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Anywhere along the subway line would work for you, it just depends on how long you want your commute to be. Bloor West Village might be a nice spot, but it depends on what you like. Anywhere along the Yonge subway line from Lawrence south would work. Personally I like some parts of the Danforth too, Braodway to Pape. You can Google TTC and look that their map.
Your wife would have to have some kind of legal status to work in Canada and that might take some time (check with an immigration attorney, or look on the Canadian immigration section of this site). I'm sure you know that daycare is expensive so a subsidy would be great.
Good luck with everything, Toronto is a great city.
Insofar as the cost-of-living discussion goes, I've lived here in Los Angeles for six decades, and can certainly attest to the fact that both NYC & SF have a much higher cost of living than LA does, but I have no idea why Toronto is so expensive, including your taxes on airline tickets and everything else.
Our pathetically weak dollar has made hotels in Toronto substantially pricier than the US counterparts; it was definitely the other way around when I visited your exhilirating city for the first time in 1975.
LA is actually a low cost city. Toronto is a lot more expensive to live in than LA.
Toronto is expensive because Canada is expensive. Lack of competition with the market dominated by a handful of oligopolists are the key reason, and often regulation makes competition less likely in the US.
I am extremely disgusted by the airline taxes/fuel surcharges as well. For example, if I buy a ticket to Asia, these taxes/charges will be $600 for Air Canada, but less than $150 for United Airlines. So unless you only fly between Canadian cities, which I almost never do, choosing an American airline will save hundreds sometimes.
LA is actually a low cost city. Toronto is a lot more expensive to live in than LA.
Toronto is expensive because Canada is expensive. Lack of competition with the market dominated by a handful of oligopolists are the key reason, and often regulation makes competition less likely in the US.
I am extremely disgusted by the airline taxes/fuel surcharges as well. For example, if I buy a ticket to Asia, these taxes/charges will be $600 for Air Canada, but less than $150 for United Airlines. So unless you only fly between Canadian cities, which I almost never do, choosing an American airline will save hundreds sometimes.
Part of the issue with Canadian airports versus U.S. airports is that the U.S. airports are subsidized. There has been talk in the U.S. of possible increasing fees because of the economy. Not sure if that will fly. Pardon the pun
I knew that airfares between the US & Canada are a lot higher due to taxes and other items; LAX/Buffalo is $326.00 R/T, while LAX/Toronto is $563.00.
Ditto for flying overseas; Toronto/Hong Kong is some $300.00 higher than NYC/Hong Kong.
If fuel surcharges on Canadian flights (domestic or overseas) are more obnoxious than those for flights involving a US city, then I stand corrected.
However, can't some of those disparities in airfares been explained by the fact that LAX & JFK are both much busier airports than Pearson, given the difference in population between all three cities?
Some airfares in the US are subsidized, but the programs which the US has for them apply primarily to very small airports, IIRC.
Due to my job, I'm considering a move from the US to Toronto with my wife and son. I've been looking over the board and trying to do research on what to expect for cost of living, and what other costs and benefits may be to life in Toronto.
-Our household income would be around 100k (US $), before taxes (including double taxes for US, which could reduce income down to the low 70k/upper 60k range)
-We're planning on bringing our car
-We would prefer to be in the city, commutable to universities in the city
-We would prefer to rent a detachable house (at least 2BR), in a neighborhood with low crime, good schools, etc., that is accessible to grocery stores, restaurants, music venues, etc.
Any advice on whether this income is sustainable to achieve the dimensions listed above would be greatly appreciated.
Why should you pay double taxes? The US and Canada have an agreement so you don't have to pay both. Basically you will pay the Canadian income tax as it is higher.
OK, so I am an American living in Toronto. Toronto is expensive.
First... Housing is absurd here. Average homes sell for ~$800K. Most of these homes were built in the 1950's-1960's. There has been a lot of condos, but few new apartments built, so demand for apartments is very high. Expect to pay $1200-1400 for a 50 year old 2bdr apartment, unless you are ok living in Canadian style project housing. For the life of me I cannot figure out who is buying any real estate, since most Canadians don't make much more after-tax income than Americans. My best guess based on who I see outside these homes, is that it is a primarily Asians doing estate planning. Basically they take their accumulated wealth from Asia, where income tax is really low, then they find a way to get into Canada where they live off that wealth. Thus they get the best of both worlds and pay little tax to their country of origin and Canada. There is probably a lot of wealthy Chinese that want a backup plan given the uncertainty of living in a quasi-communist country. Canada has basically become for sale to wealthy foreigners. Everyone else is just getting the ancillary benefit of the foreign investors, and some are getting crazy rich if they have had the property for 10+ years. That said, I don't think that this housing inflation will continue much longer, but who knows.
Sales tax in Ontario is 13%, but some items such as groceries i think are excluded.
Groceries are nearly the same as the US (expect some quota items such as milk and imported fruits and vegetables). I love the Canadian Superstore and Presidents Financial Bank. It's an inferior substitute to Kroger and Kroger Rewards, but at least it's close. No Frills is also OK. Every other grocery chain is ridiculously expensive (Metro, Sobeys, etc.). I wish Aldi and Trader Joes was up here though.
McDonald's in Canada is also much more expensive. They have no dollar menu, and chicken nuggets are expensive (I blame the chicken meat quota). No honey mustard sauce in Canada, now that is crazy!
Internet, phone service and utilities are about the same.
Online shopping is a joke. There is hardly any selection compared to the USA. Amazon.ca has almost nothing that qualifies for super saver shipping. There are some retailers that operate in the USA and Canada. Wal-Mart, Ikea, Home Depot, Best Buy/Future Shop, and IKEA come to mind. Target is also opening in Canada in 2013. However, these retailers price to be competitive in Canada, and there prices are ~20% higher than in the USA. Also, many chains seem like inferior knockoffs of American chains. Indigo looks like an imitation of Barnes and Noble. Shoppers Drug Mart looks like Walgreens or CVS. Canadian Tire is like Sears.
The TTC is ok and it is used a lot because owning a car in Toronto is expensive. My main complaint here is that Toronto is the only city that I know of still using tokens to pay for fares. Also, $3($2.65 if you buy at least 3 in advance)/trip is steep. The monthly pass is also more expensive than most other cities. The TTC is also not connected to the airport.
Cars are a lot more expensive in Canada. First of all, buying a car costs a lot more than the same car in the USA. Registering the car is also a lot more expensive and you have to pay 13% sales tax. So for every 1K of car you pay $130. Buying car parts and getting the car serviced is also a lot more. My biggest complaint is with car insurance. It is 3-5x more expensive and the customer service is 10x worse. This is probably the main deterrent for many people. Canada desperately needs to add some transparency and competition to the auto insurance market. Also, there are no good cheap car wash chains in Canada. The basic washes usually start at $10 where in the USA I could many places that had basic washes for $5.
1. Groceries are nearly the same as the US (expect some quota items such as milk and imported fruits and vegetables). I love the Canadian Superstore and Presidents Financial Bank. It's an inferior substitute to Kroger and Kroger Rewards, but at least it's close. No Frills is also OK. Every other grocery chain is ridiculously expensive (Metro, Sobeys, etc.). I wish Aldi and Trader Joes was up here though.
Imported fruits and vegetables are the same price in Canada as in the U.S. with any variation being due to the retailer's individual pricing.
Try FreshCo or Food Basics. Both are superior to NoFrills. FreshCo in particular is a clean large store with good prices.
They are opening a TJ's in Amherst just outside of Buffalo. You can drive over and stock up periodically if you miss your TJ's items. Aldi is all over Western NY and I do most of my shopping there (of course I don't live in GTA I live near the border).
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2. The TTC is ok and it is used a lot because owning a car in Toronto is expensive. My main complaint here is that Toronto is the only city that I know of still using tokens to pay for fares. Also, $3($2.65 if you buy at least 3 in advance)/trip is steep. The monthly pass is also more expensive than most other cities. The TTC is also not connected to the airport.
Philadelphia uses tokens for SEPTA. I see nothing wrong with tokens. They are very convenient.
Most cities don't have subways going to the airport. D.C. does not to Dulles, Philly only has the regional rail, Los Angeles has nothing... even NYC doesn't connect to Newark only JFK and LaGuardia.
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3. Cars are a lot more expensive in Canada. First of all, buying a car costs a lot more than the same car in the USA. Registering the car is also a lot more expensive and you have to pay 13% sales tax. So for every 1K of car you pay $130. Buying car parts and getting the car serviced is also a lot more. My biggest complaint is with car insurance. It is 3-5x more expensive and the customer service is 10x worse. This is probably the main deterrent for many people. Canada desperately needs to add some transparency and competition to the auto insurance market. Also, there are no good cheap car wash chains in Canada. The basic washes usually start at $10 where in the USA I could many places that had basic washes for $5.
Registration of a car is about the same price in Ontario as it is in New York State. You also don't have to pay for yearly inspections like in Pennsylvania or Virginia. You don't have to pay yearly personal property tax on the car like many southern states like Virginia and North Carolina. The personal property tax over the lifetime of a car in those states, when added to their initial sales tax, adds up to way more than the upfront 13% sales tax.
However, car insurance in Ontario is a huge, monumental rip-off. Something needs to be done about it.
The car parts I have found to be fairly competitively priced. Canadian Tire won't have the cheapest possible brake rotor, which Advance Auto Parts in the U.S. will carry, but what they will stock will cost a little bit more and will be higher quality. The same quality part would cost you the same in the U.S. Most replacement car parts are made in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico and no duties apply. Dealer items made overseas are probably more expensive here. My best advice is to either bring your car with you to Canada and import it, or buy a used car. The winter salt will eat up your car anyway so why not buy a nice used car down south that hasn't deteriorated and rusted away. I wouldn't subject a brand new Mercedes to this climate and salt.
Perhaps it's not so much an issue with 'tokens' so much as you have to pay full fare, regardless of distance travelled. In other countries like England, the further you travel on the subway the more you pay. Here, if you go one stop or 30, it costs the same token.
Most cities don't have subways going to the airport. D.C. does not to Dulles, Philly only has the regional rail, Los Angeles has nothing... even NYC doesn't connect to Newark only JFK and LaGuardia.
Incorrect. New Jersey Transit has a $12 commuter train that runs between Newark Airport and Manhattan's Penn Station (Madison Square Gardens) in about 20 minutes. I use it every time I travel to NYC.
I also don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned that this gentleman could move his family to the subburbs and then use the GO Train to commute downtown. I live in Oshawa and this is how I get to work everyday. Houses out this way are a LOT cheaper than Toronto, and there are a lot of nice neighborhoods out here, despite the reputation of "the Dirty Shwa". I live at Stevenson and Rossland and it is much nicer than any of Toronto's "affordable" neighborhoods.
Part of the issue with Canadian airports versus U.S. airports is that the U.S. airports are subsidized. There has been talk in the U.S. of possible increasing fees because of the economy. Not sure if that will fly. Pardon the pun
true.
The Americans run their airports as a business - they try to entice people to fly with them. Canada treats airports as a toll booth - just shut up and pay whatever I charge.
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