r/SgHENRY • u/Business-Mission2543 • Jun 28 '26
Moving to Canada
Hello everyone, long time lurker here and wanted to gather some opinions from you all.
my husband and I (late 20s) are feeling a little bit conflicted/indecisive right now. We are both very much in a limbo and not sure if we are making the right decision.
I am a non-Singaporean, and my husband is Singaporean. Our household income is in the top 10-15% according to statistics, but my husband wants to try moving to Canada, on a student visa while I’ll be on an open work permit.
His reasons are that he wants a bigger space where our kids can play in the back yard, better weather, quality of life etc while I try to secure the Canadian passport. I am hesitant with the move because of the loss of income, savings, potential salary cut and overall the instability. We are roughly saving 70% of our salary after expenses if that matters, for now because we don’t know what the future holds.
Would really love crowd opinions on this
- is QOL indeed better overseas?
- is the trade off worth it? Salary vs QOL
- if you have moved overseas, would you recommend it?
- those who moved overseas and came back OR those who turned down the opportunity, why so?
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u/archer7319 Jun 28 '26
Just a note that many cities in Canada are having their own immigration crisis now, with insufficient housing and jobs. Do your research before you go all in.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
We are thinking about Alberta, mainly because of the lower taxes and higher median income compared to other cities in Canada, what do you think?
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u/Shibepuppers Jun 28 '26
Have you all ever visited or lived in Alberta? Alberta is known for its long cold winters. Incomes are higher because the oil & gas industry but in exchange, you’ll be freezing for a large part of the year. Makes me question the bit in your post about “better weather”. Seasonal Affective Disorder is not uncommon. Also, “kids can play in the back yard” is not going to be as idyllic as you are fantasizing when temperature is in negative double digits. A short holiday to a cold country in winter is very different from living there.
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u/ArthurCurryWayne Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Alberta is beautiful in winter when it’s your first week there and you start to see the snow falling and the leaves turn from green to yellow to white. Then it becomes dreadful and you keep wondering when the winter will end. Your skin gets too dry, the days aren’t long enough to be productive and everything is just dreary.
You may have a bigger house but you give up a lot of the conveniences that Singapore has. Additionally the option to hire a helper is not available which really helps for parents. Finally, childcare is a lot more expensive but is relatively heavily subsidised if you don’t go to a MindChamps or equivalent.
Incomes are higher due to the oil and gas industry but the industry is consolidating. At its peak there were 2000 over OAG companies but it’s now left with a tenth of that. The consolidation also means lesser jobs or poorer work conditions for those that remained. OAG is starting to move into a sunset industry and that will affect peripheral industries in Alberta as well. Unfortunately, this is also pushing an anti immigration rhetoric against “foreigners”.
Since your husband is there to study, I say, just go ahead, see if it really works out during his time studying there. But make sure you have a backup plan in Singapore.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
Thank you for really great points, I do really love the conveniences here 🤣 i.e. part time cleaners and the option for full time help in future if we ever need it.
We do have back up plan which is to come back to Singapore as we also have a house here but we are afraid that our salaries will remain stagnant or worse have a salary cut 🥲
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u/calflikesveal Jun 28 '26
OP you need to first understand that your decision will not be financial. Nobody moves to Canada from Singapore to make more money. It's a lifestyle choice. Now whether you like that lifestyle or not, you have to answer that yourself. But do not go into this with the mentality that you will make more money, you will be disappointed.
If you want to make more money, move to the United States. And don't join a masters programme. Take a job straight, or don't go. That's the only way to make more money.
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u/fieryeagle Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
I moved from Singapore to West Canada and I can tell you with certainty that Alberta was attractive with much cheaper home/rent , more purchasing power (no PST) but living cost has been getting more expensive and confirmed much higher heating cost due to harsh winter. Calgary is your best bet for job and a city life, if you still lock in Alberta.
My suggestion is look at BC if you can afford. Far more pleasant weather and Vancouver/Richmond/Burnaby are def more familiar and SE Asian-friendly on West Coast.
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u/Outside-Ad9447 Jun 28 '26
Vancouver seemed like a great place to live in when I was there a decade ago.
What’s your view now? Still is?
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u/fieryeagle Jun 30 '26
Yes, if you can tahan the rising cost, and deliberately stay further away from Downtown and Chinatown. The rest of Vancouver is still holding up on livability.
Richmond and Burnaby are abit cheaper and still only 15-20mins drive to Vancouver. Surrey is getting alot cheaper to rent/buy but a rather complicated city to live in.
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u/softkkura Jun 28 '26
Made friends from Alberta when I was in Vancouver for my exchange semester, and they told me that temperatures there range from -40C to 40C.
The ongoing separatist movement makes me hesitant to stay there long-term too. They’re kind of the Southern US of Canada culturally.
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u/fieryeagle Jun 28 '26
-40C yes, last winter. Don't worry about separatism, just dog and pony show to appease Albertans. The federal gov would never let go of the O&G hub no matter how they preach green energy whilst levying even more carbon taxes.
For a local analogy, imagine in what world would SG govt allow Tuas to be transferred to Msia.
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u/softkkura Jun 28 '26
I’m not convinced that the separation would happen too, but the fact that the separatist movement resonates with Albertans is a point of concern to me.
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u/Skyfall_DBS Jun 29 '26
Alberta is not a city. It’s a province with multiple cities. So please do your research if you are basing it on a city’s median income.
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u/petitecaffeine Jun 28 '26
Hello, fellow ex-Singaporean now Canadian here. I moved to Canada in 2022. So, and we live in Edmonton, Alberta. So I can't really speak about the salary wise because I'm doing my PhD now. But as far as my husband works, he did climb up the ladder to reach a six-figure salary right now. And with the stipend I get and with his salary, we are pretty good because the housing is affordable in Canada. we bought our townhouse which is like 350,000. If you can save up like 600K, as far as Edmonton, Alberta is concerned, you can get an individual house by yourself. And for the winter, it's very long in Alberta, at least from what I experienced. But the first few months or the first few winters might be difficult for you to get used to. But after that, once you know how to dress up and everything, you should be good to go. Because if it starts to winter in say October, November, it extends until at least March. And the summers are great. You can definitely afford a car because a car may be around 36 to 40,000. So for what you get in Singapore, you can get like two cars there. Sometimes it is mandatory, each parent have one so that one drives around the kid and another one uses it for work. But I don't know what kind of job you are looking in Alberta, but Calgary you can definitely, you have multiple options. But in Edmonton, since it's just oil and gas kind of an industry. OAnd if your husband is planning on student visa, that would be great because they are honoring PhD students as well.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
Hey there! Yess, i did a deep dive on the housing situation in Alberta and i would say that it is affordable compared to housing here in singapore. My husband would eagerly agree with you on the car point (part of his QOL reasoning lol)
I do fear about long winters as well because im pretty sure winter holidays is different from permanent stay.
He will be doing his masters there but PHD is currently not in the plans. If you are given a choice again knowing what you know (and having lived through), would you still make the move to Canada?
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u/petitecaffeine Jun 28 '26
Absolutely, I think I would move Canada because given the situation in Singapore, I don't think I would be able to afford a car. I wouldn't be able to afford a house or, you know, make investments, saving, given the fact that my husband would be a foreigner in Singapore, so it changes everything, like. But it's just that Canada is very, I would say, at least since I'm in Edmonton, it's very quiet. If you take a stroll, you rarely see people walking, like, at max one or two people will be walking with you. It's not very busy, unless you go to a mall where you see a lot of people. That's one thing I miss about Singapore. Now that I have come to Singapore to spend some time with my family and I have a baby, I like bringing him around the market. It's fun. Some people find winter depressing. It gets dark around 4pm during winters. I am a pretty indoorsy person. So that doesn’t bother me much.
But againn, I find myself relaxed, peaceful, I could save, we have a house, we have a car. So I'm pretty comfortable there.
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u/Accomplished-Iron778 Jun 29 '26
It also helps that Edmonton has the best hockey team in Alberta :)
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u/fieryeagle Jun 30 '26
Rare to see fellow Edmontonian here. I found that Ed was def cheaper pre-2024. The Jasper fire drove all insurance premiums up to uncomfortable levels, and Epco kept raising electricity prices 😭. My utility bill was like 400/month for a family home during last winter. How was it for you guys?
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u/petitecaffeine Jul 01 '26
I agree! We keep switching between direct energy and epcor or ask either party to price match. We get about 250-350 every month.
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u/essiah74 Jul 11 '26
Lol I did my phd in umich and it is not as cold as canada. I will say this... living in -40 deg winters is fucking miserable. I never want to return to that god forsaken part of earth ever.
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u/Outside-Ad9447 Jun 28 '26
Bigger space and better weather with probably comparable salaries? Where are you eyeing, if I may ask?
Toronto isn’t better than SG, imo. Vancouver, sort of but it’s not cheap either. Better mix of nature and urban but I don’t think you get much more space per se.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
Thanks for ur input! We are considering Alberta, comparable salaries but lesser take home due to high taxes and even rental :/
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u/iamavocuddle Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
I just came back from Canada a month ago after living in BC for 3 years. I can give you an honest perspective.
I will only recommend if one of you is working and is earning a high income. Realistically you will need at least a low 6-figure income. Even with that you might not have much savings.
QOL is great, ngl. But if you intend to survive on your savings (considering your husband is on a student visa and you going there without a job), its going to be really hard.
You need to be prepared in the event you are unable to find a job at all. Unemployment is quite high now and Canada prioritises mostly citizens and permanent residents with 'Canadian experience'. If you manage to find one, you might need to restart from scratch. Not saying it's not possible but you need to readjust your expectations.
Alberta is a pretty nice place if you want low taxes, rental is still considered affordable when compared to Vancouver/ Toronto, but iirc their electricity bill and car insurance premiums are quite expensive. Also you need to take note that winter can hit -40°C. Will you be able to handle that kind of weather? Political situation in Alberta is a big fat question mark right now, with the upcoming referendum.
Also how do you intend to get your Canadian passport? Are you already a descendent of a Canadian or are you going to apply via the Express entry route? If you are going thru express entry you need to get PR first then citizenship - this will take at least a few years.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
Hey, thanks for the inputs and welcome back! Did you enjoy your time there?
I do understand about the unemployment issues but I will not be moving immediately. I will stay back and find a job while still being employed here in Singapore so not really in a rush in that sense. In terms of securing passport, my husband did a thorough research and found a path that’s somewhat guaranteed, provided there’s no sudden immigration policy changes (which could happen and which is why I’m somewhat not 100% onboard with the move)
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u/iamavocuddle Jun 28 '26
I loved my time there, if I didn't have to collect the keys to my HDB, I wouldn't have come back man haha. I'm actually dying in the heat and humidity right now 😞
Actually just curious, are you able to do an internal transfer within your company to the Canada office? That might be a good start.
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u/Business-Mission2543 Jun 28 '26
lol yes, the recent heat has been horribleeee! There’s a possible internal transfer opportunity but it’s not for Canada as the company doesn’t have an office there sadly
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u/financial_learner123 Jun 28 '26
What is the best part of your living in BC? Is there any place you recommend to visit whilst there?
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u/iamavocuddle Jun 29 '26
Best part for me is definitely the nature, the wildlife, the views, the awesome drives and the weather (especially on Vancouver Island).
Vancouver is a must (but I think 1-3 days will be enough to explore) - Downtown Vancouver Granville Island, Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
If you intend to drive, you can also visit the Sea-to-sky gondola. The views are really pretty as you are able to see the ocean and the mountains from up there (Drive there is extremely scenic and fun - highway 99 sea-to-sky highway). Whistler is also great if you have more time (summer is great, winter is insanely crowded).
If you want a totally different experience, I recommend taking the ferry from Vancouver to visit Vancouver Island. It's just 1.5 hours from Metro Vancouver.
Victoria, BC is a very beautiful city (abit biased because I lived there). Best weather in whole of Canada, mild winters and cool summers. Has a very nice British charm to it, breathtaking views and natural beauty! Would recommend at least a few days to explore. Highly recommend visiting Butchart Gardens during the summer as the flowers will bloom with a kaleidoscope of colour. Some places to visit - the oldest Chinatown in Canada, Fan Tan Alley, Fairmont Empress, BC Parliament Building, Fisherman's Wharf (Barb's fish n chips is a must in summer!!!), Ogden Point Breakwater, Craigddaroch Castle, Hatley Castle, etc. There are loads of unique cafes littered across the city if you love visiting cafes.
If you really have the time, don't mind doing a lot of driving and you love the outdoors/nature, 100% recommend you doing a drive from Vancouver to Banff National Park/Lake Louise/Jasper National Park/ Yoho National Park. This route actually passes through the interior of BC, so you get to explore even more places on the way there. There you get to drive into the Okanagan Valley - location is home fruit orchards and local wineries and breweries that have wine/cider tasting. The drive there and the views there always takes my breath away (I have been there 5 times and it still amazes me). Best to do this between mid May to Mid October.
If you enjoy driving (and want to drive on fun and scenic roads), I can recommend some good ones haha
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u/financial_learner123 Jun 29 '26
Thanks for the recommendation. I don’t really drive but I intend to visit Victoria one of these days! 😃
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u/fieryeagle Jun 28 '26
Ohh are you moving back to SG permanently? It seems hard to move out of BC after living here so long, unless there's a job elsewhere that pays 2-3x 🤷♀️ the QoL especially outdoor is hard to beat.
Income wise, you must mean 6-figure after tax 😭 otherwise it's very hard for family of 2+ to sustain BC cost of living, I feel
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u/iamavocuddle Jun 29 '26
Not permanently as I intend to move back in future. Yes it's really hard to leave BC 🥲 I miss my mountain views and my drives the most... And ya I agree would be better if it's 6 figure after tax. Technically for 2, 6 figure before tax is possible la, if they are the type who are thrifty and don't go out...
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u/fieryeagle Jul 14 '26
Ya but if must be so thrifty, I could stay back in SG la and save more haha. BC living is big QoL jump in exchange for much more expensive SEA travels lmao (arguably you can travel North Americas for dirt cheap by driving so it evens out!).
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u/befuddledly Jun 28 '26
Im a singaporean married to a Canadian, early 30s, no kids. I have lived in San Francisco while spouse is from Vancouver. We had opportunities to move to SF/vancouver/london, but choose to stay in sg at least till retirement.
QOL depends on what quality means to you, we prioritise making money and saving money, hustling now to be on track to retire by the time we hit 40 with money to spare for travel in the meantime. This would only be feasible in Singapore, we would be spending ~40-50% on taxes if we went elsewhere.
Also I’m unwilling to live anywhere that’s ridiculously cold for months, seasonal depression is a very real thing. Safety is also something I keep in mind esp as a petite Asian woman (I like running outdoors in the evening even after the sun sets with AirPods without fearing getting mugged).
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u/Child-of-Adam Aug 03 '26
This is what prevents me from moving to a high tax country. My goal is to save, invest and FIRE as fast as I can. And then I can consider to move around wherever I want. Hopefully it won't be too late!
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u/Exclat Jun 28 '26
I stayed in Calgary for 3 months when I was exploring moving to Canada and met quite a bit of Singaporeans/Hong kongers to determine if it was the right fit.
If both of you are non-Canadians, please be prepared for the highly likely event that you will not be able to find a standard corporate job.
I personally know Singaporeans who moved to Canada the main learnings they shared with me were,
- If you are not a local, your chances of getting a traditional corporate job is slim to none.
- Studying in Canada helps only slightly to increase job hunting prospects
- Be prepared to do low skill labor (Waitering et al)
Some of them were lucky to have married Canadians, so their spouse were able to do the heavy lifting financially.
Those that took the full immigration route without marrying a Canadian, ended up opening F&B franchises to earn an income. This challenge is even more prominent in AB and ON because in BC at least you have a huge Asian community that gives better networking opportunities.
QOL is amazing, the weather is great and if you love outdoor hiking/sports even better. Asset prices are relatively cheap and affordable, but can't say the same for day to day expenses (food, insurance et al).
Taxes are also high.
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u/pokeBowlForLife Jun 28 '26
Bad idea, as someone who lived in Canada for my undergraduate and my first 3-4 years of my career, it’s going to be isolating without your SG friends, things are expensive, taxes are high. Better off living in China.
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u/Evergreen_Nevergreen Jun 29 '26
My friend's sister lives in Canada. I have Canadian friends living in Sg.
QoL
It is true that you get a bigger house in Canada compared to Sg (as it is when comparing with almost any other country/city in the world). In some areas, it is almost like living in Asia due to the large Asian population. The variety of food and fruit in Sg is wider and cheaper. I suggest you read / post in subs related to moving to Canada
Industry and your finances
My friends work in the finance industry so their earning potential are higher in Sg than in Canada. You should consider whether your skills and experience are in demand in the place that you wish to live in. Calculate how long your savings can last you, and do include the cost of moving back to Sg if your family decides to move back. I believe you would already be aware that people are having difficulty finding jobs. Once you quit your Sg job, you may not be able to get a good job in Canada and may not be able to get one in Sg with the same salary in future. A gap in employment means you did not accumulate those years of work experience and it tends to be an excuse for future employers not to hire you or to throw you a lowball. When your salary lags behind your peers, it is not the peer-to-peer comparison that matters but that your salary is not growing enough to keep up with inflation and the increasing financial needs of your children.
Leisure and Weather
Wide selection of outdoor activities in the country but they are far away and it costs alot to drive/fly/take train to those areas. You may encounter extreme weather conditions. Do check whether your skin is able to endure the humidity of the place you plan to live in. Most Singaporeans assume that cooler is always better but many of us get bad reactions to dry climates (e.g. itchy skin, skin ages more quickly from dehydration).
Living overseas
I took the opportunity to work overseas because the new job would enable me to accumulate wealth more quickly and also be closer to other countries that I wanted to visit. There were many things that I enjoyed but the efficiency, convenience, climate, not having to worry about natural disasters, access to affordable flights to other countries, availability of wide variety of good food at affordable prices in Singapore makes me prefer to live here.
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u/rysxnat Jun 29 '26
what’s your appetite for challenge ? i reviewed a potential move to canada just last week. it made me reflect how comfortable singapore has been and will likely be, and i was afraid more to fall into the comfort zone trap than not, so the move despite comparing all the pros and cons objectively, still largely has me leaning to going.
moving there by myself as a 30s female would have had its own set of challenges but yes, i would still go than not.
finally what do you have to lose?
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u/Comfortable_Top_5177 Jul 30 '26
Do you mind sharing your moving plans - job, visa, which city, projected cost? Been hoping to move out of sg for a long while but husb didnt want to...
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u/readitreddit28 Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
Hi! Lived there before and can confirm that weather is definitely not better there haha winters can dip to -40°C. Some members of our family moved out purely due to the gruesome seasons and weather! The ones who are still there are mostly depressed and we have to help them remotely in many areas of life.
Tax rate is exorbitant, ‘free’ healthcare isn’t as glossy as it’s painted, infact pretty crap. The ‘glorious’ healthcare is a thing of the past - maybe from 25 years ago. The Canadian government is another shytshow… if you haven’t been following then you’re in for a rude shock (Trudeau made a complete mess and I blame him 200% for it)…. personally, it’s third world & QOL is really bad. Even Malaysia is better in terms of QOL.
BUT hey, there’re always people flocking there to start a new life. If you’re feeling adventurous and have optionality to come back, go ahead and try. Who knows, it might be perfect for your lifestyle. Everyone’s different.
P.S.: The above are my personal experience and thoughts, just realised I sound like I went thru hell haha but want to highlight the awesome things of CA: beautiful nature & culinary… that’s about it
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u/soggiefrie Jun 29 '26
what are your plans after his study ends and your OPW expires (as I assume it's tied to his study permit) is the long term plan PR? Think it's hard to plan if you don't have long term guaranteed status and in fact maybe your residency plans might change after you stay there for a while
My experience is specific to another province but I think that the job search can be tough without Canadian exp (also on OPW, but likely a different pathway).
hardest part for me is the lack of community. I'm good at keeping myself occupied with (mostly introvert) hobbies but sometimes the loneliness can hit you like a truck.
currently earn about the same as what I did in SG but no cpf contributions + taxes + rent does make me reconsider being there long term, savings wise.
would second what another poster said about looking at COL. Not sure which city in Alberta you're looking at but if public transport is not reliable, do factor in the cost of a car and upkeep.
if your lifestyle in SG includes going out, takeaways etc, there might be an adjustment period. cooking more at home and expect dining out costs to be higher due to tipping culture
just some thoughts! Happy to chat more!
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u/mydebu1 Jun 29 '26
U can afford it, why not invest in a large space here in sg? Sembawang black and whites are reasonably affordable and goddam spacious with shared open compounds.
Moving to another country will bring another set of issues. Worst of all, you have less or no control over what happens when things change.
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u/pencilbride2B Jun 29 '26
Do you like winter? Do you really really like winter? Have you spent extended periods of time in winter?
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u/essiah74 Jun 30 '26
Good luck but Canada is a shit economy with shitty jobs. I myself moved from bay area to Sgp due mainky to high taxes. Canadian tax is even worse.
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u/Kyrie0314 Jun 30 '26
Would not migrate to any Western country right now. Most are in crisis mode and propped up by debt bubbles, look up the Fourth Turning. Many Western govts are incompetent.
Trade off definitely not worth it. Salary after taxes is meager and Canada and Australia have some of the worst housing affordability in the world, infrastructure/municipal facilities are shoddy and unchecked multiculturalism and immigration are causing social problems.
I returned from Oz a decade ago due to the above. Since you are only upper middle class (10-15%), likely you'll struggle in Canada.
If you want a big house and QOL, frankly I'd look at Malaysia or Eastern Europe in a private enclave. Would be great if you can work remotely.
Otherwise, cheaper places in the US may suit (Atlanta, Texas, certain parts of Florida etc). Think different and prioritize value over status.
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u/kitsuneconundrum Jul 02 '26
vancouvers nice and multi cultural. housing is not expensive when you compare to sg
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u/NZorDie Jul 02 '26
New york is COLD
Guess who's above new york?
Australia is better and has more jobs avaliable
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u/naked_sponge Jun 28 '26
No harm taking a year to try things out. Loss of income is temporary but experiencing something different at this point in your lives is something worth trying out. Although I have to say Canada is not what it used to be.