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Interesting you would pick Sao Paulo over Toronto for quality of life. Sao Paolo is undoubtedly more exciting than Toronto, but quality of life is generally related to places that get the everyday, boring stuff right. For example, crime, traffic, pollution. On these fronts, when you consider that the very rich in Sao Paulo have resorted to helicopters to avoid the traffic chaos, carjackings and other unpleasantness on the ground, "less exciting" Toronto probably offers a better quality of life.
I agree, the average quality of life in Toronto is way better. Sure, there are fine places in São Paulo as well, but the masses live in more modest dwellings.
Still, being a modest person I would prefer to live in SP anytime. I guess I would prefer living in a comfortable shed in SP to living in a fine suburb in Toronto. Simply living in Brazil, no matter where and how, would be worth it. Toronto is too similar to US cities, and thus not attractive to me.
Most cities in the world are 'like a village' compared to Sao Paulo. Toronto isn't a small city (the Canada census coming out at the end of 2011 should have the horseshoe area around Toronto (22 to 30 thousand sq km's) around or over 10 million people). Brazil is known for its ethnic diversity and Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Both are great cities but Toronto gets the edge for its restaurants, diversity, potential to expand (spread out), top universities, film industry (Total Recall is being produced there in 2011, Bollywood has shown interest in Toronto, Toronto International Film Festival) and economy (TSX is 40% bigger than BM&F Bovespa). Comparing national economies, Brazil's nominal gdp is 33.4% larger than Canada's however Canada's exports are 103.3% larger. Brazil produces 76% more vehicles than Canada (though as recently as 2005 Canada produced more) but Canada has the world's second largest oil reserves (13X more than Brazil though Canada production currently is only 27.9% more).
Considering ethic diversity, Toronto's smaller population should help its case since the area's Chinese, East Indian, Jewish, Greek and French communities might be much larger than Sao Paulo's. The Italian and German communities are strong too but probably not as big as in some of Brazil's cities.
Toronto has great transportation networks but with one of the busiest highways in the world going through the city, there's lots of traffic. There are lots of things to do (mlb, nba, nhl, cfl, zoo, Canada's Wonderland, Royal Ontario Museum, shopping) but they aren't very affordable, that's where Sao Paulo would do better. Crime isn't as bad in Toronto (70% of homicides go unsolved in Brazil double that of the USA). For travelling New York City, Chicago, Montreal and Niagara Falls are easy to get to by highway or trains.
Iagree with this guy but would add this, night life and city living so far as extremes Sao Paulo, yes of course Sao Paulo is Bigger but both are huge cities and can be compared. to be honest when it comes to livability on an American level I rather choose Toronto hands down because less crime and it has more of the sports we are interested in, like basketball, football(american) and other sports like wrestling. Toronto also has better amusement parks than any Brazilian city including Sao paulo. Toronto zoo is also better more world renown, but Sao paolo beaches and night life and more of a city atmosphere cant be touch by any city including NYC for that matter . In the end when it comes to safe and comfort ability i choose Toronto, but if i wanted wild parties and a beach near by less than 100 miles I would choose Sao Paulo, I like both. Also weather to go with those beaches, even though ultimately I choose Toronto.
Last edited by City Boy Columbus; 06-29-2014 at 02:27 PM..
Hmm, comparing a city in a Third World Country and a city in a First World Country....
Exactly.
Now, I realize that this post was created in 2011, when Sao Paulo was supposedly on top of the world....it was the most expensive city in North and South America at the time, there was a lot of talk about Brazil becoming a 1st world power, BRICS, etc. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down in 2014. And Brazil has yet to rebound as of 2017.
I'm a Californian from Los Angeles, born and raised. I know both of these cities quite well, as well as other parts of Canada and Brazil, traveling quite a bit on business. Whether we're talking about 2011 or 2017, the comparison is moot when one considers the dangers of living in Sao Paulo, which are on a level that Toronto is nowhere near.
Yeah, we can talk about the cool nightlife, the restaurants, and the NYC feel of Sao Paulo, but what difference does it make when an "arrastão" takes place at said restaurant and you end up losing your wallet while having a gun pointed at your face? The dangers are real down there, and there are things that happen in SP on a daily basis that are unheard of in Toronto. Not sure if I would even visit Brazil at all these days, but I have no such hesitance about visiting or living in Toronto.
Last edited by jollymistere7; 07-14-2017 at 04:20 AM..
Very difficult to compare. Both offer lots... but it boils down to are you talking about to live or visit.
I woukd visit both, but in the long term to live Toronto is a better choice. Toronto has a taste of Brazil in it.... I dont think any city in Brazil is going to offer a taste if Toronto !
Interesting you would pick Sao Paulo over Toronto for quality of life. Sao Paolo is undoubtedly more exciting than Toronto, but quality of life is generally related to places that get the everyday, boring stuff right. For example, crime, traffic, pollution. On these fronts, when you consider that the very rich in Sao Paulo have resorted to helicopters to avoid the traffic chaos, carjackings and other unpleasantness on the ground, "less exciting" Toronto probably offers a better quality of life.
I don't think it's more developed than Toronto, but Sao Paulo is one of the most developed parts of the country and on the entire continent. Some of the districts of Sao Paulo have the same development index as West European countries
Anyways I would much rather lie in Sao Paulo because Toronto's climate would drive me up the walls. I would rather sacrifice a bit of development and safety in exchange for having much more pleasant weather year-round
I don't think it's more developed than Toronto, but Sao Paulo is one of the most developed parts of the country and on the entire continent. Some of the districts of Sao Paulo have the same development index as West European countries
Anyways I would much rather lie in Sao Paulo because Toronto's climate would drive me up the walls. I would rather sacrifice a bit of development and safety in exchange for having much more pleasant weather year-round
Weather in Toronto is no worse them Manhattan.
The weather feel as cold as -30 and warm at plus 30. It is not that bad.
Weather in Toronto is no worse them Manhattan.
The weather feel as cold as -30 and warm at plus 30. It is not that bad.
It's much much worse. Toronto is similar to Upstate New York in its climate (maybe a bit less snowy) which I absolutely despise. Upstate New York is too cloudy, too cold, takes forever to warm up in the spring. I would never want to live in a climate like that ever again in my life
It's much much worse. Toronto is similar to Upstate New York in its climate (maybe a bit less snowy) which I absolutely despise. Upstate New York is too cloudy, too cold, takes forever to warm up in the spring. I would never want to live in a climate like that ever again in my life
All relative....New York is Sao Paulo climate wise....and Sao Paulo is no Miami climate wise.
New York is closer to Toronto in terms of climate than Sao Paulo.
New York is warmer than New York, nobody is gonna argue that,
I don't agree with your much much worse coment, New York is not Myrtle Beach
never mind Tampa or Miami. Nobody is wearing Bermuda shorts
in january in NYC, at least not sane people
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Bizarre Comparison
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