5 ms·

I don't know where you live in the USA so I cannot really judge but I think you should also take in consideration the cost of life in USA and Canada. It's not o

I don't know where you live in the USA so I cannot really judge but I think you should also take in consideration the cost of life in USA and Canada. It's not only about how much you make but about how much you spend.

j2bax 9y ago
Is the cost of living around most software companies in Canada so much less than the US?
- timtosi 9y ago
  About what I heard on the housing price topic from both sides, yes. EDIT: California VS Montreal
  - squeaky-clean 9y ago
    On the flipside, Vancouver is apparently more expensive than anywhere in the US for housing and median salary is much lower than somewhere like New York City.
    - EduardoBautista 9y ago
      Moving just a few hours south to Seattle will give you a huge increase in salary and lower cost of living.
  - praneshp 9y ago
    Montreal is a big city, so I concede you have a (partial?) point. I have heard horror stories about cost of living in Vancouver here on HN, as well as from people I met in real life.
  - kareemm 9y ago
    California vs Montreal is cherry picking the data. You could easily say Chicago (cheap) vs Vancouver (not cheap). The major economic tech centres in Canada are Toronto and less so, Vancouver. Montreal and Ottawa (because that's where Shopify is HQ'd) are the next biggest. Toronto and Vancouver are hugely unaffordable when it comes to housing; Montreal and Ottawa are much more affordable.
- projectramo 9y ago
  In general Canada "costs" more: http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/United-States/Cost-of-living http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/Unit... However, this does not adjust for free healthcare and education. On the other hand, tech cost of living is skewed by SF and Vancouver. SF is the #1 tech city in the US whereas Vancouver may be #2 in Canada, but the US is a larger country so SF may "dilute" more. Without stats, this is just guesswork.
  - colmvp 9y ago
    I feel like if you are at the top of your game, and can make it at any of the major tech companies or can start your own startup without trouble at finding funding, the U.S. is way better. Most of my friends, including myself, earned 1.5-3x what we'd earn even in a major city as Toronto. And if you happen to join a great tech company, chances are the health insurance you'll get is superior to the general public healthcare system in Canada.

j2bax 9y ago

Is the cost of living around most software companies in Canada so much less than the US?

timtosi 9y ago
About what I heard on the housing price topic from both sides, yes. EDIT: California VS Montreal
- squeaky-clean 9y ago
  On the flipside, Vancouver is apparently more expensive than anywhere in the US for housing and median salary is much lower than somewhere like New York City.
  - EduardoBautista 9y ago
    Moving just a few hours south to Seattle will give you a huge increase in salary and lower cost of living.
- praneshp 9y ago
  Montreal is a big city, so I concede you have a (partial?) point. I have heard horror stories about cost of living in Vancouver here on HN, as well as from people I met in real life.
- kareemm 9y ago
  California vs Montreal is cherry picking the data. You could easily say Chicago (cheap) vs Vancouver (not cheap). The major economic tech centres in Canada are Toronto and less so, Vancouver. Montreal and Ottawa (because that's where Shopify is HQ'd) are the next biggest. Toronto and Vancouver are hugely unaffordable when it comes to housing; Montreal and Ottawa are much more affordable.
projectramo 9y ago
In general Canada "costs" more: http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/United-States/Cost-of-living http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/Unit... However, this does not adjust for free healthcare and education. On the other hand, tech cost of living is skewed by SF and Vancouver. SF is the #1 tech city in the US whereas Vancouver may be #2 in Canada, but the US is a larger country so SF may "dilute" more. Without stats, this is just guesswork.
- colmvp 9y ago
  I feel like if you are at the top of your game, and can make it at any of the major tech companies or can start your own startup without trouble at finding funding, the U.S. is way better. Most of my friends, including myself, earned 1.5-3x what we'd earn even in a major city as Toronto. And if you happen to join a great tech company, chances are the health insurance you'll get is superior to the general public healthcare system in Canada.