Would you say Canada has a better standard of living than the US or worse? (health insurance, condos)

[callmemaybe]

What country in your opinion offers a better life? My overall gathering is that:

1) Canada is more expensive, but also more equal economically. People own less material things on average than Americans, but there's also much less true poverty and the health care system is nationalized.

2) Canada is less violent than America, but you're more likely to get something stolen from you in Canada compared to the US.

3) Most people will say America has a better climate, but as a cold-weather lover I disagree.

4) Americans are more outgoing to strangers than Canadians are but Canadians tend to have stronger relationships with their families and friends.

5) Canada is significantly more liberal than America, but has been slowly becoming more conservative since about the 90's, in part due to American (and in BC, Chinese) influence creeping in.

6) Canada's school system seems vastly superior and more challenging and university is cheaper.

7) Canada has some ethnic problems, namely the linguistic issue and the poverty of First Nations people, but overall is not as racially divided or conscious as American society.

[botticelli]

I agree with all except 3)

If you love colder weather, the US has it too, doesn't it? It has Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota etc, and if not enough, there is Alaska. I am not sure what kind of weather you have in Canada but can't get in the US.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by botticelli

I agree with all except 3)

If you love colder weather, the US has it too, doesn't it? It has Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota etc, and if not enough, there is Alaska. I am not sure what kind of weather you have in Canada but can't get in the US.

This is true. America has more diversity of weather, while Canada ranges from cold (Vancouver) to insanely cold (everything from Sudbury to Alert).

[botticelli]

Quality of life depends on the person.

I have lived in both countries, and my understanding is the richer you are, the better off your life quality will be in the US compared with Canada. For the lower to middle-lower income class, life is better in Canada because of better social safety net.

For a typical middle income family which makes $50K-$100K, they probably will have a higher quality of life in the US vs in Canada. A piece of evidence is that you see a lot of new Canadians move to the south after obtaining canadian passport, but not so many new Americans who move to Canada after getting their greencard/US passports.

[BIMBAM]

I'd rather live in New York or Hawaii as a rich man than in Toronto or Vancouver (Montreal's still pretty fun). As a middle class working stiff, however, I much prefer Canada, and it goes beyond social safety nets to important things like worker protection laws that protect you from dishonest, abusive employer practices. My uncle's employer in Florida does awful things to him that would never be allowed in Canada.

[GTOlover]

Originally Posted by callmemaybe

What country in your opinion offers a better life? My overall gathering is that:

1) Canada is more expensive, but also more equal economically. People own less material things on average than Americans, but there's also much less true poverty and the health care system is nationalized.

2) Canada is less violent than America, but you're more likely to get something stolen from you in Canada compared to the US.

3) Most people will say America has a better climate, but as a cold-weather lover I disagree.

4) Americans are more outgoing to strangers than Canadians are but Canadians tend to have stronger relationships with their families and friends.

5) Canada is significantly more liberal than America, but has been slowly becoming more conservative since about the 90's, in part due to American (and in BC, Chinese) influence creeping in.

6) Canada's school system seems vastly superior and more challenging and university is cheaper.

7) Canada has some ethnic problems, namely the linguistic issue and the poverty of First Nations people, but overall is not as racially divided or conscious as American society.

That made me LOL Canadians own less "material things" because they have to replace all the stuff stolen by all those "Non-violent Robbers"

[Ruth4Truth]

Why is there so much theft or burglary in Canada? I've never heard of that. Could someone explain?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Why is there so much theft or burglary in Canada? I've never heard of that. Could someone explain?

Actually, the property crime rate in Canada is not inordinately high. It's just that given the difference in the violent crime rates (especially murder) compared to the US, most people are surprised that the property crime rates in both countries are very similar, and can sometimes even be higher in Canada

[BIMBAM]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Why is there so much theft or burglary in Canada? I've never heard of that. Could someone explain?

There is a not a huge difference in property crime rate, they are similar but Canada has a bit more.

2006 property crime rate in Canada: 3,588/100,000
(Crime in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

2006 property crime rate in the US: 3,334.5/100,000
(Burglary - Crime in the United States 2006)

[ellemint]

Well I've lived in both and the standard of living is definitely better in the U.S.

Canadians pay too much for inferior housing, and everything else is generally too expensive. Even poor people in the U.S. can afford to buy a home in most areas of the U.S. Here in Canada, no way.

Canada is less violent, but much of the gun crime in the U.S. is unfortunately young black men shooting other young black men. It's not likely to affect you that much if you're not in a gang , and avoid a career in the drug trade.

There is a vast bloated stodgy government buraucracy in Canada. All the things that Americans talk about, but don't really have, like too many high-paid government employees and unnecessary programs--- Canada actually does have. The latest was I heard that the government was considering forcing developers to build 3 bedroom condos in downtown Toronto so that more families could live there. Never mind that the average family with $700,000 to spend will look for a detached home. Next there will be an office of condo development with a dozen highly paid buraucrats (there probably already is.)

Several million Americans don't have health insurance but that doesn't mean they can't get health care at all. I know, I was there and didn't have any. Any hospital is legally required to provide emergency service to all regardless of the ability to pay. If you can't pay, and are peniless, there's nothing they can do, they don't put you in jail. For office visits, many doctors have a sliding scale and will take what you can pay.

There are also a heck of lot of Hospital Charity programs and the big drug companies in the U.S. really DO provide patient assistance for their drugs. All my prescriptions in the U.S. were free, not in Canada.

On the other hand, I have found the Canadian healthcare system a nightmare, with long waits to see a family doctor and even longer waits for a specialist. I find the medical service much worse than in the U.S. --- the doctors and staff are mostly rushed and rude and dismissive. I'd rather pay something for healthcare, like with a $10 co-pay per visit in Canada, and fix some of the problems. Plus, Canadians ARE paying for healthcare through their extremely high taxes. It's not really 'free'.

Americans are more out-going and it is easier to make (real genuine) friends in the U.S.

Americans are MUCH more polite than Canadians.

Yes, Canadians have the edge in terms of public education.

Canada HAS an ethnic problem in my opinion, and I'm not being racist. The country is over-whelmed with immigrants who are snapping up all the jobs as physicians and other high level positions. Many of these immigrants are wealthy and buy their way into Canada, and end up driving up the price of housing even more.

Everything just seems harder in Canada. You have to bag your own groceries, put a quarter in a slot just to get a shopping cart, pay a nickle for every plastic bag you get. In the U.S. if I got a lot of groceries a bagger would offer to walk the cart to my car and put the items in the trunk. They were nice, helpful. In Canada, everything seems to be all hard edges and hustle bustle---there's no time for pleasantries.