Cost of Living in Canada

Many Filipinos consider Canada as destination for their overseas job. In the last quarter of 2006, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the Philippines and Canada that would surely bring another opportunity for many Filipinos.

Before you finally decide to work in Canada, we would like to give you a guide on how much would it cost you living and working in here. It is cheaper to live in Canada than that of Europe. Like any other countries, cost of living here varies in your location. The most expensive cities are Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal while Charlottetown, Winnipeg and Edmonton are much cheaper.

Accommodation
The cost of accommodation in Canada depends on the location, apartments near the city are more expensive. Rent for a two-bedroom luxury apartment per month in Vancouver costs $1,406.77. Others say that Alberta has the lowest cost of living while others disagree since there are some areas which accommodation is astronomical.

In most cases for Toronto and other major Canadian cities, the closer you’re house to the city center the higher rent will be. In Toronto, average rental prices are:

#Rent for a one- bedroom apartment range from $500 CAD to $1,200 CAD per month, depending on the proximity to city center and the amenities included

#Rent for a 2-bedroom apartment range from $900 CAD to $1,500 CAD, depending on the proximity to city center.

Food
Food in Canada is much cheaper as compared in Europe, typical food allowance is US$5-10. Eating out is affordable, dining for two in restaurant would only cost you for only $20.

Transportation
The cost of transportation depends on how far you need to travel. Buses are the cheapest means, which cost around $3 CAD for one way. Trains are also available and it will cost you some $2.25 CAD per ticket.

Other bills
Other expenses such as gasoline and cars are cheaper. The prices of gasoline also depend on the location/province of the service station. Electric bill comes costly during winter since you need to heat your house during this season.

If you want to spend time watching movie after a long workweek, it would cost you around $8.50 - $12.00 CAD. Sending an international postage (if you still prefer this type of communication with your love ones although there’s email and text messaging) costs $1.45 CAD.

This article was first published in www.ofwguide.com on March 17, 2007