That is a good price for a 2 bedroom. If you owned a 2 bedroom home or condo you are likely looking at a much higher mortgage rate not even including property taxes or utilities.
Canadian life after moving from UAE/Middle East
- Thread starter ta2839
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That is a good price for a 2 bedroom. If you owned a 2 bedroom home or condo you are likely looking at a much higher mortgage rate not even including property taxes or utilities.
ferysonu
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I think I mentioned in excess of 100k. Also, this amount is good enough to cover the essentials in GTA (rent, car, groceries, insurance).
Vacations, eating out at decent restaurants and other extra curricular becomes affordable when the spouse starts working. Year end bonus help a lot.
when you get to Canada, you will have so much to do. especially during the first month, you have to rent a place, get all kinds of cards and IDs, find a job, improve your English, etc. If you are organized and you know what you are doing, things will go so much easier.
I find that this video can help you organize. it is a step by step of what needs to be done with a timeline.
search cLgjieCLFWg on youtube. it is called "your first 4 weeks in Canada".
Good luck.
I find that this video can help you organize. it is a step by step of what needs to be done with a timeline.
search cLgjieCLFWg on youtube. it is called "your first 4 weeks in Canada".
Good luck.
I watched the video and thank you for sharing it. However,. I'm sure we can find another video better than this video because it took her 30 mins to explain 5 mins worth of stuff in a very boring way.
sahilsharma88
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Life for me has been pretty decent so far. I was lucky enough to find a job in my field before I moved to Canada. Although, I'm getting same package in dollar terms, my in-hand salary is less than half.
In terms of living expenses - I live in Montreal, so rents are pretty reasonable. Rather I pay less than I used to in Dubai and live in a nice 1000sq ft one bedroom apartment.
Groceries - again due to lack of competition, grocery is quite expensive here. Cottage industry is protected and production is based on quota and the farmers control the pricing (which is good). So it tends to be higher but the quality is fairly good (but buying butter for 6$ still hurts). Also Canada imports almost everything, so be prepared to pay higher. Esp compared to Dubai. However, i prefer to buy my fresh produce/meats from local grocery stores as they tend to be cheaper.
Commute - the public transport is very cheap in Montreal and for 85$ a month i have access to metro as well as bus. The city is well connected and you can reach everywhere in bus. Montreal roads are the worst in Canada and driving here is a pain ( its worse than driving in Mumbai or Delhi). So cycling, walking and buses are your best buddies.
Overall its cheaper to buy a car here in the used market. However, the insurance is beyond comprehensible. Its a cash grab ( similar to what people call UAE's housing fee or knowledge fee or other fees we pay). Its simply is the biggest scam in Canada.
From what I've heard, the public transport of Toronto is not that well-connected as Montreal, although its way expensive (monthly pass is $135, maybe it got updated). Additionally, very few people actually afford to live in Toronto and live in GTA i.e. Mississauga, Bramption, Markham, Scarborough etc.
Telecom - Telecom is the 2nd biggest scam in Canada. You pay absurd pricing for internet and cellular data. Rather cellular data is a joke where you will be paying 60-70$ for a sub-par data connection with 4-6gb of data. Reason - lack of competition. Canada is run by 3 telecoms famously called ROBELUS (Rogers, Bell and Telus) and they call the shots. The Govt is a mere spectator.
Banking - Boy oh boy banking is good business. Where else in the world will you pay the banks to open a bank account and put your money in without earning any interest. Yes you read it right, you need to pay a monthly fee to the banks. They give you a basic free credit card unlike Dubai, where you get a premium credit card (depending on your employment of course). Anyways, even after paying, you get a very low quality of service. Most banking apps do not have 2 factor authentication, they do not update your balance in real-time and mostly task 3-4 days to reflect your outstanding balances. Honestly, they don't need to. No foreign banks are allowed except HSBC (we know why) and the banks do not outdo each other.
This is the beauty of Canadian corporate hypocrisy. Its like Du and Etisalat. They do no care as people have just two options and both are owned by the same parent. So the Canadian banks and tel-cos don't really compete with each other and they all have similar packages and contracts. The customer here is always the loser.
Overall living - So far I'm pretty happy. Montreal is beautiful and is free and not overly populated as Ontario. I love socializing and just being out. With cannabis legalization in Canada, its perfect for me. This might in the end be the primary reason why I might stay back. Employee rights are very strong and the work culture is very good. You get done on time and have a lot of time to pursue your hobbies or interests. However, this last point is relevant only if you're living in Montreal, Ottawa or Calgary etc. For most people living in Toronto or Vancouver, a big chunk of free time goes ion commute.
I find there is a lot more to do here. There are many national parks, lakes and hiking trails. Plus, during summers, the country becomes so lively with plethora of events. Most are usually free. However, in the hindsight, I would have been making and saving enough in Dubai to make short getaway trips to Europe which provides most of this freedom and feels.
So whats my future plan? I have come to the realization that the life of a salaried person is shit in Canada. You can never make enough money. You can create wealth overtime but, that would come after huge compromise in lifestyle. So, to truly enjoy Canada, one needs to have a business. So if I'm able to setup a business here, till I get my citizenship, I might stay back else its back to Dubai. Canada truly ain't worth the sacrifice. You're really not getting anything in return of tax dollars except for free education for your kids (negative as my wife and I do not plant to have kids).
Before anyone comments, healthcare is not free unless you are living on social assistance or are unemployed. I hope you intend to be neither of those. Additionally, prescribed drugs are not free unless your employer has a comprehensive insurance. Also, the insurance does't cover dental or mental health issues. And I urge everyone to read on the patient treatment in Canada. Canadian medical institutions are severely understaffed and underfunded. Which means - although free, be prepared to wait for hours with your broken bones as it might be considered an emergency to be treated immediately.
In terms of living expenses - I live in Montreal, so rents are pretty reasonable. Rather I pay less than I used to in Dubai and live in a nice 1000sq ft one bedroom apartment.
Groceries - again due to lack of competition, grocery is quite expensive here. Cottage industry is protected and production is based on quota and the farmers control the pricing (which is good). So it tends to be higher but the quality is fairly good (but buying butter for 6$ still hurts). Also Canada imports almost everything, so be prepared to pay higher. Esp compared to Dubai. However, i prefer to buy my fresh produce/meats from local grocery stores as they tend to be cheaper.
Commute - the public transport is very cheap in Montreal and for 85$ a month i have access to metro as well as bus. The city is well connected and you can reach everywhere in bus. Montreal roads are the worst in Canada and driving here is a pain ( its worse than driving in Mumbai or Delhi). So cycling, walking and buses are your best buddies.
Overall its cheaper to buy a car here in the used market. However, the insurance is beyond comprehensible. Its a cash grab ( similar to what people call UAE's housing fee or knowledge fee or other fees we pay). Its simply is the biggest scam in Canada.
From what I've heard, the public transport of Toronto is not that well-connected as Montreal, although its way expensive (monthly pass is $135, maybe it got updated). Additionally, very few people actually afford to live in Toronto and live in GTA i.e. Mississauga, Bramption, Markham, Scarborough etc.
Telecom - Telecom is the 2nd biggest scam in Canada. You pay absurd pricing for internet and cellular data. Rather cellular data is a joke where you will be paying 60-70$ for a sub-par data connection with 4-6gb of data. Reason - lack of competition. Canada is run by 3 telecoms famously called ROBELUS (Rogers, Bell and Telus) and they call the shots. The Govt is a mere spectator.
Banking - Boy oh boy banking is good business. Where else in the world will you pay the banks to open a bank account and put your money in without earning any interest. Yes you read it right, you need to pay a monthly fee to the banks. They give you a basic free credit card unlike Dubai, where you get a premium credit card (depending on your employment of course). Anyways, even after paying, you get a very low quality of service. Most banking apps do not have 2 factor authentication, they do not update your balance in real-time and mostly task 3-4 days to reflect your outstanding balances. Honestly, they don't need to. No foreign banks are allowed except HSBC (we know why) and the banks do not outdo each other.
This is the beauty of Canadian corporate hypocrisy. Its like Du and Etisalat. They do no care as people have just two options and both are owned by the same parent. So the Canadian banks and tel-cos don't really compete with each other and they all have similar packages and contracts. The customer here is always the loser.
Overall living - So far I'm pretty happy. Montreal is beautiful and is free and not overly populated as Ontario. I love socializing and just being out. With cannabis legalization in Canada, its perfect for me. This might in the end be the primary reason why I might stay back. Employee rights are very strong and the work culture is very good. You get done on time and have a lot of time to pursue your hobbies or interests. However, this last point is relevant only if you're living in Montreal, Ottawa or Calgary etc. For most people living in Toronto or Vancouver, a big chunk of free time goes ion commute.
I find there is a lot more to do here. There are many national parks, lakes and hiking trails. Plus, during summers, the country becomes so lively with plethora of events. Most are usually free. However, in the hindsight, I would have been making and saving enough in Dubai to make short getaway trips to Europe which provides most of this freedom and feels.
So whats my future plan? I have come to the realization that the life of a salaried person is shit in Canada. You can never make enough money. You can create wealth overtime but, that would come after huge compromise in lifestyle. So, to truly enjoy Canada, one needs to have a business. So if I'm able to setup a business here, till I get my citizenship, I might stay back else its back to Dubai. Canada truly ain't worth the sacrifice. You're really not getting anything in return of tax dollars except for free education for your kids (negative as my wife and I do not plant to have kids).
Before anyone comments, healthcare is not free unless you are living on social assistance or are unemployed. I hope you intend to be neither of those. Additionally, prescribed drugs are not free unless your employer has a comprehensive insurance. Also, the insurance does't cover dental or mental health issues. And I urge everyone to read on the patient treatment in Canada. Canadian medical institutions are severely understaffed and underfunded. Which means - although free, be prepared to wait for hours with your broken bones as it might be considered an emergency to be treated immediately.
Hello Sahil, ope you'r fine, in my case, i want to make the opposit move From Canada to UAE.I've really appreciated your comments and i see that you have an excellente analyse regarding the comparision of the lifstyle in uae versus canada.i sent you a message in messenger fb to give me more details about uae,i'm not rally sure that you have received it.plz let me know or give ne your e-mail tobe able te reach you.thanks
Hi Red2020,
We have the same idea of moving to UAE, Life here in Canada is simple, if your looking to have more savings i think UAE is better. Cost of living is high that all your salary will go to living expenses. Some of the people here have 2 to 3 jobs just to have decent living.
We have the same idea of moving to UAE, Life here in Canada is simple, if your looking to have more savings i think UAE is better. Cost of living is high that all your salary will go to living expenses. Some of the people here have 2 to 3 jobs just to have decent living.
Hi MRCJ
Have you ever been in uae? if it is the case, can you juste share your exerience regarding cost of life and saving money , UAE vs CANADA ?
Hello,
No i haven't been there. So i am also searching for groups or thread that can give me an idea on how to find a job over there. I also have a lot of question in mind. I don't know but i don't think i want to spend the rest of my life here in Canada. Seems lang you are just living to pay the bills
Really depends on what on your work history and education. Plenty of foreigners making very little and being abused im UAE. You either live a comfortable life or you have a very poor quality of life. You are always at the mercy of uour employer. Probably not a good time to move to the UAE given the world is going to be in a recession. Are you a Canadian citizen?
Hi canuck78
I have the canadian citizenship. but I don't know what is the salary I can ask for the qualifications that I have ?
Yes I am a canadian citizen, my profession is health and safety officer. May i know if the foreigners that is being abused, that you are saying are canadians? Yes definitely not at the moment, everywhere you go i believe is in recession because of the Pandemic.
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