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.
