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Relocating to Canada has long been a dream of many, hoping to a move to a country that will expose them to an enviable open-minded and humorous population, an astonishingly low crime rate and universal healthcare… not to mention the picture-perfect landscapes, world-class education and great food.
Moving to Canada also means you have a varied selection of towns and cities at your fingertips, so whether you are looking to live in the hustle and bustle of a buzzing city, a town with rugged hiking routes and exhilarating extreme sports on your doorstep, or if you want to take it take to basics and live the peaceful life, all are possible when you live in Canada.
A grand majority of individuals who migrate to Canada choose to live in the highly populated and lively cities, the two ring leaders being Vancouver or Toronto.
So where should you live when you move to Canada? Well, we’re here to help the two battle it out while we try and discover where is the best place to live when moving to Canada – the Toronto vs Vancouver edition!
TORONTO vs VANCOUVER
CAREERS AND JOB MARKET
If you are at the start of your working life or looking to establish a solid career for yourself, Toronto will be your best bet out of the two rivals. Toronto is the country’s epicentre for business, arts and commerce.
Of course you can still have a successful and flourishing career in Vancouver, but living in Toronto opens you up to career opportunities and progression tenfold. The business scene in general is far more alive and buzzing in the city as it is home to the vast majority of Canadas head offices, but also a large number of international organisations have a head office base in Toronto.
AFFORDABILITY
Affordability was tough to place. Moving to Toronto AND Vancouver both warrant a well-paying job to live comfortably, but by our reckoning, Toronto takes the lead for affordability ever so slightly. This could well change in the upcoming years.
Vancouver is widely known for its extortionate price tags for buying a home, but in the past couple of years while these costs have plateaued, the price of buying a home in Toronto has continued to rise. Vancouver’s average home price is still marginally higher than those in Toronto, but Toronto is showing no signs of slowing down.
General living costs including food, clothes and personal care are also cheaper for those living in Toronto, but if you are running a car, having a cocktail, looking for an evening at the theatre or eating at a restaurant, this will all cost you more than in Vancouver.
CULTURE
Toronto is one of the most culturally-rich cities across the entire country, with clusters of smaller fascinating communities and religions appearing in neighbourhoods all through the city. One of the most charming Canadian qualities is its open-mindedness, so each of these smaller sub-cultural communities are not only allowed to thrive in the city, but also encouraged to do so.
The cultural diversity of the city opens up opportunity to learn about communities from across the globe and really integrate and become familiar with and practice traditions that stray from the “norm”.
OUTDOOR LIVING
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, adrenaline junkie or a hiking fanatic, moving to Vancouver is your overwhelming winner for living an outdoor life. Vancouver leaves you spoilt for choice with regards to recreational activities. Do you want to go skiing in the morning and boating in the evening? Or maybe go hiking and biking through some of the most breathtakingly scenic routes that Canada has to offer? You can have all of this, extreme sports and far, far, within arm’s reach when you live in Vancouver.
CLIMATE
Canada’s climate is often a worry for people moving to Canada from the US, or most parts of the world for that matter. Canada certainly can see temperatures drop to –30 ° during the winter, in specific parts, but the averages are a lot milder than people are led to believe.
Toronto
Toronto’s hottest months by average are July and August, both welcoming climates of 21 °C and September only dipping slightly to a pleasant 18 °C. December sees the start of winter temperatures creep in with the month dipping to -1 °C, but January and February are slightly less bearable with temperatures hitting -3 °C on average. You wouldn’t be wrong to call Toronto a slightly wet city, with average rainfall ranging from 6 days per month, right through to 16 average rainy days in May.
Vancouver
You will have a considerably milder winter when living in Vancouver, with December and January average temperatures sitting well above freezing at 4 °C as an average and February at 5 °. Summer is not as hot as Toronto but equally as enjoyable with an average of 17 °C and 18°C during July and August respectively. Average rainfall days are also slightly higher in Vancouver, with the lost monthly rainfall at 9 days during August and 21 average rainy days in December is the highest.
CUISINE
Toronto had long been the Canadian chief for all things cuisine, but before you know it, Vancouver has crept its way up the food chain – quite literally – and making its mark on Canada as a haven for foodies. This doesn't mean the two rivals are necessarily comparable, nor do they need to be, there is plenty of room on this big Canadian land for the both.
Toronto has considerably more restaurants by quantity, but this is to be expected due to the sheer size of the city. There is a classy and cosmopolitan air to the dining scene in the city, which could be a contributing factor to the higher cost of eating out in Toronto than Vancouver. Vancouver may have far less restaurants by number, but the outstanding quality of its eating establishments certainly makes up for it. The foodie scene in Vancouver has a very charming relaxed and hippy-inspired feel and surprisingly, it is far cheaper to eat out in Vancouver on average.
Both cities have such a unique allure and individuality about them, that it doesn’t seem fair to choose a WINNER or LOSER. Living in Vancouver or living in Toronto will equally present you with an opportunity of a lifetime that you won’t regret and we have hopefully helped to give you an insight on which city would be most suited to you and your necessities.
To put it simply, if you are hunting an ever progressing career opportunity, money and a vibrant nightlife, moving to Toronto will be a smart move for you. However, if you are an ever-active lover of the outdoors and a more chilled-back way of life whilst still living in the city, you would benefit greatly from living in Vancouver.
