NiHao

I think its difficult to answer because there are so many variables. From what I can tell I think its somewhat swings and roundabouts with regard to living costs. Some items and services are more expensive some cheaper. Somethings its not as simple as whether its more expensive, for example petrol is more expensive but the cars are more fuel efficient and the distances driven tend to be shorter.

The one thing that I feel is more expensive (if you compare similar locations, city to a city, rural to a rural location etc.) is accommodation. Whether you are renting or buying your accommodation is more expensive and that is a something that you have to have unlike TV, eating out, etc.

Now of course, if you really want to live in the UK you can help reduce the impact of that by choosing one of the (relatively) less expensive areas in the UK, maybe go for a country village/town not in a commuting area for a major city but I think rent or mortgage is the main bill that increases by being in the UK. www.rightmove.co.uk and www.primelocation.co.uk will give you all the info you need on cost of accommodation.

As for the naysayers you have come into contact with, well if you step back I'm sure you know that there are people living in poverty in Canada (and every other country in the world) there are parts of Canada that are wonderful and have access to amazing recreation activities and some that are horrible with nothing in the way of recreation. I will always listen to others but then I marry what their opinion or experience is with what my experience is and opposing opinions I hear from others.

I also give greater credibility to the opinions of those who speak with balance, so for example this camp instructor that has been talking to your daughter well clearly anyone who says "everyone lives in poverty and how there is nothing there to go to" is hardly someone with much credibility!! You have been to the UK, did you see everyone living in poverty? Did you spend your vacation doing nothing because "there is nothing there to go to?"

Canada and the UK are not better than each other they are just different and depending on individuals one country is a better fit than the other. You can't have the best of each country anymore than you will have the worst of each country. All you can do is your own financial calculations that relate to your finances and decide whether the things you like about the UK are enough to make up for what you will miss about living in Canada.

Personally I'd ignore blanket statements like "everyone in the UK is living in poverty" its about as true as "everyone living in Canada wants to live in the UK"

Maybe consider living in the UK on a trial period to see if it really is a good fit for you and your family before you commit to uprooting yourselves?

I've visited Canada (never lived there) and what I saw of it was lovely but I prefer the UK. Its just an individual preference its not because I think the UK is "better" it isn't its just different, it has its own problems, its own ugly side and its own beauty and advantages, different not better.

I think you are hoping to hear that the UK is better when what you need to accept is that it isn't better, you "might" like it better or you might find you like Canada better, but either way neither is a better country they are just different and individuals like one "better" than the other.

Hope that helps, I think it gets really scary when plans go from day dreaming to "OMG are we really going to do this?". Its natural and healthy to pause and consider some more and get feedback from different sources including forums like this. Good luck it can be a difficult decision to make.

Almo

I wasn't too clear: are you talking about a household income of 30-35k or will two adults be working?

I am on a probation wage which will increase by 25% in November, so not sure exactly what our income will settle down to, but we probably felt a little better off in Australia than we do here, despite higher rental and commuting costs. It's not a massive difference though.

I found it much harder to find a job than I had anticipated and I am now working in a well paid but not particularly prestigious role, in an industry I had never even considered. What impact this may have on my future career is unknown, but I doubt it would be wildly favourable! My OH on the other hand had been in contact with his (now) employer before we came back and only had to have one informal face to face before getting his job.

The UK is not wildly expensive overall, some things for us are considerably higher and others much lower.

britwhore

I think it all depends on where you live. Some things are more expensive. Renting in or near London is about the same as New York City and some areas of LA so I was prepared. Furnishing a home can be expensive - why are sofas so bloody dear? Unless you happen to like two-tone "European looking" sofas and then you're fine (no offense to anyone) Popping into Homebase and B&Q was a shock. It's a lot more expensive that Home depot.

Food shopping is cheaper and the quality is better. Mobile phone contracts/SIM only is a HELL of a lot cheaper than what we were paying in LA. TV/phone is cheaper but they still haven't figured out landline calls vs mobile calls and everything has a bloody 0845 number that charges you. Ridiculous.

Public transport is expensive.

Petrol is expensive.

We go back and forth to be truthful. Husband still hasn't found a job and it's been nearly a year. I've booked a few acting jobs and the pay is laughable compared to LA. I may have to go back to LA just to make some money.HUsband and I spoke yesterday and if he doesn't find a job by the end of the year we'll probably move back to LA. It's been a VERY costly mistake but what can you do?

I'm always intrigued how my friends over here bitch about not having money but they always have the latest gadgets and go on holiday every year!!!

sile

Britwhore,
I am very interested in hearing about the problem with discerning the difference between landlines and mobiles. I recently called some landlines
over there from my mobile here on which I have an international plan that only covers calls to landlines, but they charged me .50 cents per minute and insist I called mobile phones.

Can you tell me anything about this and how to get around this problem?

jemima55

Sile, look at this site. The founder compiled alternative numbers for a lot of companies because on UK call plans they would be free,

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

I'm a little out of touch, but some numbers with certain prefixes like 0870 are charged at a premium rate, but this site gives you alternative numbers to call.

pondhopper2014

I think that's what I'm getting, Sally... lots of complaining. Thing is, when my mother and father in law brought my Hunny over here - it was about 38 years ago, and in all that time, there has never once been a request from another one family member to "help us get to Canada too" - which to ME says they are happy where they are, make sense?

I mean, I love Canada - I'm very proud to be part of such a great country. With all that, it is our dream to live in the UK... so I'm hoping that with being the silver lining type of people, we'll be able to enjoy it even with it's problems... which I think are probably universal.

britwhore

Sorry sile I have no clue!

Pulaski

You can't. British and US cell phone systems both charge high rates but try to disguise the excess rates using tricks. The US achieves this by charging the cell phone customer for calls received, the UK does it by assigning all cell phones to special "cell phone area codes", and charging them at a premium rate, which is why you got billed extra, for calling a premium area code. I think cell phone codes now all start "07....". Other premium, or zero, rate codes start "08...".

Given that the UK phone system IS going to recover its costs, by billing the caller a premium rate, you problem is likely impossible to resolve to your satisfaction.

chris955

I have found mobile calls here to be very reasonable. Im not sure what you mean by 07 being a premium number? Calls from mobiles have always been more expensive than landline calls

huddm

Hi pondhopper2014

We returned from rural Ontario 7 years ago and did not end up in poverty as you are made to believe. I managed to get at the time a 40% pay raise based on CND/UK exchange rate at that time. We found overall for every pound we spent in the UK we were spending $2.25 in Ontario. Yes petrol is high, so we purchased 2 diesel cars that are capable of 50-65 mpg instead of the 25-30 mpg cars we had in Canada.

My sister husbands makes £30-35K with a family and have a new car, 3 UK holidays a year and get lots of Tax credits. I have to re-mortgage when we returned to the UK - £600/month. I would be mortgage free in Canada now, but I am earning a senior professional salary, so easily compensates having to pay £600 month mortgage. Food is still affordable in the UK without the need to live on junk food. We live on the outskirts of Dover and you see French, Dutch, Germans loading their cars at the supermarkets before returning across the channel.
Our Canadian visitors last Easter brought a lot of UK goods to take back home, especially clothing.

As respect to people living in poverty, I always though Canada do not like discussing poverty and was not really talked about. I would rather be poor in the UK than Canada, due to our welfare system. I do not live in poverty, to be honest my wife and I and our 2 sons have a very high standard of living since we returned to the UK. All my family in the UK are very comfortable, living in nice houses with lots of overseas holidays and good social life. If you have the inclination to move to Canada, I can not see why you would not have a problem returning to the UK.

Hudd

Pulaski

It costs more to phone a cell phone than a landline in the UK, BUT the cell phone customer does not use minutes on incoming calls. So in the UK the people who call a cell phone pay the premium. In the US it is the cell phone customers pay for the privilege of receiving a call, by being charged minutes on calls they receive.

Editha

Since moving to Alberta in'06 I've spent on average a couple of months in the UK each year, so I've been able to keep track of living costs.

Food is much more expensive in Alberta than in the UK, and that remains true despite food prices having gone up in the UK. There is also much more choice and better quality in British supermarkets than those in Edmonton.

Clothing is more expensive in Canada, and I've continued to buy most of my clothing in the UK, both to save money, and because I prefer natural fabrics which are easier to find in the UK than Canada, where everything seems to be made of polyester.

Fuel is much more expensive in the UK than Canada, but you knew that. I think water is a little cheaper in the UK.

We pay a bit less income tax here than in the UK, but more city tax (equivalent council-tax), so there is not much in it. I don't think the low sales tax in Alberta makes much difference to retail prices.

IKEA prices are the same in both countries.

Editha

I'm loathe to give a link to the Daily Malice, but in February they reported on a study by the CEBR which found that Canada has a higher cost of living than the UK:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ort-costs.html

pondhopper2014

Great article! I know, I know... Daily Mail. But you know, it makes a lot of sense. 35000 GBP a year is a good salary... works out to about 55000 CAD - which is not a great salary, at least not in the city (we live in the country and scrape by living frugally with a family of 6).

I think it does come down to what you expect and where you'd be more happy being poor. LOL!

Homeiswheretheheartis

Quality of life on 35,000 pounds a year. Well my husband earns 36,000 pounds a year and in the UK we had a fantastic life. Only left temp for my husbands job 2 years ago. Been back for extended visits and have friends in very similar positions money wise as ourselves.

Earning 36,000 pounds - two adults two kids aged 10 & 12 - Lifestyle

Husband works, stay at home wife.

Own small 3 bed, on-suite detached house (bought before housing rise)

Own 2 secondhand cars (approx 4 years old)

Take one week holiday to France each year in May/June school hols.

Have weekends approx 3 weekends away a year in the UK. Days out about 1 a month, but always use vouchers and take food.

Own 2 mobiles, 1 being on a contract of 35 pounds a month, average model, one pay as you go very basic and don't care about the look.

Shop in Tescos and local shops spending approx 100 each week on food. (Husband is a giant).

Clothes shop in Tescos/M&S/Asda and sometimes Next.

Are careful with utilities as these are what I feel have gone up the most. But not to the point I'm cold anything, just put on a jumper instead of turning up the heating. (which we should do anyway).

Can save towards Christmas, kids own normal stuff, eg xbox, and kindle, no phones (to young I feel).

I do feel that if we hadn't bought before the housing rise, it would be harder for us as we only have a low mortgage of 300 pounds a month. I think we would need about 40,000 if we didn't have a low mortgage.

I'm in the US and we spend more here that in the UK as our lifestyle is different, not better, just different.

We actually with extras earning approx 46,000 pounds a year in the US, live in a big house, have hot weather always Have access to a pool and lots of entertainment (Las Vegas), but none of this has replaced that feeling of belonging, a comfortable feeling that is priceless.

Our yearly holiday was in France and cost all in with spending approx 1,500 pounds at a lovely holiday park (french ones are lovely don't think Haven). My kids say its the best holiday in the world, and they've been to Florida and all the parks there! Believe me that was much more expensive.

So if you think my life in the UK is a reasonable life I would say the UK can still offer a good life for people on middle salary. If you are horrified by my basic happy life and shopping at tesco for clothes is the worst thing ever, then maybe the UK will seem expensive.