scrubbedexpat091

When pay 850 CAD$ right now which is cheapest in this town, and wages are about the same here overall, the cost of nearly everything though is a good chunk more then the US.

We pay on average double the price for milk, double to triple the price for cheese, double for many fruits and veggies, all on basically the same wage as we would south of the border.

Moses2013

But surely Phoenix won't be getting cheaper, if it's one of the least sustainable cities. I've never lived in the desert, but I can imagine you'll be spending more money on other things like aircon, so electricity costs will be higher.

scrubbedexpat091

But in winter you don't need as much heat which gets costs in most regions of Canada. Phoenix isn't as cold, and thus less need for heat.

Heat isn't exactly cheap either.

In the time frame we are looking at, housing in Phoenix will likely stay within our price range.

We are already priced out of any desirable place in BC, where we can afford in Canada, we just have no desire to live.

Taxes are also lower in the US which means more money in the pocket.

Even with healthcare and electricity (the only 2 things that cost more really) between the lower cost of everything else, we still come out a head a nice amount.

scrubbedexpat091

Here is the lowest priced house where we live currently.

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/S...olumbia-V8B0A4


This is what 160,000 gets you here

Well currently nothing available for 160,000 but here is the closest at 189k, old run down apartment in a 50 year old building, also has a 288 maintenance fee.

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/S...olumbia-V0N3G0

Now compare to Tempe, AZ

2350 W Carson Dr, Tempe, AZ 85282 | Zillow

1059 W Cornell Dr, Tempe, AZ 85283 | Zillow

Property taxes are also less.

We are not looking for a house for an investment, we want one to live in, we are unlikely to sell within any short amount of time, so looking long term 25+ years, by the time we likely would downsize, the thing would be paid off, assuming we are both living, I'd be in my mid to late 70's before any house is paid off.

I have to stay reasonably close to California as parents are not getting younger, and well I have missed out on 10 years so far with my family, so moving further away won't be an option.

Steerpike

I'm in Phoenix Metro today and drove along Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe (between Scottsdale Rd and Mill Ave). There is a massive (and I mean, massive) building complex going up there along the waterfront; State Farm, I think it is. Never seen such a big sprawl going up at one time! Must be a bunch of jobs associated with that (once its done, I mean).

If you are comparing CA to AZ, keep in mind that CA is more generous in terms of employee rights and benefits (so I hear). In AZ, they get away with murder in terms of firing and/or abusing employees - I can't believe how my client here treats their employees. Of course, that's why jobs migrate to places like AZ from CA ... CA ends up being a more expensive place to do business. But if you are successful in finding a job in CA, then you might have a better chance of keeping it.

Steerpike

You mention a desire for training, but a lack of funds. Could you not train yourself online for free? Is it a matter of time (that is, if you are working during the day, you won't have time to study at night, even if it's online and free? Or is it that the nature of your likely work areas does not lend itself to online training?

Moses2013

Heating isn't cheap, but you will probably be cooling and heating in Phoenix. Summers seem to be getting hotter and hotter, so you have the aircon running longer and when the days are hot, the nights feel much colder (same in Spain), especially away from the sea. At the moment we have low temps of around 10/8 degrees here in Ireland (similar to Phoenix), but would have the log burner on in the evening, but never need aircon. Water costs might be another issue, especially with garden. Saying that, you probably don't have many options if you want to be close to California. What about Riverside? Seems to be cheap and relatively safe, but not sure. A plot of land like this would be affordable enough.
Sunset Ridge, Riverside, CA For Sale | Trulia.com

scrubbedexpat091

I am interested in medical lab work. It just cant be done online. Well some of the basics can like medical terminology but not the core training.

I am comparing BC to AZ and while on the surface it ma appear Canada might be more generous they are not really. Employer doesnt need much to get rid of you if they so desire. California aside from vacation and a couple other small items does have more labor protection then BC does.


When I worked for AZ based America West our union contract was kind of interestng in the fact section after section would say California employees refer to state labor code section and list where to look as Calif state law was tougher then our union contract. But 80% of the work group was Phoenix based so contract was based on that 80%.

Granted airlines are also federally regulated so a slew of state labor rules dont even apply to airline employees.

scrubbedexpat091

Riverside is hot in summer possibly not as warm as Phoenix though. Havent been there in 10 or 12 years so not sure how the economy is.

California basically where its comfortable and mild is pricey, where its cheaps jobs are lacking and usually inland and hot in summer.

For instance in San Diego my dad is on the coast and sister was about 15 miles inland. Temp easily can be 75 or 80 at my dads and 100 at my sisters in the summer.

Riverside you will need AC in summer, only on the coast is it doable without ac.

That said here in BC we use AC a good chunk of the summer as summers are not exactly cool.

Be surprised how hot Canada can get in summer.

No garden in Phoenix, waste of money and water. Go natural landscape so you dont have to water.

Pros and cons to both places BC vs AZ neither is perfect or offers everything. But with the price of housing out of reach in most of the desirable areas of the province we have little chance at owning.

Wages in BC are crazy low when compared to cost of living.

15 or 16 per hour goes a lot further in the US then the same wage in BC does.

We suffer from a currency few want now and huge reliance on imports from the US which isnt a good combination.

scrubbedexpat091

Granted it was like 13 years ago, but I have lived in Tempe before but lots has changed of course. They also lost HQ of a large employer but seem to be gaining others.

They lost US Airways with the merger with American as they kept AA hq in Texas.

kodokan

Our Phoenix house was a little over 4K sq ft, and summer air con bills ran to $450. Granted, that's s much bigger house than you're looking at, but that's with the AC set to 82 degrees, and not running at all between 11pm and 6am (right by bedroom and too noisy), which are temperatures most other people don't seem to be willing/ able to tolerate (sleep is largely only possible naked with no covers and the fan running; getting into bed slightly damp from a shower helps too). Our neighbors' bills were well in the $600 range. So budget perhaps $250-300 for summer electric. You'll need winter heat too, but only for about 6-10 weeks depending on the weather and how inclined you are to put on a sweater and use a blanket if sitting still watching TV.

Great idea to go xeriscape. Our stupid HOA was a winter grass mandator, and the annual water bill, mostly for landscaping, was about $3k. Our town of Mesa keeps the property taxes low and taxes through the utilities instead; the snowbirds like it that way.

ddsrph

J
Are there any advantages to living in New Mexico cost wise. I went to college
at UNM in Albuquerque and like NM. Las Cruces seemed OK but was a long time ago. Good weather and not too far from Arizona.

username.exe

I used to live in Vancouver and spent 6 months in Phoenix earlier this year.
I definitely feel like a dollar can go far further in AZ than BC (I like both places) as long as you're comfortable with the extreme heat in the summer.

JSmith are you still looking at Chula Vista or National City?

scrubbedexpat091

Not looking at San Diego region at all. Unlikely to ever have the income needed to own there, and rents seem fairly high from the listings I see.

My sister is moving to Phoenix (her hubby is there already) my dad retires in about 12 to 16 months and they are planning to live elsewhere in So. California (somewhere in the desert region away from the big city's) for retirement, and my mom is in Palm Springs, so really no family in San Diego in the coming 2 years.

Phoenix is really the most ideal, my sister and her kids will be there, so will have some family, and only a handful of hours from my mom, but just overall lower cost.

I don't mind the extreme heat, and my wife is a heat lover and absolutely loves it, so she won't miss any of the cold wet weather...

Only family she has in Canada is her mom, and brother (well family she is in touch with on a regular basis) but her brother lives nowhere near us and they have a rocky relationship, and being a small town we both have very limited opportunities job wise, and of course rent and overall housing costs are insane here.

If you look at the basics like gas we pay about double the price, most food items here are more, things like dairy can be triple the price down south, clothing is cheaper there, really the only 2 things cheaper in BC is electricity and healthcare.

Income tax wise assuming no deductions, AZ state/US fed is a bit head, but not all that easy to compare between the 2 places as taxes are done differently.

But I think with the savings elsewhere, we likely will come out a head in AZ.

Using gas buddy prices for Phoenix and here, gas alone based on today's prices would be about 900/yr less in AZ......

Steerpike

My condo in Scottsdale is 1,400 sq ft, and when I bought it I replaced the windows and A/C unit with the best possible (most efficient) replacements. Similar to you, I keep the thermostat at 82 in summer (and like it that way). My last year of living there full-time was 2013, and my bills were $37 (Jun), $70 (Jul), $64 (Aug), $53 (Sep). Granted, I traveled a lot so multiply those by 1.25 for a more typical result. A condo is going to be less costly to heat/cool due to having neighbors but the design of my unit is such that I'm an end unit with windows/exposed walls on three sides (and I'm on the upper floor).

The unit is rather old (80's) and not well built/insulated - which is why I replaced the windows and A/C. Before I did that, Jan 2010 bill was $160, and my Sep 2010 bill was $180 (the original heater/ac unit was had electric coil heat, the new one has heat pump). Those figures also were during periods of heavy travel so multiply by 1.25 for more typical values.