As someone who keeps tabs on the poutine and labour markets back home, I can vouch for everything you said. I don't even live in CA/NY (so my gross pay multipl

As someone who keeps tabs on the poutine and labour markets back home, I can vouch for everything you said. I don't even live in CA/NY (so my gross pay multiple isn't quite as high, but income net tax/cost of living is pretty great) and there's just no comparison. I probably make 60-80% more total comp in the USA than I would expect in a major Canadian city, and that's not even accounting for higher taxes (depending on state/province), frothy Canadian real estate valuations, and higher consumer prices almost across the board. But Canada sure is a great place to live and I miss it dearly. I still hope to move back one day.