Cost of living in Canada

canadalivingcostsMany people from the UK and Western Europe find the cost of living in Canada is lower than their home countries. But before you set off on your big move to Canada, it’s important to know exactly what you and your bank balance can expect.

Compared with many other western countries (not including the US), things such as food, dining out, most forms of recreation, petrol and cars are cheaper in Canada. Power is also cheaper, but you will use more power to heat your house in a typical Canadian winter.

Five Canadian cities feature in Mercer’s annual cost of living index, which ranks 207 cities worldwide in order of most expensive by measuring the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location. These items include transport, food, clothing, household goods, the cost of housing and entertainment.

In 2015, Vancouver ranks 119th, Toronto 126th, Montreal 140th, Calgary 146th, and Ottawa 162nd. Expats will still find these cities to be very liveable thanks to the fact that Canada does provide free healthcare for citizens and permanent residents and education at public schools.

Canada is frequently ranked number one in the United Nations annual Human Development Index, which considers factors such as job opportunities, quality of schooling, life expectancy and cost of living. It has one of the strongest economies in the world and is a member of the G8, the world’s most prosperous nations.

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