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We are duel citizens, so we can live and work in either the US or Canada (however, my CA designation does not recognize in the US). Son is in grade 11 and is looking for colleges. His choices of colleges include UBC and U of W (Seattle). College wise, they are almost identical (latest world ranking UBC at 25 and UW at 28). The parents will be moving along with him to where his college is. What would you do considering the following pro's and con's (assuming you will be leaving in fixed income around $45 -$50K a year - further assume to exclude housing cost as house will be paid off):
UBC (Vancouver):
Pro's:
Tuition is about $40K less than UW (over 4 years).
Medicare is way cheaper
Food choices are better
Less in property tax
Cons:
Housing cost
Commute time
Higher fuel cost
Higher cost of living overall
Provincial Tax
UW (Seattle):
Pro's:
Relatively cheaper housing
Overall lower cost of living
No State income taxes
Con's:
Medicare cost
Tuition is about $40K higher than UBC
Less food choices (Vancouver's chinese food are way way better)
I would prefer Canada anyday but in just comparing the citys themselves I would say Seattle.
Vancouver is so incredible expensive that the city offers the 99% a very low standard of living.
Vancouver offers a lot but most of them you will never be able to partake in........making $100k a year and home ownership is beyond impossible.
I would prefer Canada anyday but in just comparing the citys themselves I would say Seattle.
Vancouver is so incredible expensive that the city offers the 99% a very low standard of living.
Vancouver offers a lot but most of them you will never be able to partake in........making $100k a year and home ownership is beyond impossible.
Best things in Vancouver are for free, but yes, real estate is expensive.
I'd probably rather rent and live in Vancouver than own and live in Seattle.
I agree that it would make sense to just rent in Vancouver in a livable neighbourhood and take the bus, that way all the worries about fuel and traffic are gone. That's very doable in Vancouver, transit is amazing. Housing's pricier, so just don't buy, rent and invest your money in something else. With the healthcare and tuition savings, you'd come out ahead.
BIMBAM has said it right. Housing and living expenses are high but renting in affordable areas is doable and savings can be found in taking transit, etc. Other possible savings:
- UBC students are given a transit pass, which is included in their tuition. Thus, students don't need to pay extra for transit fare.
- UBC students also receive dental coverage (don't know about medical, although they might have an extended medical plan).
- lots of bike lanes and paths to get from place to place (downside: not so nice when rainy)
We are duel citizens, so we can live and work in either the US or Canada (however, my CA designation does not recognize in the US). Son is in grade 11 and is looking for colleges. His choices of colleges include UBC and U of W (Seattle). College wise, they are almost identical (latest world ranking UBC at 25 and UW at 28). The parents will be moving along with him to where his college is. What would you do considering the following pro's and con's (assuming you will be leaving in fixed income around $45 -$50K a year - further assume to exclude housing cost as house will be paid off):
UBC (Vancouver):
Pro's:
Tuition is about $40K less than UW (over 4 years).
Medicare is way cheaper
Food choices are better
Less in property tax
Cons:
Housing cost
Commute time
Higher fuel cost
Higher cost of living overall
Provincial Tax
UW (Seattle):
Pro's:
Relatively cheaper housing
Overall lower cost of living
No State income taxes
Con's:
Medicare cost
Tuition is about $40K higher than UBC
Less food choices (Vancouver's chinese food are way way better)
IF you want a decent job stay in Seattle. Plus Vancouver is getting crazy expensive..
Just visited both Seattle and Vancouver over the Spring Break with campus tours to both UBC and UW. The traffic are crazy both in Vancouver and Seattle, but public transportation is better in Vancouver hands down. We also like UBC better. In terms of finding jobs, since my wife has Canada working experiences and I have my Canadian CA designation, I believe we would have better chance landing a job back in Vancouver. Other than cost of housing, food cost are almost the same. Ethic foods are much better in Vancouver (and cheaper if you know where to go).
If you want your son to have a career and living in a city with an actual economy, Seattle hands down, short and simple.
If you never lived in Vancouver, I hope you will do your homework before hitting the "wall of truth" about the insane cost of living in Van, the lack of prospects and other shortcomings.
Quote:
but public transportation is better in Vancouver hands down.
No longer entirely true...depends on where you live, Seattle is catching up very fast of that front....and you can actually afford a car in Seattle.
Quote:
food cost are almost the same.
Absolutely not true....for few essentials maybe yes, but on average food cost in Van are much higher.
Eating out is even worse (other than fast/junk food).
Quote:
Ethic foods are much better in Vancouver (and cheaper if you know where to go).
Another myth...Seattle is on par if not better, if you know where to go.
Last edited by saturno_v; 03-26-2013 at 07:29 PM..
I go to UBC and live in Vancouver, from the US, and hate how every single item is roughly twice the price it would cost me in the USA. But cheap tuition is a major plus if you can get that from citizenship. I'd advise having your son move to Canada for school, then move back down to the states afterwards.
The best things are indeed free here: hiking and walking around the seawall.
Other than that, you're going to have to pay out your ass.
The express buses that go back and forth from SFU and UBC are not much fun to take. Even though they come frequently, everyone on them is always packed uncomfortably like sardines, it's very unpleasant. And non-express buses don't come nearly frequently enough. That said, the Sky Train is great (though also crammed with people), but it only goes through some parts of the city.
I did visit Seattle recently for the first time, however, and there was not much to do there as a visitor. There was a sculpture of a troll under a freeway, a wall covered in people's old gum they were chewing on (ew), a frumpy old public market (that sucked compared to Granville Market), and the needle. Pretty lame compared to Vancouver, but at least you can afford a more comfortable lifestyle there.
Vancouver is extremely Chinese, so you should like Chinese culture if you're going to move here.
Last edited by djohanna; 03-26-2013 at 08:37 PM..
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