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I’ve seen a lot of Londoners tweet about wanting to move to Canada. As a Londoner currently living in Toronto, there’s so many things I wish I knew before packing my bags and getting on the plane.
A lot of the existing forums, Facebook groups, etc. are not from the perspective of people that have lived in London/aren’t familiar with the London experience
Okay. Before I get started, I want to be clear that I was born and raised in London and am a city girl through and through. I’ve never had any interest in living the suburban life so my perspective is going to from that angle.
First question I get is why I chose Toronto. It was kind of a default tbh. I’ve always wanted to live in New York but the US visa is virtually impossible. Finding the closest Canadian city and working for a company with an NY office was my next idea. So here I am.
The first thing I wish I knew is that being in Toronto makes no difference to the US visa process even if I was working for a company with a US office. It’s still almost identical to me applying from the UK.
TRAVEL - this is one of my biggest daily irritations. I never thought I’d ever declare my love for TFL but the TTC is nowhere near as advanced as the transport system in London. There are only two lines on the subway/underground. It’s take some adjusting...
It also takes LONGER to get places via public transport here than driving vs London where if you’re trying to get somewhere fast everyone knows you get the tube. Not here.
A monthly travel pass costs the same amount no matter when you buy it. Eg. If you purchase it on the 13th you still pay the full price whereas in London they calculate 30 days from the day you purchase it. Very annoying
RENT - if you want to live downtown like I do, rent can be quite pricy. Anywhere from $1200-$1800 a month if you’re sharing with someone. It can be $2000+ if you’re living alone.
A large number of these apartments have gyms, rooftop terraces, party rooms and pools in the building so it kind of makes up for what you pay. Obviously the further from downtown you get, the cheaper rent is. Also if you live in a house vs an apartment, rent will be cheaper.
THE PEOPLE- Canadians are known globally for being one of the nicest people in the world. I like to describe them as “friendly but not friends” although they are nice, it is very much surface level, this isn’t the same for everyone but for a few I PERSONALLY have met.
I have also been in spaces where people have been overtly racist. An example was me & an Indian man doing our grocery shop, minding our business... an elderly white man comes over & asks the Indian man his thoughts on 9/11 & goes on to tell him his people have no conscience
I have also met some incredible Canadians, ones that I’ve invited to my home. Life is all about balance ay?
BILLS & GROCERIES - phone contracts with a good data allowance (max you can get is 10-12gb) and service will take you back at least $100 a month. Not that bad when converted to £ but is crazy expensive here. I pay an average of $110 a month and only get 6gb.
You basically have to pick data or coverage if you want an affordable plan. High data for cheap means very little service and vice versa. If you want both, you’ve gotta pay more
“London is so expensive” if anyone says that to me ever again, I can faint. Grocery shopping in Toronto is not cheap. It’s another case of pick and choose. You can either be healthy and pay the price or save ya coins and eat fried food all day. Your choice.
Remember in Everybody Hates Chris when Tanya used to find a coupon for everything. Sis, make that your prerogative. Prices can be considerably less than the ones in store if you have a coupon booklet (they’re sent to your house biweekly)
WORKING LIFE - the standard holiday for a full time job is two weeks aka 10 days. The Canadians are very similar to the Americans in that way, the live to work with little time for themselves and self care. An interesting way to live, just not for ya girl ok
Let’s talk about all the positives now
Your accent can and will get you places. If you’re someone driven by money then you might be able to put up with all the cons. My first role here was £15k more than I earned in London. Leverage your experience because some things that are normal to us at work are foreign here
You’re in North America. Travel is cheap. Travel within Canada is insanely expensive but you can get a flight to New York from Toronto for $250/£140, Cancun for $300/£175, Jamaica for $289/£169
Concerts are pretty affordable and if the artist you like is playing in Toronto, they’re most likely playing in New York, Boston or Chicago. Two birds, one stone.
EATING OUT - if you’re a foodie like myself, Toronto has a lot of great restaurants. (I do have to say that, to me, it isn’t better than London) and if you’re a vegan or chicken wing lover lol, you will live your best life. They cater very well to both ends of the spectrum
The only way I can describe living in Toronto is imagining going to uni in the Midlands, Kent etc. basically out of London and then after you graduate you have to live in that town. Would you be able to?
You also have to keep in mind that London has really spoilt us in many ways, travel, affordable eating, a sane amount of holiday from work, so a lot of my feelings about Toronto are from a place of sheer shock.
OMG GUYS I FORGOT A BIG THING!! Apartments mostly come unfurnished, it’s already hard to get an apartment downtown because of demand. The standard requirement to get a place is 1st & last months rent aka two months rent
To get ahead, your realtor might suggest you paying first and last TWO months rent aka three months of rent upfront and THEN you have to find money to furnish. A bed, mattress, bedding, couch, literally everything.
God had his hand on my move so I can’t lie, it was a bit easier for me. I paid three months upfront but my apartment was fully furnished. (Fully furnished apartments are quite rare)
Bank accounts are very easy to open once you have your social security number BUT you are charged monthly for a debit card based on usage. $5 a month if you use it 1-3 time $10 a month for 4-10 and a max of $15 if you use it anymore than that. Crazy.
WEATHER - be prepared to spend almost 6 months of the year in layers (or indoors). The cold in Toronto isn’t as bad as other cities but here is a screenshot of the weather this week’. If you like being out and about all the time... um yeah. I duno. 
Ya so, I’ve probably missed loads of things but I’ll add as I remember. If you have any questions about the visa process or anything else please feel free to DM me.
Let me clarify this because Toronto advocates are hotting me up. 10 days annual leave and 10 public holidays. Two of which are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day so still not a massive deal.
To clarify. I am in no way bashing the city of Toronto, this has just been MY experience. I have friends who have also moved and are loving it. The only thing that I’ve heard unanimously about moving here is that it isn’t somewhere to live long term.
These are just tips. Please take them all with a pinch of salt as it may be an entirely different experience for you.
God bless Toronto.
Oh. I forgot about currency value. The Canadian dollar is one of the weakest against peer currencies (US$, £ & €) so when visiting the the states and going back to the uk, keep that in mind. £100 is currently about $177 Canadian. $100 US is $133 Canadian.
You people that were not born and raised in London going off in my mentions will not understand the nuances so don’t challenge my opinions. They aren’t facts. I’ve reiterated that multiple times. Argue amongst yourselves.
I will not be responding to any DMs from people asking about the visa process coming from outside of the UK. I appreciate the vote of confidence but the internet will have all the answers you need. I can only speak on applying on a British passport.
