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I need to correct myself here. I was just looking through the Loblaws flyer, making my grocery list. Those little tubs of cream cheese are not "almost $4" here in Canada. They are $4.49.
Yes dairy is more expensive in Canada. It's heavily subsidized in the US, that's why it's so much cheaper.
"A new report finds that $62 of every $100 that U.S. farmers earn comes from one level of government or another. In 2009, that added up to a staggering $180.8-billion (U.S.)."
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,023,154 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
Yes dairy is more expensive in Canada. It's heavily subsidized in the US, that's why it's so much cheaper.
"A new report finds that $62 of every $100 that U.S. farmers earn comes from one level of government or another. In 2009, that added up to a staggering $180.8-billion (U.S.)."
Crazy, right? I didn't remember how expensive dairy was here until after I moved back from the States in 2013. I went for my first grocery trip and when I got to the cream cheese -- knowing that I'd just paid $1 for that little tub the previous week at home in Massachusetts -- I was, um, "confused" about the price. I asked the guy stocking the shelves if there'd been a mistake. He said, "Ah, Americaine! Welcome to Canadian prices!" I had and still have an American twang -- so I just smiled and said "Mon dieu..."
Crazy, right? I didn't remember how expensive dairy was here until after I moved back from the States in 2013. I went for my first grocery trip and when I got to the cream cheese -- knowing that I'd just paid $1 for that little tub the previous week at home in Massachusetts -- I was, um, "confused" about the price. I asked the guy stocking the shelves if there'd been a mistake. He said, "Ah, Americaine! Welcome to Canadian prices!" I had and still have an American twang -- so I just smiled and said "Mon dieu..."
I remember reading a few years back when the US had a budget crisis, there was talk about the cost of milk if the US removed subsidies. 7 USD a gallon was given as what the price would be without them.
When I'm in the US, I buy only BGH free dairy...and it's more expensive.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,023,154 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
I remember reading a few years back when the US had a budget crisis, there was talk about the cost of milk if the US removed subsidies. 7 USD a gallon was given as what the price would be without them.
When I'm in the US, I buy only BGH free dairy...and it's more expensive.
7 USD a gallon?? WHOA!!!
Is the BGH-free dairy in the States more expensive than the BGH-infested dairy in Canada? If not, it's a win-win.
Is the BGH-free dairy in the States more expensive than the BGH-infested dairy in Canada? If not, it's a win-win.
I can't say if it's more expensive overall, but I did buy some Half and Half, 500 ml size in a Safeway in a smallish Washington State town in July. The non BGH one cost $2.49 USD, which is more expensive than Half and Half here, where all Canadian dairy is BGH free. One litre, so twice the size is $3.00 CDN
With all due respect, there's nothing to disagree with. Expatistan measures every component of COL objectively, including groceries. I can post metric after metric and you guys will deny it. An extra $20/month on groceries pales in comparison to the roughly $1,000-$2,000/month you're saving on rent. It's doesn't take a math major at MIT to figure that one out.
You guys should be grateful you live in Toronto. The COL is abnormally low for a major North American city. Fact. It's even lower when you stack it up next to, say, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Dallas (or San Jose), since you need a car in those cities, which costs $6,000+ USD/year (car, gas, insurance, and maintenance) whereas in Toronto, which has excellent public transit and walkability, you can take the subway for roughly $1,000 USD/month. Another fact.
I live in Connecticut but I'm moving to Chicago, which alongside Philadelphia, are the only major American cities that stack up COL-wise with the major Canadian cities, as evidenced by Expatistan's research. Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta are major US cities with slightly lower rents than Chicago and Philly but you're forced to spend significantly more on transportation there, since ATL/HOU/DAL are sprawling, driving cities as opposed to CHI/PHI/TOR which are compact, walking cities with strong public transit.
Wrong about San Jose: don't have a car in San Jose and never needed one. All the things I need: groceries, drug stores, entertainment, schools, restaurants, shops, transit are only a few blocks from where I live(downtown).
What I'm saying is that the individual neighborhoods are walkable and that the public transit is strong. You'd take the subway from North York to Downtown. Toronto has the 4th highest rapid public transit ridership in North America for a reason. It's a compact, walkable city with zero need for a car. Regarding your example, of people living in the suburbs, in that case, of course, they'd need a car. But going back to OP's example, he/she is talking about living AND working in Toronto proper.
The fact remains is that you called a compact city with a high walk score, high public transit score, and 11,000 people/square mile "sprawling and not walkable" which is patently false.
you are wrong.
You forget the fact that most of the "Toronto proper" IS suburban. Use google map to check out some neighbourhoods (away from Yonge st) in North York, Scarborough or Etobicoke, they are singe family home dominated with very wide gap between buildings. Most residents can't walk to anything commercial.
Toronto does have many walkable neighbourhoods, especially in the inner city, but overall, it is far from a walkable city. I don't call a 30 minutes ride to a grocery store every time a walkable life.
Also transit in Toronto is mediocre, far from "strong". Yes, it can bring you anywhere you want, but it is inefficient, slow and expensive. The fact such a large city has 2(.5?) subway lines is proof. Just compare Toronto with Madrid you will know (similar size, similar density, huge difference in terms of transit).
In the East Coast? If so that is no big discount when you consider how horrible people get paid.
Fot my job the pay was like $15 to $20 ldss per hour so saving a cew bucks in rent, public transit and my phone will was a comincal discount. I would not live in the East Coast unless retired. Total rip off as people get laid horribly low.
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I had and still have an American twang -- so I just smiled and said "Mon dieu..."
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