Which city is the best place to live in Canada as a new immigrant?
This is one of the top questions I get during my settlement consultation calls.
To be honest, nobody can give you the answer to this question. Choosing the best place to live in Canada depends on your personal situation and what is important to you.
People have various reasons for choosing to settle in a particular city and their reasons should not influence yours unless you share similar goals.
Would the city your friend/family resides be the best place to live in Canada?
I’ve read many posts advising intending immigrants to settle where they have family and friends.
While this advice is not bad, it has its own limitations.
You need to consider why your family/friend chose that city/province
- Does it align with your own personal or family goals?
- Do you want what they want out of Canada?
- Do you want to tow this line because you are afraid of the unknown and want to play safe and hold on to something familiar?
- How will this play out for you in the future?
There are lots to consider before you go where your family or friend resides.
It is true that having a support system when you arrive is very important, however, it shouldn’t be the only factor driving your decision to settle in a city.
What to consider when choosing the best place to live in Canada for you
I would share what really matters in no particular order based on my experiences so far.
Job Availability: The major driver in your choice of a city or province should be the availability of jobs in your field.
Is your occupation in demand in that province or city?
If you want to go back to school, are there schools there that offer your intended program?
How do you know if there are jobs in your field in that city? Go to Indeed or LinkedIn or other job sites, search for job titles of interest and limit them to your city or province of interest. How many job openings do you see?
Repeat this exercise for quite a number of other cities or provinces. This will serve as a guide to you in knowing if your job is in demand and your chances of landing a job when you arrive in Canada.
Cost of Living: How affordable is the rent, transit, car insurance, child care, etc. Compare the cost of living in Canada across various cities to determine if that city is the best place to live.
Weather: Can you cope in extreme weather conditions? People have different tolerance levels to cold. For me, cold was a deal-breaker. I decided to trade weather for affordability in terms of rent. This is why I chose to settle in BC.
House Ownership: At the long run when you decide to buy a house, can you afford the mortgage in that city?
Business/Investment opportunities: Eventually, if you decide to explore being an entrepreneur, are there opportunities for your business of interest to grow and thrive?
Networking – Am I the type that feels more comfortable hanging around people familiar to me or with a similar background? Do I want to stay with people of the same nationality or do I want to mingle with other nationalities? What is the community for my race like in that city?
There are lots to consider when choosing the best place to live in Canada as an immigrant. Do not be limited by another person’s decision because you are afraid to explore.
Canada is a diverse and multicultural country. You need to have an open mind, explore, spread your wings and explore.
Having a familiar face close by doesn’t necessarily mean you have a better chance at success than someone that does not have any family or friends in Canada.
There are people that are doing extremely well on their own because they chose a city based on their priorities.
You may be thinking that you can always move if you don’t find the city favourable. This is absolutely true but there is a catch.
You can easily do this if you are single. Imagine you are a family of 5 with little kids. How convenient will it be to move your family from one city to the other in search of greener pastures every now and then? It would mean starting life afresh each time you move.
It’s tedious to move houses in the same city not to talk of across cities or provinces. Canada has a large landmass that some inter-province flight is up to 6 hours, not to talk of how expensive these domestic flights are.
Before you arrive, do your research and be convinced of where is the best place to live in Canada for you and your family. Seek for advice but don’t swallow it whole, line, and sinker. Consider others’ suggestions and opinions and blend them with your priorities and what you discovered from personal research.
The last thing you want to do is settle in a city because of sentiments and not wanting to offend your family or friend. Please do not do this. Take into consideration your personal interests firsts. There will be opportunities to visit when the time is right.
I hope you make the right decision in your choice of the best place to live in Canada.
Want to know if BC is the best place to live in Canada for you? Talk to BC Settlement Buddy. Get real-life insight into the cost of living, studying, and working in BC.
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