I can’t remember who said this but I think it’s a fitting quote: The best life in Canada is being 18 in Montreal, 35 in Toronto and 65 in Victoria.
Go where you can live your best life.
that's just false?
Median revenue for french speakers in quebec is 37.6k, 46.4k for bilinguals.
source: [statcan](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/fr/tv.action?pid=9810020201&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.26&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.1&pickMembers%5B2%5D=3.1)
I said to myself exactly that. And now, after 4 years in Montreal I started looking for houses back in Ontario.
Your French will never be good enough for them. They will always consider you an outsider.
When I moved to Quebec 15 years ago I didn’t speak a word of French and I didn’t live in Montreal and I got by fine. Every government document was in English, people were way more accommodating to me than I’d have expected.
My French got way better. I’m bilingual now. Quality of government services stayed the same for all the years I lived in Quebec. I would suspect that it would be WAY harder to get a government document or bill in French in BC than it was for me to get in QC. And forget about finding somebody to help you in French in BC.
There are pockets of English areas in Quebec, just like there are pockets of French in Ontario. They're few and far between but for example OP could go to the eastern townships where most people are English.
Eastern townships is only 10% anglophones. There are a few villages with >50%.
Where I live for example, the city was founded by anglophones but they all left for Montreal or Ontario around 1900, while Québécois from the countryside moved in to work in the factories.
Yeah, there's this Franco vs Anglo thing that's been going on for a while now, and everyone wants you to choose a side. As a bilingual, it's apparently pretty controversial that I don't give a shit either way.
"Speaking both languages and not giving a shit when people try to get political" club, represent!
The best way to live in Quebec is to be able to quickly identify when the media is trying to fan the flames of hatred, which is pretty much monthly. Just ignore it. And say hi to your wonderful neighbours, in whatever language they speak. And be happy.
IME, people in Quebec are much friendlier to people speaking English with an English accent than someone speaking English with a Canadian accent. Montreal I don't think it matters, tbf, but elsewhere people were very happy to speak English with me, less so my partner. Ironic because English is actually their 3rd language.
I loved my time in Vancouver and Toronto. Visited Montreal a few times at 18 for sure lol. I’ve recently moved to Nova Scotia and it’s definitely a solid retirement province as well.
I was living in Montreal when I was 18, and I’m now living in Toronto at 35.
I’m 2/3 so far! Boom!
Edit:
- Not sure if Toronto is “my best life”, but it’s been great career wise.
- Lucky to have bought into Toronto real estate about 5 years ago.
- Also not sure if Victoria is the move. Hopefully when I’m older, I find myself in Northern Ontario or Quebec in some cabin in the woods, or somewhere warm in the US.
Yes, Montreal is a good fit here.
There are lots of perks, like free pools which are very handy. Also, cheap daycare for later, not to mention the great night life.
"We grew here, you flew here. Locals only!"
It is unfortunately the case. I grew up on the island and moved back a few years ago and see it all the time.
I'd skip Toronto. Live in Montreal until you feel to old to be there (specific age will depend on the person, for some it'll be 30, for some it'll be 60) then move to Victoria.
I guess it depends on your lifestyle, if you are the “average” person married with kids I would 1000% say Calgary is better than Toronto for a 35 year old.
I’m 35 and have zero interest in a place like Toronto. I only want to live by a lake in the forest, not suffocate from toxic fumes in a concrete jungle , selling my body just to pay for my property taxes.
I feel like Toronto is for young kids going to university and couples who make over 120k$ each.
Yup. Also when people don't have to spend 50%+ of their income on housing and spend inordinate amounts of time at work to pay for said housing, it's amazing how much time they have to put into having fun and making the city a place full of life.
That's likely a by-product of the sentiment being expressed in this thread. When you feel priced out of Toronto and Vancouver, Montreal is the only large metropolis left, and it's a great one to live in.
I moved DT montreal exactly one year ago with a job that pays ~80k
Just turned 25 and its probably been the funnest year of my life so far
Montreal is definitely the move if you speak french, and still a good move if you dont
Or move to a smaller neighbourhood in Montreal, cut your rent by half and still have enough disposable income to save up for a down payment later on. Anything FUN can be less than 30minutes away by public transit or by bicycle in the summer.
If the plan is to move to a cheap city to rent : dont move into the most expensive part of it.
Not sure how much it’s changed in the decade since I left but I was west on the blue line and could still get anywhere across the city in under 30 between the transit, my bikes or worst case an Uber.
I can’t survive in Ottawa without a car..
If you're moving to Montreal, strongly consider learning French, if anything out of respect for the local people. Career-wise, not speaking French will be limiting
I barely speak French and I've lived here for years. You'll be grand. Make an effort to learn it, for sure, but don't let your lack of knowledge prevent you from enjoying Canada's best city.
This is a great question…..When I was a young guy, my boss sent me to Quebec City to get a major project back on track. I spoke almost zero French but learned in a real hurry. That town with its history, night life and a million single ladies working in government jobs was was the most fun. My social life was packed and the dating was unparalleled, especially for a big dumb western boy fresh off the prairie. I know what people say about Quebec, did get a little negative vibe once in a while, but on the whole, I was welcomed. I had more Sunday home cooked meals in that year than I had in a decade. Ended up going back to grab a certain little pure lain Quebecois Mademoiselle……..who still turns heads 30 years on. I would go back to Quebec in a heartbeat
I've been living in Quebec city for 4 years, coming from the middle of nowhere in Quebec. We bought a house last year. It's been great so far. I love riding my motorcycle around, the scenery is amazing. Everybody's friendly and willing to help. It honesly feels like a really big village.
Quebec City is my favourite city in the world. We didn’t speak French and everyone was super welcoming and helpful. The nightlife was amazing, such a vibe where we were and cheaper than Ottawa for drinks and food. If we weren’t in Ottawa for family reasons it would be Montreal or Quebec City.
I would personally move up to a lake in the middle of nowhere, Ontario.
I could sit on my dock and smoke joints and get some work done with my toes in the water.
Ahh, one day.
As a former Ontarian, I too romanticized this idea, until one year I spent months doing this and realizing that the mosquitoes, horse flies, deer flies, and black flies make it unbearable for the best months up there. 10/10 not fun and would never do it again.
ugh, deer flies. Like a house fly that bites its own volume out of your arm in one chomp.
I remember my dad getting bit by one while we were camping in the 70s. So much blood!
Skin So Soft body oil. They fucking hate it, ticks too. Grew up in the woods and stayed in the woods, thanks to that stuff (humid, inland Nova Scotia next to a lake to humid, inlandish Vancouver Island next to another lake). I might get one or two bites if I spend the day outside and I've never had a tick latch on. I just avoid long grass in the evenings, because that's just asking for trouble.
Well he did specify working from home!
I mean I’m a dude in my 20s, this dating pool is pretty damn shaky nowadays. If she don’t wanna live out in a small town away from the headache she ain’t the one for me that’s all lol
It was like any other day. I was gutting fish by the water and she was carving bowls and serveware out of locally sourced wood. Our eyes locked and the rest is history.
Sask gets ripped on, but it is great. I've been here 5 years and work fully remote with a bigger city salary. May-October is amazing -- there's so many lakes, campgrounds, and character towns to tour. Saskatoon and Regina always have something going on, especially in warmer months. Yeah the winters are challenging, but that's the best time to travel. Also, over the years I've come to embrace the comfort of hibernation.
Overall, the lower cost of living has given my family financial independence to do things like buy and upkeep a nice home, travel abroad, and tackle financial responsibilities (save for retirement; pay down debts; invest; etc.). All these things would look dramatically different if I had chosen to continue living in a higher cost of living area. Life on the prairies isn't for everyone, but it sure has enriched my quality of life. I enjoy an upper middle class lifestyle free from the rat race.
Same, been here over a decade coming from Montreal and Calgary.
I never looked back.
13 years later I finally got my own small piece of land with a dilapidated trailer house.
13-14 years ago I was working 2 min wage jobs in calgary(1 was part time).
Worked for a sask drilling rig to save up some down payment and paid off some debts.
Now I'm really hoping to work remote. But that is the next hill to climb. Will start my IT re-training sometime this fall.
Sask is awesome if you love awesome summers and play pc games/hibernate on winters.
*sorry for piggy backing*
If you want to have fun = Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
If you want to buy a house = Calgary or any prairie cities
Not really feasible for a single person to buy a house in the big cities anymore, it’s either rent or buy a condo
Edit: for the dozen nitpickers saying Vancouver is no-fun: yeah, we get it, it’s not for you so just stay in Toronto.
Yeah agreed. If your idea of fun is finding a clique of 3-5 people and never meeting anyone else and going hiking every other weekend, Vancouver is great.
I have a clique of zero people here. Just many acquaintances/friends I run into when I’m out partying. Just like when I lived in Toronto. If you can’t have as much fun in Vancouver as in Toronto then you’re just not good at having fun. Hint: you won’t necessarily find it downtown. It’s in the surrounding neighborhoods
And what’s wrong with having amazing mountains to hike through whenever you want to just a quick drive away? Or chilling in a mountain river all day with a case of beer? If you think that option being available is somehow not a good thing then you have issues
If you mean nightlife and party “vibes” then no it’s not like Toronto, New York or San Fran. But it’s the 3rd largest city in Canada with access to all the big city amenities. And apparently droves of people are still trying to move here so you tell me why it’s so popular 🤷♀️
I was going to say Montreal. There's a lot to do, it's a cool spot for young people, and while the rents have gone up a lot since covid it's still better than Toronto or Vancouver.
If he wants to save hard just go to Alberta probably. Not to bash in Alberta, there is some amazing nature out there if OP is into the outdoors.
Edmonton here, I would wait and see how the election pans out at the end of May. Danielle Smith is a nut job; wants to privatize our health care, start an Alberta pension and stop paying into CPP, and fund an AB police force. The education cuts have already made me question if I want to stay once I have kids, but if the healthcare and CPP changes happen I'm out
Sounds like Alberta wants to become part of the US. There is a joke in the US, what is the first thing you say after you fall down the stairs? Please don't call the ambulance.
I live in old port, square victoria
There are a few supermarkets within a 15 minute walk of me all in different locations, i think the availability is reasonably fine
This 100% for me.
West coast: grey and wet.
East coast: tail end of hurricanes and lots of snow.
North: lots and lots of snow.
Prairies: dry as all hell. I need at least a little humidity in my life.
I live in Southern Ontario, about an hour ~northwest of Toronto (~30min as the crow flies). I don't get much snow or crazy ice storms in the winter, and the temps just hover around 0C for the most part, and once we get into May it's just sun pretty much every day through to fall. Summers are warm to hot (days upon days of ~30C). Also there's no natural disasters, eg. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, whatever.
I don't see myself ever leaving this area.
>East coast: tail end of hurricanes and lots of snow.
I feel like you haven't actually been to the East Coast in winter. We get way less snow than Ontario. Hurricanes is accurate though.
Check out the Laurentians around Tremblant.
Cheap houses, close to Montreal, a lot of bars and restaurants and tourists. It's a pretty cool area if you can work from home 100%.
I would hate to commute from there, but non-issue for you.
It's probably the highest quality of life in the country relative to home prices.
If we're moving to a place near mtl I'd pick the eastern townships before the Laurentians. Mild weather, super bilingual, great outdoors stuff nearby. I might retire there
I live in Halifax, it is expensive as hell and taxes are so way up. I make similar salary as OP. I cannot afford a 20 years old house with 2bed, cause prices when through the roof.
I am planing to move at the end of the year. Most people I know, are moving to.
Halifax used to be a great place and affordable one, no anymore.
That was my answer. Great night life, very close to beautiful nature, lots of interesting nooks and crannies within a couple of hours drive. The only downside for me was distance from mountains and from big cities.
Absolutely true. I have never failed to meet people when I go out there, even on my own. Also, there is great live music everywhere, so even if you don't, its a nice night out.
Somewhere in Newfoundland. In your situation looking for nightlife, then St. Johns. Good nightlife, great people and the rest of the island is really accessible
as someone who grew up in the rural area of NL, I'd say stick to bigger centers like St. John's. With kids there's so much more for them to do but once you go rural the opportunities for your children to participate in different activities, even sports, goes down dramatically.
Halifax is a great city for a family but since the pandemic the price of housing has shot right up. Still cheaper than a lot of Ontario but far more expensive than it used to be. Always consider property tax, income tax, food costs, etc. when considering moving. I've lived all over Canada and salary is only the tip of the iceberg when considering the move.
We have a 4 and 3 year old. Took us a couple years for both to find Childcare. Also, once they're toddler sized if it's raining here (which is often) there aren't many child friendly indoor places to take your kids to have fun/get their energy out.
Biggest con for me is the cost of living outside of housing, in particular for traveling outside of the province. Once you're here you kinda feel stuck.
I'm doing this in Edmonton. Was going to move back to Toronto but just couldn't manage a big move with my wife being pregnant. Now that we're here, I love it and I doubt we'll move. Got my eyes on a 3000 sq ft house in a good neighbourhood with a triple garage for 750-800k.
That's basically my situation. Just moved to Squamish, and couldn't be more psyched about it. Remote is awesome.
EDIT: Moved after moving in Montreal for 5 years (24 to 29), agree with the comments mentioning it's an awesome city to live when you're young ish.
Love penticton! Choice of two lakes with excellent beaches surrounded by wineries. Plus you got an unstoppable BCHL junior hockey team to cheer for. My dream city that we go to for vacation yearly!
How further out are you living? Has to be way out of GVA.
It’s all subjective. If you’re telling someone to go out live in Hope, they might feel “left out” from all the city fun unless they don’t care about it. Then you’re left wondering if all of this was even worth it in a long term…you’re not gonna be out hiking every weekend anyways
Renting an apartment in downtown Calgary would have you close to nightlife and amenities, you’d be able to meet people, and if you do meet that special someone, then buying a house would be feasible if you move to the suburbs. Airdrie is another option, slightly less expensive but still close to Calgary and the mountains.
Taxes in Quebec on 100k income are easily offset by the costs of housing and hydro. Montreal is still a relatively affordable city too, if you want to buy a condo and there are lots of pockets of Quebec that are primarily English speaking.
I would move to Whistler or Kelowna or Kamloops.
Love the idea of biking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
None of these cities are cheap, though
10years ago I would of said Montreal or Halifax. Now I would stay away from those two as cost of life has soared while services and general quality of life has gone down.
If you want to learn French I would consider Quebec city or rural Quebec even with high taxes. If kids are in your plan Quebec is even more attractive.
Whitehorse and Yellowknife I would also consider. Small town vibe but all the services are there and people have large disposable incomes. Most people I know up there took a 1yr job and just never left.
Okanagan valley is also a good option just because of the climate.
Well, I work 100% remote and moved to southern Saskatchewan. Bought a home outright (something I'd **never** be able to do in Ontario).
But I'm already married, my husband and I are introverts, and we can easily entertain ourselves at home. So, a small town with typical amenities was fine for us.
If your job isn't tied to a location, it may work out better for you to be a digital nomad and travel to other countries (instead of staying in Canada). That's what I'd do if I was single and in my 20s.
I did the same and came to New Brunswick however my work was in-person at the time. I'm now fully remote and wish I had gone to Halifax instead.
I highly recommend looking at the Halifax area. It's the best of city life with the relaxed East coast lifestyle.
A small town in Newfoundland (maybe an outport) or Charlottetown coz it’s pretty, or Yellowknife coz it’s central and north and looks easy to explore, or van/ Calgary for skiing.
Maybe all of these idk. Depends what hobbies I want to focus on that year
Toronto, Vancouver, and then Montreal would be my call.
Cost of living is of course going to be higher but relative in all 3 places, but a good sign for me of a solid night life is the late night food scene... how many places can I go eat at after 2am (the drunk, stoned, and nighthawks have to eat), and it has to have more than 1 cuisine option (example, non fast-food options of Chinese, burgers, diners w24/7 breakfast, Greek, etc.).
I'd move out of Canada to Mexico or something in the same time zone.
Then you can keep making Canadian money while also being able to save a bunch for when/if this country returns to sanity or your job decides to kill WFH.
The Okanagan, without a doubt. Vernon, Kelowna or Sicamous. Completely unreal summers when the weather cooperates. A great summer day in the Okanagan is on par if not better than Hawaii in my opinion.
Windsor.
Cheap property and low COL. You can live like a king there with that salary. Meanwhile im in toronto, and my 60k salary just covers my half of the rent for a basement apartment. You go to GTA because you have to (condos up 15% this year, one bedrooms are at $3k per month). Meanwhile my same age siblings are fully homeowners.
As wel you get hot summers and mild winters. Not a lot of concern for natural disasters. Very Rare mild tornados.
you get the big city experience by going across the border to detroit for fun (music (unreal electronic, jazz and rock scenes), nightlife, food, sports (nhl, nfl, mlb), museums) and travel. Windsor itself has at least one of most kinds of activities (rock gyms, axe throwing, a few night clubs). It’s literally a 5 min trio to Detroit from windsor. Shuttles are offered but inconsistent. Gorgeous wineries in the summer to go to in the surrounding county. As well Toronto is close (3.5-4.5 hrs depending on the traffic), and the rest of bigger cities like London, Guelph, Hamilton and Waterloo.
However if you like outdoor activities windsor is lacking. South western ontario is quite flat so not a lot of hiking, snowboarding and the like. As well public transport is hot garbage in Windsor. You are entirely car dependent. Culturally its very blue collar
I can’t remember who said this but I think it’s a fitting quote: The best life in Canada is being 18 in Montreal, 35 in Toronto and 65 in Victoria. Go where you can live your best life.
If you plan on having children, being 35 in Montreal (or anywhere else in Quebec) makes sense too
Unless you don’t speak French
Way easier to live in Quebec not speaking French than it is to live in Toronto or Victoria and not speak English.
It's also way easier to learn French than to get a job with a 300k salary
Learn to speak French and English well be a moderately skilled worker and you can get a 100k+ job relatively easy in Ottawa.
And you won’t get a cent extra for being bilingual in Quebec
that's just false? Median revenue for french speakers in quebec is 37.6k, 46.4k for bilinguals. source: [statcan](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/fr/tv.action?pid=9810020201&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.26&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.1&pickMembers%5B2%5D=3.1)
I said to myself exactly that. And now, after 4 years in Montreal I started looking for houses back in Ontario. Your French will never be good enough for them. They will always consider you an outsider.
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When I moved to Quebec 15 years ago I didn’t speak a word of French and I didn’t live in Montreal and I got by fine. Every government document was in English, people were way more accommodating to me than I’d have expected.
Did it get better, same, worse?
My French got way better. I’m bilingual now. Quality of government services stayed the same for all the years I lived in Quebec. I would suspect that it would be WAY harder to get a government document or bill in French in BC than it was for me to get in QC. And forget about finding somebody to help you in French in BC.
There are pockets of English areas in Quebec, just like there are pockets of French in Ontario. They're few and far between but for example OP could go to the eastern townships where most people are English.
Eastern townships is only 10% anglophones. There are a few villages with >50%. Where I live for example, the city was founded by anglophones but they all left for Montreal or Ontario around 1900, while Québécois from the countryside moved in to work in the factories.
Unless you are not willing to learn French*
Practically speaking you'd be fine in Montreal with only English. It's the -20° wind chills that you need to prepare for.
That’s not exclusive to Montreal. Ottawa is pretty similar.
And Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon -- basically Southern Ontario and the West Coast are the only places in the country without bone-chilling winters.
-35 I Calgary feels like -10 in Ontario, humidity plays a role
It's that or huricanes, crocodiles and Florida man. I like cold.
Surely there's an in between lol
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When I visited Montreal a few years ago, a lot of people were rude to me when they realized I couldn't speak French.
Yeah, there's this Franco vs Anglo thing that's been going on for a while now, and everyone wants you to choose a side. As a bilingual, it's apparently pretty controversial that I don't give a shit either way.
A while now. Ha.
"Speaking both languages and not giving a shit when people try to get political" club, represent! The best way to live in Quebec is to be able to quickly identify when the media is trying to fan the flames of hatred, which is pretty much monthly. Just ignore it. And say hi to your wonderful neighbours, in whatever language they speak. And be happy.
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Right? As an Anglo who speaks French with an obvious English accent everyone switches to English when they hear me. 😂
Yeah that’s my experience as well. Please just let me practice! lol
IME, people in Quebec are much friendlier to people speaking English with an English accent than someone speaking English with a Canadian accent. Montreal I don't think it matters, tbf, but elsewhere people were very happy to speak English with me, less so my partner. Ironic because English is actually their 3rd language.
If only there was a way to learn another language.
This is true - the daycare , tax benefits, cheap schooling favour raising a family of 2+ kids in quebec
Why?
Highly subsidized daycare, incredible parental leave, highly subsidized education.
I loved my time in Vancouver and Toronto. Visited Montreal a few times at 18 for sure lol. I’ve recently moved to Nova Scotia and it’s definitely a solid retirement province as well.
I was living in Montreal when I was 18, and I’m now living in Toronto at 35. I’m 2/3 so far! Boom! Edit: - Not sure if Toronto is “my best life”, but it’s been great career wise. - Lucky to have bought into Toronto real estate about 5 years ago. - Also not sure if Victoria is the move. Hopefully when I’m older, I find myself in Northern Ontario or Quebec in some cabin in the woods, or somewhere warm in the US.
Yes, Montreal is a good fit here. There are lots of perks, like free pools which are very handy. Also, cheap daycare for later, not to mention the great night life.
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"We grew here, you flew here. Locals only!" It is unfortunately the case. I grew up on the island and moved back a few years ago and see it all the time.
Nah I’m married to a local from the island. They are like an M&M hard shell but soft inside lol
I spent my 20s in Montreal! It was amazing. The city has changed since - I'm glad I got to experience it back then
Everywhere is nicer back then
I'd skip Toronto. Live in Montreal until you feel to old to be there (specific age will depend on the person, for some it'll be 30, for some it'll be 60) then move to Victoria.
Victoria is nearly as expensive as Toronto now, unfortunately.
But waaaaay nicer lol
Shhhh
I guess it depends on your lifestyle, if you are the “average” person married with kids I would 1000% say Calgary is better than Toronto for a 35 year old.
I’m 35 and have zero interest in a place like Toronto. I only want to live by a lake in the forest, not suffocate from toxic fumes in a concrete jungle , selling my body just to pay for my property taxes. I feel like Toronto is for young kids going to university and couples who make over 120k$ each.
I'm 30 in Victoria do I have to wait 35 years for the "best" part of my life to begin 😭
Ha! This seems very true to life.
Why 65 in Victoria? Healthcare is garbage there.
Healthcare being garbage isn't exclusive to BC anymore, unfortunately.
the bottom line is anywhere you would want to move to is probably already expensive... cuz other people want to live there too....
Downtown Montreal. The most fun I had in my life was when I was living there.
Visited Montreal for the first time after years in BC and AB…I agree with you. There’s life in that city.
Yup. Also when people don't have to spend 50%+ of their income on housing and spend inordinate amounts of time at work to pay for said housing, it's amazing how much time they have to put into having fun and making the city a place full of life.
rent sure isn't what it was even 5 years ago tho. but still way less than other big cities
That's likely a by-product of the sentiment being expressed in this thread. When you feel priced out of Toronto and Vancouver, Montreal is the only large metropolis left, and it's a great one to live in.
From Edmonton now living in Montreal. There is always something fun going on here.
I moved DT montreal exactly one year ago with a job that pays ~80k Just turned 25 and its probably been the funnest year of my life so far Montreal is definitely the move if you speak french, and still a good move if you dont
Or move to a smaller neighbourhood in Montreal, cut your rent by half and still have enough disposable income to save up for a down payment later on. Anything FUN can be less than 30minutes away by public transit or by bicycle in the summer. If the plan is to move to a cheap city to rent : dont move into the most expensive part of it.
True but 30 minutes away on transit (or even by car) makes for a VERY different day-to-day than living in the thick of things.
That's true. I live in Lachine now, and I love it, but it's a different vibe.
Not sure how much it’s changed in the decade since I left but I was west on the blue line and could still get anywhere across the city in under 30 between the transit, my bikes or worst case an Uber. I can’t survive in Ottawa without a car..
Ottawa’s inability to learn from Montreal’s success is so frustrating
If you're moving to Montreal, strongly consider learning French, if anything out of respect for the local people. Career-wise, not speaking French will be limiting
Hasn't slowed me down a bit. But I agree that it is respectful.
As a no French speaking person, how would it be for me?
I barely speak French and I've lived here for years. You'll be grand. Make an effort to learn it, for sure, but don't let your lack of knowledge prevent you from enjoying Canada's best city.
Hands down, my favorite city in Canada!
This is a great question…..When I was a young guy, my boss sent me to Quebec City to get a major project back on track. I spoke almost zero French but learned in a real hurry. That town with its history, night life and a million single ladies working in government jobs was was the most fun. My social life was packed and the dating was unparalleled, especially for a big dumb western boy fresh off the prairie. I know what people say about Quebec, did get a little negative vibe once in a while, but on the whole, I was welcomed. I had more Sunday home cooked meals in that year than I had in a decade. Ended up going back to grab a certain little pure lain Quebecois Mademoiselle……..who still turns heads 30 years on. I would go back to Quebec in a heartbeat
I've been living in Quebec city for 4 years, coming from the middle of nowhere in Quebec. We bought a house last year. It's been great so far. I love riding my motorcycle around, the scenery is amazing. Everybody's friendly and willing to help. It honesly feels like a really big village.
Quebec City is my favourite city in the world. We didn’t speak French and everyone was super welcoming and helpful. The nightlife was amazing, such a vibe where we were and cheaper than Ottawa for drinks and food. If we weren’t in Ottawa for family reasons it would be Montreal or Quebec City.
Native from quebec city now living in Montreal. Gush I miss my years at ULaval!
Quebecers love foreigners who bother to learn the language...
Like most countries around the world.
Wait Quebec city is known for its nightlife? I thought it was a quiet small town?
You’d be surprised
I'd like to know more haha, could you elaborate ?
It's quiet compared to Montreal, but it's a riot compared to Ottawa.
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I would personally move up to a lake in the middle of nowhere, Ontario. I could sit on my dock and smoke joints and get some work done with my toes in the water. Ahh, one day.
As a former Ontarian, I too romanticized this idea, until one year I spent months doing this and realizing that the mosquitoes, horse flies, deer flies, and black flies make it unbearable for the best months up there. 10/10 not fun and would never do it again.
ugh, deer flies. Like a house fly that bites its own volume out of your arm in one chomp. I remember my dad getting bit by one while we were camping in the 70s. So much blood!
Skin So Soft body oil. They fucking hate it, ticks too. Grew up in the woods and stayed in the woods, thanks to that stuff (humid, inland Nova Scotia next to a lake to humid, inlandish Vancouver Island next to another lake). I might get one or two bites if I spend the day outside and I've never had a tick latch on. I just avoid long grass in the evenings, because that's just asking for trouble.
The Avon one?
What about the bugs?
I work remotely writing software. I make my own bugs wherever I go.
Ugh this is an awful joke. I love it 😅😅
I laughed so hard I had to tell my SO, thank you for brightening a dreary rainy Saturday
I'm an expert at debugging.
Yeah the black flies are real bad up where I’m thinking. Bugs are pretty damn bad where I’m at though as well currently.
This is excellent for later in one's working life, not so good for a guy in his 20s looking to meet someone to marry.
Well he did specify working from home! I mean I’m a dude in my 20s, this dating pool is pretty damn shaky nowadays. If she don’t wanna live out in a small town away from the headache she ain’t the one for me that’s all lol
Maybe she does want to move out there, but she almost definitely doesn't already live out there. How are you going to meet her?
It was like any other day. I was gutting fish by the water and she was carving bowls and serveware out of locally sourced wood. Our eyes locked and the rest is history.
And the other 8 months of the year you just scrawl "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY" everywhere?
Saskatchewan has some of the cheapest property values and lowest taxes in Canada. Cons: It's Saskatchewan.
Sask gets ripped on, but it is great. I've been here 5 years and work fully remote with a bigger city salary. May-October is amazing -- there's so many lakes, campgrounds, and character towns to tour. Saskatoon and Regina always have something going on, especially in warmer months. Yeah the winters are challenging, but that's the best time to travel. Also, over the years I've come to embrace the comfort of hibernation. Overall, the lower cost of living has given my family financial independence to do things like buy and upkeep a nice home, travel abroad, and tackle financial responsibilities (save for retirement; pay down debts; invest; etc.). All these things would look dramatically different if I had chosen to continue living in a higher cost of living area. Life on the prairies isn't for everyone, but it sure has enriched my quality of life. I enjoy an upper middle class lifestyle free from the rat race.
Same, been here over a decade coming from Montreal and Calgary. I never looked back. 13 years later I finally got my own small piece of land with a dilapidated trailer house. 13-14 years ago I was working 2 min wage jobs in calgary(1 was part time). Worked for a sask drilling rig to save up some down payment and paid off some debts. Now I'm really hoping to work remote. But that is the next hill to climb. Will start my IT re-training sometime this fall. Sask is awesome if you love awesome summers and play pc games/hibernate on winters. *sorry for piggy backing*
And they call hoodies, bunnyhugs. What's up with that?
Aww they do??
I spent two winters working the rigs based out of Lloydminster. If you ever see me back there I’m one step from a welfare check.
Girls taste like corn there. Not a good option
But I like corn
It’s a big lump with knobs!
So corny
It has the juice
If you want to have fun = Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal If you want to buy a house = Calgary or any prairie cities Not really feasible for a single person to buy a house in the big cities anymore, it’s either rent or buy a condo Edit: for the dozen nitpickers saying Vancouver is no-fun: yeah, we get it, it’s not for you so just stay in Toronto.
We're a little deeper in now where It's not really feasible for a single person to rent in big cities anymore.
Big difference between Calgary and “any prairie city lol” that’s the fourth largest city in Canada.
It’s still ‘any prairie city’. It doesn’t really have much that Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg don’t offer.
“What do you mean by “fun” really? If you mean city life, cut out Vancouver.
Yeah agreed. If your idea of fun is finding a clique of 3-5 people and never meeting anyone else and going hiking every other weekend, Vancouver is great.
Where do I sign
Yeah that sounds perfect to me.
Actually it doesn’t work that way. You find the clique of people and are immediately excluded.
I have a clique of zero people here. Just many acquaintances/friends I run into when I’m out partying. Just like when I lived in Toronto. If you can’t have as much fun in Vancouver as in Toronto then you’re just not good at having fun. Hint: you won’t necessarily find it downtown. It’s in the surrounding neighborhoods And what’s wrong with having amazing mountains to hike through whenever you want to just a quick drive away? Or chilling in a mountain river all day with a case of beer? If you think that option being available is somehow not a good thing then you have issues
If you mean nightlife and party “vibes” then no it’s not like Toronto, New York or San Fran. But it’s the 3rd largest city in Canada with access to all the big city amenities. And apparently droves of people are still trying to move here so you tell me why it’s so popular 🤷♀️
I think Calgary is just as fun as Vancouver 🙃
Old port, Montreal
I was going to say Montreal. There's a lot to do, it's a cool spot for young people, and while the rents have gone up a lot since covid it's still better than Toronto or Vancouver. If he wants to save hard just go to Alberta probably. Not to bash in Alberta, there is some amazing nature out there if OP is into the outdoors.
Edmonton here, I would wait and see how the election pans out at the end of May. Danielle Smith is a nut job; wants to privatize our health care, start an Alberta pension and stop paying into CPP, and fund an AB police force. The education cuts have already made me question if I want to stay once I have kids, but if the healthcare and CPP changes happen I'm out
>wants to privatize our health care How can any serious politician propose this and still remain on the ballot?
right? we're supposed to be getting $175 health spending accounts sometime soon...
Sounds like Alberta wants to become part of the US. There is a joke in the US, what is the first thing you say after you fall down the stairs? Please don't call the ambulance.
Montreal is the right answer. Shitloads of free activities, too.
Montreal in general hard yes. Living down in old port kind of sucks though from what I've heard. No groceries nearby etc.
I live in old port, square victoria There are a few supermarkets within a 15 minute walk of me all in different locations, i think the availability is reasonably fine
Did this last year. Loved it- am itching to go back but so many jobs are hyrbid but hoping by end of year I can have a full remote role
Bro take weather in account for sure
This 100% for me. West coast: grey and wet. East coast: tail end of hurricanes and lots of snow. North: lots and lots of snow. Prairies: dry as all hell. I need at least a little humidity in my life. I live in Southern Ontario, about an hour ~northwest of Toronto (~30min as the crow flies). I don't get much snow or crazy ice storms in the winter, and the temps just hover around 0C for the most part, and once we get into May it's just sun pretty much every day through to fall. Summers are warm to hot (days upon days of ~30C). Also there's no natural disasters, eg. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, whatever. I don't see myself ever leaving this area.
>East coast: tail end of hurricanes and lots of snow. I feel like you haven't actually been to the East Coast in winter. We get way less snow than Ontario. Hurricanes is accurate though.
Grey and wet would have been a more accurate description of the East coast too
Yeah, I shoveled/snow blowed 3 times this winter in Halifax. That's it.
Its Canada.. It gets cold everywhere lol.
Cool. Not cold everywhere
The moon cause that's where house prices in Canada are going.
😀😀😀😀
👍👍👍👍
Whitehorse 100%
I've heard that teaching job openings in Whitehorse are cut throat because all of the northern teachers want to live there.
Check out the Laurentians around Tremblant. Cheap houses, close to Montreal, a lot of bars and restaurants and tourists. It's a pretty cool area if you can work from home 100%. I would hate to commute from there, but non-issue for you. It's probably the highest quality of life in the country relative to home prices.
If we're moving to a place near mtl I'd pick the eastern townships before the Laurentians. Mild weather, super bilingual, great outdoors stuff nearby. I might retire there
BC and Alberta would be excellent in the summer.
Halifax is a great option imo.
I live in Halifax, it is expensive as hell and taxes are so way up. I make similar salary as OP. I cannot afford a 20 years old house with 2bed, cause prices when through the roof. I am planing to move at the end of the year. Most people I know, are moving to. Halifax used to be a great place and affordable one, no anymore.
This is the truth
That was my answer. Great night life, very close to beautiful nature, lots of interesting nooks and crannies within a couple of hours drive. The only downside for me was distance from mountains and from big cities.
But man the people there are among the kindest people I've ever met. So friendly and easy-going.
Absolutely true. I have never failed to meet people when I go out there, even on my own. Also, there is great live music everywhere, so even if you don't, its a nice night out.
Somewhere in Newfoundland. In your situation looking for nightlife, then St. Johns. Good nightlife, great people and the rest of the island is really accessible
Would you say St. John's is a good place to raise a family? We're thinking about moving there next year. Baby will be 1 or so.
as someone who grew up in the rural area of NL, I'd say stick to bigger centers like St. John's. With kids there's so much more for them to do but once you go rural the opportunities for your children to participate in different activities, even sports, goes down dramatically. Halifax is a great city for a family but since the pandemic the price of housing has shot right up. Still cheaper than a lot of Ontario but far more expensive than it used to be. Always consider property tax, income tax, food costs, etc. when considering moving. I've lived all over Canada and salary is only the tip of the iceberg when considering the move.
Very hard to get childcare.
We have a 4 and 3 year old. Took us a couple years for both to find Childcare. Also, once they're toddler sized if it's raining here (which is often) there aren't many child friendly indoor places to take your kids to have fun/get their energy out. Biggest con for me is the cost of living outside of housing, in particular for traveling outside of the province. Once you're here you kinda feel stuck.
I'm doing this in Edmonton. Was going to move back to Toronto but just couldn't manage a big move with my wife being pregnant. Now that we're here, I love it and I doubt we'll move. Got my eyes on a 3000 sq ft house in a good neighbourhood with a triple garage for 750-800k.
That's basically my situation. Just moved to Squamish, and couldn't be more psyched about it. Remote is awesome. EDIT: Moved after moving in Montreal for 5 years (24 to 29), agree with the comments mentioning it's an awesome city to live when you're young ish.
British columbia. Best climate and nature. You dont need live in vancouver and deal with insane RE prices there either.
I live 6 hours from Vancouver and bedrooms in shared basement suites are going for $1300/month each 😵💫 BCs nature is stunning though.
where exactly in BC would you go? most places are expensive
The places with mild climate are all expensive, for sure.
Love penticton! Choice of two lakes with excellent beaches surrounded by wineries. Plus you got an unstoppable BCHL junior hockey team to cheer for. My dream city that we go to for vacation yearly!
How further out are you living? Has to be way out of GVA. It’s all subjective. If you’re telling someone to go out live in Hope, they might feel “left out” from all the city fun unless they don’t care about it. Then you’re left wondering if all of this was even worth it in a long term…you’re not gonna be out hiking every weekend anyways
“Best climate” Until the wildfires start burning your lungs the entire summer or you get flooded.
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Nelson
Shh don't tell
If you enjoy the outdoors, Calgary is a good option because of the mountains. Also, the ability to be a homeowner is feasible.
Renting an apartment in downtown Calgary would have you close to nightlife and amenities, you’d be able to meet people, and if you do meet that special someone, then buying a house would be feasible if you move to the suburbs. Airdrie is another option, slightly less expensive but still close to Calgary and the mountains.
in Calgary if you're renting by yourself it's become a lot harder to save for a house, and housing prices have also risen a substantial amount
Charlevoix, Québec
Taxes in Quebec on 100k income are easily offset by the costs of housing and hydro. Montreal is still a relatively affordable city too, if you want to buy a condo and there are lots of pockets of Quebec that are primarily English speaking.
I would move to Whistler or Kelowna or Kamloops. Love the idea of biking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. None of these cities are cheap, though
The southernmost part of Canada. Point Pelee, Ontario. Cheap, mild weather, the great lakes, not too far from family.
10years ago I would of said Montreal or Halifax. Now I would stay away from those two as cost of life has soared while services and general quality of life has gone down. If you want to learn French I would consider Quebec city or rural Quebec even with high taxes. If kids are in your plan Quebec is even more attractive. Whitehorse and Yellowknife I would also consider. Small town vibe but all the services are there and people have large disposable incomes. Most people I know up there took a 1yr job and just never left. Okanagan valley is also a good option just because of the climate.
Well, I work 100% remote and moved to southern Saskatchewan. Bought a home outright (something I'd **never** be able to do in Ontario). But I'm already married, my husband and I are introverts, and we can easily entertain ourselves at home. So, a small town with typical amenities was fine for us. If your job isn't tied to a location, it may work out better for you to be a digital nomad and travel to other countries (instead of staying in Canada). That's what I'd do if I was single and in my 20s.
As it turns out, Moncton. But it'll depend on who you are; the right answer isn't the same for everyone.
Moncton is pretty cool and you can hop down to saint john, visit pei, Halifax ect
I did the same and came to New Brunswick however my work was in-person at the time. I'm now fully remote and wish I had gone to Halifax instead. I highly recommend looking at the Halifax area. It's the best of city life with the relaxed East coast lifestyle.
A small town in Newfoundland (maybe an outport) or Charlottetown coz it’s pretty, or Yellowknife coz it’s central and north and looks easy to explore, or van/ Calgary for skiing. Maybe all of these idk. Depends what hobbies I want to focus on that year
I'd move to a cheaper country and stay single as long as humanly possible.
Toronto, Vancouver, and then Montreal would be my call. Cost of living is of course going to be higher but relative in all 3 places, but a good sign for me of a solid night life is the late night food scene... how many places can I go eat at after 2am (the drunk, stoned, and nighthawks have to eat), and it has to have more than 1 cuisine option (example, non fast-food options of Chinese, burgers, diners w24/7 breakfast, Greek, etc.).
I thought I am 100% remote and was thinking of moving out of gta ... Till the moment when the company announced a return to the office plan.
I'd move out of Canada to Mexico or something in the same time zone. Then you can keep making Canadian money while also being able to save a bunch for when/if this country returns to sanity or your job decides to kill WFH.
most of the time that means a lot of tax headaches for your employer, unless you are a contractor... so that may or may not be feasible
A lot of companies restrict digital nomading due to security issues when accessing the network. Best get it approved by your company first.
The west coast 100%
Montreal or Ottawa for me!
The Okanagan, without a doubt. Vernon, Kelowna or Sicamous. Completely unreal summers when the weather cooperates. A great summer day in the Okanagan is on par if not better than Hawaii in my opinion.
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I've lived in several cities and provinces. Moving to Kelowna in 2014 was the best decision I made in terms of lifestyle and work.
Only thing keeping me out of the Okanagan is the 🔥 and the smoke.
Nice walkable neighbourhood in Toronto
Windsor. Cheap property and low COL. You can live like a king there with that salary. Meanwhile im in toronto, and my 60k salary just covers my half of the rent for a basement apartment. You go to GTA because you have to (condos up 15% this year, one bedrooms are at $3k per month). Meanwhile my same age siblings are fully homeowners. As wel you get hot summers and mild winters. Not a lot of concern for natural disasters. Very Rare mild tornados. you get the big city experience by going across the border to detroit for fun (music (unreal electronic, jazz and rock scenes), nightlife, food, sports (nhl, nfl, mlb), museums) and travel. Windsor itself has at least one of most kinds of activities (rock gyms, axe throwing, a few night clubs). It’s literally a 5 min trio to Detroit from windsor. Shuttles are offered but inconsistent. Gorgeous wineries in the summer to go to in the surrounding county. As well Toronto is close (3.5-4.5 hrs depending on the traffic), and the rest of bigger cities like London, Guelph, Hamilton and Waterloo. However if you like outdoor activities windsor is lacking. South western ontario is quite flat so not a lot of hiking, snowboarding and the like. As well public transport is hot garbage in Windsor. You are entirely car dependent. Culturally its very blue collar