Canada has always had a well-deserved reputation for being one of the friendliest nations around the globe. Not only that but it is also considered to be one of the safest places to live on earth. Despite Canada’s great size, it is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries.
Although Canadians are comparatively few in number compared to other countries, they have crafted what many observers consider to be a model multicultural society, welcoming immigrant populations from every other continent around the globe.
Canada has always been known to be bilingual in English and French, reflecting the country’s history as a ground once contested by two of Europe’s great powers. In addition, Canada harbors and exports a wealth of natural resources and intellectual capital equaled only by a few other countries.
The Canadian population is about 36.7 million. The majority of Canadians are of European descent from early French and British colonists. The second half of the 20th century saw a large increase in the number of immigrants from Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa. There are currently more than 260 different ethnic origins reported across Canada.
Where Do You Want to Live in Canada?
Alberta
1. Banff | 2. Brooks | 3. Calgary
4. Edmonton | 5. Fort McMurray
6. Grande Prairie | 7. Jasper
8. Louise | 9. Lethbridge
10. Medicine Hat | 11. Red Deer
12. Saint Albert
British Columbia
1. Barkerville | 2. Burnaby | 3. Campbell River
4. Chilliwack | 5. Courtenay | 6. Cranbrook
7. Dawson Creek | 8. Delta | 9. Esquimalt
10. Fort Saint James | 11. Fort Saint John
12. Hope | 13. Kamloops | 14. Kelowna
15. Kimberley | 16. Kitimat | 17. Langley
18. Nanaimo | 19. Nelson | 20. New Westminster
21. North Vancouver | 22. Oak Bay | 23. Penticton
24. Powell River | 25. Prince George
26. Prince Rupert | 27. Quesnel | 28. Revelstoke
29. Rossland | 30. Trail | 31. Vancouver
32. Vernon | 33. Victoria | 34. West Vancouver
35. White Rock
Manitoba
1. Brandon | 2. Churchill | 3. Dauphin
4. Flin Flon | 5. Kildonan | 6. Saint Boniface
7. Swan River | 8. Thompson | 9. Winnipeg
10. York Factory
New Brunswick
1. Bathurst | 2. Caraquet | 3. Dalhousie
4. Fredericton | 5. Miramichi | 6. Moncton
7. Saint John
Newfoundland and Labrador
1. Argentia | 2. Bonavista | 3. Channel-Port aux Basques
4. Corner Brook | 5. Ferryland | 6. Gander
7. Grand Falls–Windsor | 8. Happy Valley–Goose Bay
9. Harbour Grace | 10. Labrador City | 11. Placentia
12. Saint Anthony | 13. St. John’s | 14. Wabana
Northwest Territories
1. Fort Smith | 2. Hay River | 3. Inuvik
4. Tuktoyaktuk | 5. Yellowknife
Nova Scotia
1. Baddeck | 2. Digby | 3. Glace Bay
4. Halifax | 5. Liverpool | 6. Louisbourg
7. Lunenburg | 8. Pictou | 9. Port Hawkesbury
10. Springhill | 11. Sydney | 12. Yarmouth
Nunavut
Iqaluit
Ontario
1. Bancroft | 2. Barrie | 3. Belleville
4. Brampton | 5. Brantford | 6. Brockville
7. Burlington | 8. Cambridge | 9. Chatham
10. Chatham-Kent | 11. Cornwall | 12. Elliot Lake
13. Etobicoke | 14. Fort Erie | 15. Fort Frances
16. Gananoque | 17. Guelph | 18. Hamilton
19. Iroquois Falls | 20. Kapuskasing
21. Kawartha Lakes | 22. Kenora | 23. Kingston
24. Kirkland Lake | 25. Kitchener
26. Laurentian Hills | 27. London | 28. Midland
29. Mississauga | 30. Moose Factory | 31. Moosonee
32. Niagara Falls | 33. Niagara-on-the-Lake
34. North Bay | 35. North York | 36. Oakville
37. Orillia | 38. Oshawa | 39. Ottawa
40. Parry Sound | 41. Perth | 42. Peterborough
43. Picton | 44. Port Colborne | 45. Saint Catharines
46. Saint Thomas | 47. Sarnia-Clearwater
48. Sault Sainte Marie | 49. Scarborough
50. Simcoe | 51. Stratford | 52. Sudbury
53. Temiskaming Shores | 54. Thorold
55. Thunder Bay | 56. Timmins | 57. Toronto
58. Trenton | 59. Waterloo | 60.Welland
61. West Nipissing | 62. Windsor | 63. Woodstock
64. York
Prince Edward Island
1. Borden | 2. Cavendish | 3. Charlottetown
4. Souris | 5. Summerside
Quebec
1. Asbestos | 2. Baie-Comeau | 3. Beloeil
4. Cap-de-la-Madeleine | 5. Chambly
6. Charlesbourg | 7. Châteauguay
8. Chibougamau | 9. Côte-Saint-Luc
10. Dorval | 11. Gaspé | 12. Gatineau
13. Granby | 14. Havre-Saint-Pierre | 15. Hull
16. Jonquière | 17. Kuujjuaq | 18. La Salle
19. La Tuque | 20. Lachine | 21. Laval
22. Lévis | 23. Longueuil | 24. Magog
25. Matane | 26. Montreal | 27. Montréal-Nord
28. Percé | 29. Port-Cartier | 30. Quebec
31. Rimouski | 32. Rouyn-Noranda | 33. Saguenay
34. Saint-Eustache | 35. Saint-Hubert
36. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré | 37. Sainte-Foy
38. Sainte-Thérèse | 39. Sept-Îles | 40. Sherbrooke
41. Sorel-Tracy | 42. Trois-Rivières | 43. Val-d’Or
44. Waskaganish
Saskatchewan
1. Batoche | 2. Cumberland House | 3. Estevan
4. Flin Flon | 5. Moose Jaw | 6. Prince Albert
7. Regina | 8. Saskatoon | 9. Uranium City
Yukon
1. Dawson | 2. Watson Lake | 3. Whitehorse
Pros and Cons of Living in Canada
There is no country without pros and cons and Canada is not left out. There are many pros to living in Canada and also a few cons.
Table of Contents
Pros of Living in Canada
1. Quality Healthcare
Canada’s healthcare system is consistently ranked among the top in the world. One of its benefits is its provision of publicly funded healthcare to all. Canada even has educational healthcare programs that teach the elderly how to avoid injuries and other health risks.
About two-thirds of Canadians have private health insurance, which covers additional services, such as dental and eye care, prescription drugs, and private hospital rooms. Around 90% of these premiums are paid for by employers or unions.
And Canada also provides free healthcare services to its citizens. Unlike other countries like Americans who pay huge amounts of money for their medical insurance, doctors usually visit the emergency room for treatment, check-ups, tests, and also ambulance transportation. This is known to be one of the biggest advantages of living in Canada.
2. Fast-Growing Economy
Canada is among the countries with the largest economy around the globe. Starting a business in Canada is a straightforward process, and with such a strong, healthy economy, there are a lot of good opportunities for your new business to succeed.
If you’re not starting your own business, don’t worry! The employment market in Canada is as strong as the economy, and unemployment in Canada is lower than in many parts of the world. This serves as a big advantage for living in Canada.
3. Employment Opportunity
The Canadian government continues to emphasize the need to attract foreign workers to its nation to continue with the growth of the economy and reduce skill shortages in many industries. The Canadian approach to immigration is nothing new, what has changed over the past two years is the state of the rest of the world. While unemployment remains on the increase in other countries, Canada remains largely unaffected.
4. Quality Education
Canada has a good quality educational system, and the public school system in Canada has a good reputation for quality educational background. It is free to all residents up to their high school graduation. Although their University prices are a little bit higher than other universities in Europe, where many universities are subsidized by tax money, it is still far more affordable for residents than many US colleges.
5. Multicultural and Welcoming to All
Canada is generally a very progressive, diverse, and multicultural country. The people of Canada have a worldwide reputation for being friendly, kind, and welcoming. Canada is also well-respected on the world stage, due in part to its progressive politics. If you are considering living there, especially in one of its major cities, this is one of the benefits you stand to enjoy.
In Toronto, Canada’s largest city, more than 140 languages are spoken there. Over 20% of the population in Canada was born abroad, so ex-pats should fit in well. Most ex-pats live in Ontario, British Columbia, Québec, and Alberta.
6. Canada Has Low Crime Rate
Since 1991, the general crime rate in Canada has been steadily declining. Violent crime is rare in Canada. With a population of over 36 million people, in 2017 there were just 660 murder cases which makes it one of the safest countries in the world.
Compare that to the fact that over 39 million people live in the state of California alone and in 2017, they had a staggering 1,830 murders. Just knowing that you live in a country where violence is not the norm adds peace of mind to your life, which is hard to find in other countries.
Cons Living in Canada
1. It is Expensive in the Big Cities
The cost of living in Canada is a bit high especially in bigger cities like Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto, compared to many other parts of the world. For instance, the average annual cost of living in Toronto is 45,400 CAD (33,880 USD), almost twice as much as in Québec, where it is 25,374 CAD (18,944 USD).
Vancouver is slightly cheaper than Toronto with the average cost of living at 40,682 CAD (30,397 USD). Taxes are pretty steep (even though they fund universal healthcare), and rents tend to be high. But the remote areas in Canada are much more affordable.
2. Canada Can be a Bit Cold
While cold temperatures may immediately come to mind when you think of Canada, actually there is no place for words like ‘chilly’ and ‘nippy’ in Canada. When we say it gets cold, we mean really bloody cold. Apart from the country’s west coast in British Columbia, nowhere else in Canada does the average temperature exceed zero in wintertime.
Vast parts of the country can dip as low as -30°C or -40°C, which makes going outside fairly unenjoyable. Chuck in the severe wind chill and the great outdoors are a no-go. The highest cold temperature ever recorded in North America was in Yukon, Canada in 1947 at -63°C, which is the same as the surface temperature of Mars. Suddenly those lakes don’t seem very appealing. The cold weather is simply one of the cons in Canada.
3. Government Control
Most Canadians often believe that their rules of government appear to bypass the choices they can make about their personal lives. Residents tell that they would prefer if there were lesser rules to follow in almost every survey. Canada is a country with a lot of government regulation, even small things like the amount of trans fat that can be in a restaurant meal, are dictated by the government.
Many people consider Canadian regulations to be an overreach and would prefer fewer rules to follow and less government interference in their lives. This downside doesn’t seem like much of a concern but if you choose to make your own decisions, then this problem may be a definite setback.
4. Healthcare
Indeed, the Canadian healthcare system is both a pro and a con. Although it is admired that residents can be provided with basic and essential treatment at no cost, elective procedures and long-term care can come with some delays for like 3months, particularly in larger towns.
In an entire city, there may only be 1-2 providers because it’s such a rural place. Sometimes long-term care, special needs, and elective procedures can have long waiting times. If you live in a big urban area, you can consider this problem.
5. Immigration Challenge
Canada currently has one of the world’s toughest sets of immigration rules. Each year, only about 250,000 people are permitted to travel and that number includes any refugees that the Canadian government wants to accept. Even if you just want to work for a short period in Canada, the fees can be higher than $1,600, which makes getting or securing a job less beneficial.
Skilled workers are always a priority, but if you fail to show that you can bring value to the Canadian economy, it may also be a challenge to get approval to move on permanently. This disadvantage can be avoided if there are direct family members who already live in Canada or are Canadian citizens and who can sponsor your request.
6. Cost of Living in Canada
The cost of living in Canada is actually rising. Understanding how much it will cost you to live in certain cities and provinces is a major factor in determining where to live. Your cost of living can include the costs of key necessities like:
- Housing
- Food & Groceries
- Transportation
- Childcare
The Canadian Housing costs include rent, electricity costs, and communication service costs, all of which vary based on the particular city you stay in. Renting is also impacted by the type of home you rent. There are several types of homes which include:
- Bachelor style apartments designed for 1 person
- 2 bedroom apartments designed for 2 people
- 3 bedroom apartments designed for a small family of 3 or 4
- Single-family detached houses designed for 4 or more people
- The food & grocery costs include the average amount of money needed to feed you and your family, including food from restaurants.
- For transportation costs, since gas and insurance are the most variables between provinces, this part will include different gas prices and insurance premiums for each city, along with the cost of maintenance.
- For the childcare, this includes the cost of care for infants aged 0-2, toddlers aged 2-3, and preschoolers aged 3-4.
The costs you will face concerning the above listed when living in Canada are much higher compared to living in other countries. Food represents a considerable expense. Furthermore, even after adjusting for the favorable exchange rates that occur, clothing is still around 20% more expensive.
The differences could be even bigger depending on where you choose to live in the country. Taxes are fairly low (though they support public healthcare), and rents continue to be high, especially in larger cities like Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto.