath is one of the most desirable places to live in in the UK and very beautiful, hence the prices.

They may be similar sized cities, but that's where the comparison ends!

Quite true. Given a recent thread on the economic problems in NB a better comparison would be to a Northern town, somewhere like Grimsby (or Lincoln to be generous). In these places property prices will be more in line with Moncton.

That's a good point. It's like trying to compare Vancouver (one of the most desirable places to live in the world) to other cities of the same size in the world. But I guess that's the point. Everywhere is different. My main point was that people were taking a country the size of Western Europe and listing prices like it was a small country. Then arguing about how cheaply they can buy milk not realizing they really aren't comparable due to so many various factors.

I don't think the physical breadth of Canada makes much difference to prices in the main southern population areas. If you're referring to Yukon or Nunavut then perhaps.

The milk debate arose because one poster originally suggested that milk in UK was twice as expensive as in Canada, and it turns out that it's slightly less expensive.

But it does make a difference. If you are living in the Green Belt, fruits and vegetables are going to be much cheaper then if you have to have the same fruits and vegetables shipped. The same goes for buying lobster, crabs in PEI versus buying it in Saskatchewan. Also, each province treats its products more favorably than they do other province's products (terms of trade, duties,etc).
It's not only the size but it's the climate. Someone from Vancouver is going to pay much less in heating than someone from Toronto. But summer is much hotter in Toronto than Vancouver. Then there's the economy. The west is booming now. That is going to drive prices up. But look at unemployment in the east or even the GTA.
Just because most people live near the border doesn't mean the prices are comparable. Draw a straight line through Europe the size of Canada and tell me all those cities are comparable.

Of course there are some regional variations. Just as someone in Eastbourne is going to pay less for heating than someone in Inverness. But I don't think the variances are anywhere near the level you suggest. It's a false analogy to draw a line through Europe and say the cities are comparable. Europe is fifty countries with wildly different levels of economic development, legislation, consumer preference and climate. Canada is much more homogenous (even Quebec) (even Newfoundland !!) and more like the UK stretched out in a thin band over thousands of kilometres.

Good plan.