From affordable housing in Alberta to high taxes in Quebec, there are many widely accepted claims about the cost of living in different parts of the country. But are these preconceptions accurate?
From affordable housing in Alberta to high taxes in Quebec, there are many widely accepted claims about the cost of living in different parts of the country. But are these preconceptions accurate?
We did pretty much that when we moved to B.C from Sweden, and while it’ll be hard to make ends meet without having two incomes the rest of the equation is pretty much doable.
Education isn’t (fully) covered by taxes here, but tuition is nowhere near as exorbitant as some other places. Similarly, public transportation in major urban areas is pretty good and affordable (compared to car ownership and maintenance at least), and health care (while struggling with the same issues of staffing as in Sweden) is covered by taxation (with the exception of supplemental secondary care like physiotherapy, but most employers offer this kind of additional coverage as part of your employment benefits).
As for employment, you’re in luck with the industries you picked, as the west coast seems to attract many businesses in those fields (and is actually getting a boost off the increased migrant hiring difficulties in the US right now).
This is very interesting to hear from another fellow Scandinavian. Did you get a job offer that made you do the jump? (Helped with setting up a place to live and such) or did you actively look yourself? How did it practically work for you guys?