If you are thinking about retiring soon, or if you have already retired, there are many surprisingly affordable living options for seniors right here in Canada. You don’t have to retire in Florida or as an expat in South America to be able to enjoy the finer things in life without the price of downtown Toronto. If you know where to look, you might find great deals on senior living and apartments.
Quebec
A number of the most affordable cities in Canada are in Quebec. While Quebec is somewhat economically depressed relative to other provinces, Montreal is still a thriving major city and financial hub with a large aeronautics industry. Quebec’s status as one of the sole French-first-language areas in North America makes it both a bit of an economic outlier as well as charmingly different from other regions. With markets for things like asbestos and other forms of manufacturing waning, cities outside of Montreal area have become incredibly affordable for living. Low cost towns include Shawinigan, St. Georges, Alma, and Victoriaville. Great search sites include Logis Quebec, Les Pac, duProprio, and Appartogo. If you like sweets, Quebec won’t disappoint any time of year, with its bounty of maple syrup. Be sure to try some “tire sur la neige,” which is essentially maple syrup on snow.
New Brunswick
Many American schoolchildren to Canada’s south are surprised to learn there is more land east of the state of Maine. While Maine is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, it is not just surrounded with lobsters and freezing cold water. Moncton is a picturesque city in New Brunswick which makes the list of one of Canada’s cheapest places to rent. The largest urban area in New Brunswick, it is an economically productive area due to its location in the Maritimes, making it a logistics hub and also headquarters of the Irving corporation. It’s also home to the Magnetic Hill Zoo and the beautiful Centennial Park. It has also been reported you can even find two bedrooms for $600 elsewhere in New Bruncwick, in locations such as Edmundston. Newer units might cost a bit more.
Ontario
While Toronto certainly takes the cake for Canada’s most outrageous rents (a crown it perhaps shares with Vancouver), there are still many affordable places to live once you get out of the Toronto metro area. Windsor, Detroit Michigan’s sister city, offers one bedrooms as low as $950. If you prefer something with fewer 18 year old Americans crossing the border to drink, you might check London which is more in the $1250 range. Thunder Bay, which is on Lake Superior and can be quite cold in the winter due to the wind chill, also has many options in the sub-$1000 range. It is home to the Terry Fox Monument which has a gorgeous lookout and is a beautiful park. It also is home to the Fort William Historical Park which details the history of the fur trade in Canada.
British Columbia
About one hour outside of Vancouver, you will find the surprisingly affordable city of Abbotsford, adjacent to the state of Washington. It is no trouble to find many listings in the sub $1,000 range, with quite a selection to be found in the just over $1,000 range. A 1 bedroom outside the city center averages $952. With access to Pacific beaches (if weather allows) as well as the mountains, there is no shortage of outdoor activities for you here.
Conclusion
Retiring in Canada doesn’t have to break the bank. While your pension plan dollars certainly go farther if you decide to retire abroad, you will be further away from friends and family, and you may have to learn a second language (and we don’t mean French). If you know where and how to look, you can find an amazing deal online, using the internet. Be sure to check listings in your area to see what kind of pricing you can find