Where to live in Canada

Living in Toronto

Average 2- bedroom rental price: C$ 1,095
Nearly half of Toronto’s citizens were born overseas making it one of
the multicultural cities of Canada. Property prices are far lower than
averages in the UK and much of Europe and unemployment rates remain
low, even in the recession. According to Forbes, Toronto is one of the
world’s top ten most economically powerful cities. It is Canada’s
banking/financial capital and has North America’s third largest
concentration of private IT companies. Suburbs like North York,
Markham, and Richmond Hill are among the best to live in Toronto. Many
singles live downtown where the condo market has increased.

Vancouver

Average 2-bedroom rental price: C$ 1,075
Vancouver has been rated by The Economist as the “World’s Most Liveable
City,” making it a popular destination for international immigrants.
But property is expensive (the most expensive in all of Canada) and
there are no signs of prices falling. Some might say that it’s
justified with Vancouver claiming a sport as one of the most tolerant,
climate-friendly cities around. Unemployment runs low, even lower than
that of Toronto. With one of Canada’s most prosperous economies,
Vancouver is home to industries like film, software technology,
alternative fuels, and import/ export (Canada’s largest port is in
Vancouver). Vancouver’s best places to live are downtown, to the west,
and over to the North Shore. The east side is poorer with a higher
crime rates.

Calgary

Average 2-bedroom rental price: C$ 1,089
If you can brave the climate, Calgary has been put on the map as one of
Canada’s hubs for employment. Though the long and harsh winter keep
many at bay, the recent discovery of oil reserves is supplying Calgary
with a plethora of jobs. Oil and its related industries are paying big
salaries, too. Taxation, unemployment, and property prices remain low
but the sudden attention to the city has brought property value up a
bit.  Well-paid work is hard to come by at first for migrants
because employers prefer to hire natives of Calgary. If you have skills
in demand for the oil and gas industries, you will have less problems
finding work. The best places to live are the North West and South West
suburbs, while to North East and South East are more industrialised and
less attractive.

Ottawa

Average 2-bedroom rental price: C$ 995
Ottawa is Canada’s capital and its fourth largest city. It has much
less of an international draw and maintains an extreme climate (excess
heat in the summer, excess cold in the winter). Ottawa is known as the
Silicon Valley of the North, hosting such corporations as IBM, Sybase,
Cisco, Dell, and Hewlett Packard. Jobs, then, are not hard to come by
in these expanding fields. Again, though, be wary that employers will
want employ Canadians before immigrants. For where to set up shop, word
is that the East End is a better, along with the South Riverside.

Montreal

Average 2-bedroom rental prices: C$668
Montreal is the second largest city in Canada. The official language is
French and the city is the second largest, primarily French-speaking
behind Paris. Downtown Montreal lies underneath the beautiful Mount
Royal, a park designed by Frank Law Olmstead. The city boasts many fine
museums and restaurants, as well as the Old Port where you can be led
through the streets of 18th and 19th century architecture to sights
like the Notre Dame Basilica. St. Helen’s is also home to La Ronde, the
largest amusement park in Quebec. Westmount is the most expensive area
of the city to live, while more affordable neighbourhoods include Cote
St. Luc and Saint Laurent. Park Extension is relatively cheap to live
and many immigrants settle here. But the busyness and its downtown
location may be a turn-off to some.