I moved from Toronto to Tokyo as an engineer and things worked out great. Despite the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area being the same size of all of Canada, detached houses are common and...
I moved from Toronto to Tokyo as an engineer and things worked out great. Despite the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area being the same size of all of Canada, detached houses are common and reasonably priced here, and I was able to buy a nice four bedroom house next to a park on my single income.
Totally recommended, cost of living here is crazy affordable compared to Canada, and I had no issues getting my visa and later Permanent Residency. Gotta learn a new language though..
Amazing. You always hear it’s “impossible” to move to Japan so any actual 1st hand experience is appreciated. Did you have work already over there / remote , or did you find a position...
Amazing. You always hear it’s “impossible” to move to Japan so any actual 1st hand experience is appreciated.
Did you have work already over there / remote , or did you find a position domestically after arrival?
I initially came on the working holiday visa, which the only requirement was that you’re under 30, and then later converted to a working visa sometime after arriving. No job was waiting for me...
I initially came on the working holiday visa, which the only requirement was that you’re under 30, and then later converted to a working visa sometime after arriving. No job was waiting for me though, I started to look after I got here.
I think it’s a lot easier today then several years ago to get an offer from abroad as long as you have experience, more tech companies here trying to expand into the foreign talent pool now.
I stayed in Tokyo and Osaka for a while. I loved it there! My favorite part of Japan was the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo. So much fun! https://youtu.be/Ly9VLfD4pvU
I stayed in Tokyo and Osaka for a while. I loved it there! My favorite part of Japan was the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo. So much fun! https://youtu.be/Ly9VLfD4pvU
It's expensive but worth it in memories many times over. I went maybe 6 years ago and it was about 8000¥ from what I remember more or less. The show was awesome, and I loved the intermissions in...
It's expensive but worth it in memories many times over. I went maybe 6 years ago and it was about 8000¥ from what I remember more or less. The show was awesome, and I loved the intermissions in between for snacks and beer!
I'd start with investigating your ancestry and what passport/citizenship options are available to you. That will make the emigration part much easier. You most likely will not be able to continue...
I'd start with investigating your ancestry and what passport/citizenship options are available to you. That will make the emigration part much easier.
You most likely will not be able to continue your current job while living full time in a foreign country, so make sure finding new employment in your new home is sorted as well.
While I have not pulled the trigger on it, knowing that I am eligible for Greek citizenship (and a EU passport) has given me comfort of having an actionable escape plan if the US continues to decline. This opens up an easy path for me to move to and work in Greece or other lower income countries like Portugal in addition to a richer one like Germany for instance.
Unfortunately: none. No birthright or relatives abroad for me. So I’d be going in blind, essentially. Additionally, it seems rather pointless if I have to change jobs to make “local” salary...
Unfortunately: none. No birthright or relatives abroad for me. So I’d be going in blind, essentially.
Additionally, it seems rather pointless if I have to change jobs to make “local” salary wherever I go, that would put me in the same position of unaffordable housing I’m in now.
My goal is to keep my wage and be able to literally exploit a country for my own benefit, as the landowners and lawmakers do to us in Canada.
Hey OP I totally understand the desire to move somewhere more affordable, but please consider what occurs to the local populations in cities that have catered to folks like you with similar...
Exemplary
Hey OP I totally understand the desire to move somewhere more affordable, but please consider what occurs to the local populations in cities that have catered to folks like you with similar interests. You would be taking your personal frustrations and possibly transferring them to a foreign population who does not have the same luxuries as you. This became super apparent in Mexico City as of recently and this article may provide context as to what I'm concerned about.
By taking your high salary to an area with a lower local average, you contribute to the gentrification of that area. Rents rise, pricing out locals who have lived there for years, and you would be contributing to an issue you are attempting to run from. The affected in this situation just changes to someone less fortunate.
I want to be the crab on top of the bucket
Please don't think I'm trying to be condescending of your desires; I simply want to share some awareness of who you may affect in your actions. With this mindset you may very well be contributing to a trend in another nation of which you yourself are attempting to escape from. If the frustrations of rising costs is enough to make you want to leave, how is subjecting a foreign population suffering from something similar any better? They may find themselves in a very similar situation to your own, but they will lack the high salary to make a similar move. I urge you to please be mindful of this if you decide to move abroad.
I fully understand your position. Here is mine: Imagine a plane is going down. They always tell you “First, affix your own oxygen mask before helping others. “ Me moving to a LCOL country is my...
I fully understand your position. Here is mine:
Imagine a plane is going down.
They always tell you “First, affix your own oxygen mask before helping others. “
Me moving to a LCOL country is my own oxygen mask.
After that’s taken care of I’ll consider what my actions will be. If those actions amount to “take off your mask and suffocate” I sadly have to say imma keep my mask on, thanks.
I wish that fossilized boomers who fought tooth and nail to prevent fair housing while simultaneously selling out to foreign investors didn’t decimate my chances of survival, but I’m just playing with the hand I’m dealt now.
I’m being gentrified out of my own country by foreign investment anyways, so I’m forced to shift the old poop sandwich down the ladder or barely scratch by. Sucks but what can you do?
That doesn't bring any positive perspective to your position. If I need to break it down is "because others are negatively affecting me, I am going to negatively affect others, creating a similar...
That doesn't bring any positive perspective to your position. If I need to break it down is
"because others are negatively affecting me, I am going to negatively affect others, creating a similar situation therefore continuing a downward spiral of misery".
Similar flawed logic as hazing rituals... "because I had to suffer others have to similarly suffer".
Again, you are not making a strong case for yourself. And thereby inflicting the same type of suffering towards others. You can argue all around it trying to explain it. But, it is a selfish call...
Again, you are not making a strong case for yourself.
I’d rather live and feel “kinda bad” than smash into the ground.
And thereby inflicting the same type of suffering towards others. You can argue all around it trying to explain it. But, it is a selfish call where you're basically deciding that somehow other people are less “human” as you. Talk about being humans, we can reason, so we can look beyond Dunbar's number, you deliberately are deciding not to do that here.
I get it and I understand that by me being a non-Canadian probably affects my full understanding of this. But I want you to please consider that even by taking actions to mitigate after moving,...
I’m being gentrified out of my own country by foreign investment anyways, so I’m forced to shift the old poop sandwich down the ladder or barely scratch by. Sucks but what can you do?
I get it and I understand that by me being a non-Canadian probably affects my full understanding of this. But I want you to please consider that even by taking actions to mitigate after moving, you are still contributing to the very thing you are attempting to escape from. The victim and contributor only change in the dynamic.
Let me pose a likely scenario for you using Mexico City since that was the example in the article I link. Say you are a local craftsman within that city with an average Mexican salary that converts to about 17k USD; I may be over generous in that number. Formerly with that salary, you're able to get by and may have an occasional struggle, but the local market prices are based on those averages. Rents, food costs, and more all scale to it as well.
Now your city is flooded with multiple people making 4-5 times that and the market is flooded with individuals with a strong buying power in comparison. Rents rise from those who want to get in that cash flow and who can blame them? But in return, that local craftsman is having to give way more of their average salary to pay for living expenses. They are now effectively priced out of the city they lived in and now they are having to take what meager leftovers of their income to essentially restart or reinvent their way of living. They lack the large funds you or I may have to make drastic changes or moves, and so their options are even more limited.
While I completely get the oxygen-mask concept and apply it to other areas in my life, I also recognize that empathy is still needed at times. This continual selfish view of only looking out for yourself over and over again has given the fuel for these issues to keep burning. Instead consider there are different types of oxygen masks and the most intensive one isn't always the best.
I would say jumping to a LCOL area and contributing to gentrification issues is akin to being intubatated. Sure it prolongs the ability to breath, but it brings risks of infection and some scaring.
Instead maybe moving to a more moderate LCOL area with a better social safety net would be like a normal oxygen mask. It's less intensive, but offers the ability to keep breathing without those risks of intubation.
I really don't mean to harp, but I have lived in both poverty and privilege. Like many people in these trying times, I have entertained the research of what type of effort it takes. But in this research, the repercussions and future impacts aren't exactly something I can ignore. Maybe I'm too empathetic, but the experience of being on the less fortunate end and the struggles it entails really weighs as a heavy consideration in my mind with my actions. I am fortunate now to no longer be in that position, but it really serves as a reality check on what my privilege means for those who are not. My life was severely affected at times by being stepped on by a fellow crab or having a ladder pulled up; I simply don't want to do that to someone else who may not be as lucky as me.
I get the stance that you’re taking, kudos for being a more empathetic person than I. I’ve learned that empathy and housing are incompatible where I’m from, so my only option is to leave. If I...
I get the stance that you’re taking, kudos for being a more empathetic person than I.
I’ve learned that empathy and housing are incompatible where I’m from, so my only option is to leave.
If I leave, I’m going to “displace” somebody local no matter what, so why not make it as advantageous to myself and my own survival as possible?
I’d be losing more than staying if I go to any other “HCOL” country, so I’m asking here to see who else has hit a similar wall and scaled it. I’m not super concerned about how the sausage gets made if the other option is paying 70% of my wage to a government sponsored land baron.
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, or Cambodia would work, if you aren't looking to buy land. Foreigners can usually own condos, land gets iffy and usually requires some kind of business investment. Often...
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, or Cambodia would work, if you aren't looking to buy land. Foreigners can usually own condos, land gets iffy and usually requires some kind of business investment. Often there are silly/shady loopholes that allow you to get a longterm visa rather than relying on tourist visas, if you can afford them.
This is purely if you think you can maintain your WFH job while abroad. I wouldn't invest in anything without prior experience, because it's easy to get scammed or run out by local competition and lose everything you put in.
it would be pointless! but you'll definitely have to change jobs—i doubt your current job is going to suddenly want to directly comply with the policies and regulations of whatever random country...
Additionally, it seems rather pointless if I have to change jobs to make “local” salary wherever I go, that would put me in the same position of unaffordable housing I’m in now.
it would be pointless! but you'll definitely have to change jobs—i doubt your current job is going to suddenly want to directly comply with the policies and regulations of whatever random country you suddenly move to, because that will need to happen.
i really doubt your company is gonna be happy with you moving to Thailand or something out of nowhere. most remote foreign workers (and employers looking for those) go through an agency that deals with that stuff.
i would also think long and hard before moving to a country with a lower quality of life—the low cost of living doesn’t come for free! Canada is probably like in the top 5 of the best countries to live in in the world, so you might be surprised at just how bad things can be elsewhere. or maybe i’m just coping because i won’t be able to just trample into a poor country with a high salary remote job and do whatever i want lol.
If you work remote. Just move to a less expensive part of Canada. That article may not be the most exciting news. But there's plenty of houses in my city here in Canada for 200k-300k and they're...
If you work remote. Just move to a less expensive part of Canada. That article may not be the most exciting news. But there's plenty of houses in my city here in Canada for 200k-300k and they're perfectly affordable on a 90K salary. There's even Nice new Condos in the sub 200s.
Selkirk, North Battleford, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Airdrie, Lloydminster, Swift Current - Plenty of affordable houses.
No need to doomsay and try and find some mythical foreign land where your money is magically worth 3 times as much.
"...the crab on top of the bucket." Never would have guessed you're Canadian. /s Can I recommend r/digitalnomad over on that "other" website. Tons of folks discussing this very topic. It really...
"...the crab on top of the bucket."
Never would have guessed you're Canadian. /s
Can I recommend r/digitalnomad over on that "other" website. Tons of folks discussing this very topic. It really does boil down to available visas.
I (US citizen) hope to retire overseas to a LCOL country in the next few years. Many countries offer "no work permanent resident" visas for retirees that can demonstrate a self sufficient financial position.
I didn't go to another country but I did move from California to Texas a few years ago in USA. I have a lot of family in both states so it was not a bad transition. California just got too...
I didn't go to another country but I did move from California to Texas a few years ago in USA. I have a lot of family in both states so it was not a bad transition.
California just got too expensive. I was making 35$ an hour and received an extra $2000 a month from disability payments. In California that got me a 1 bedroom apartment in the bad part of town.
In Texas I took a pay cut by more than 10 dollars an hour. I now own a new 3 bedroom house with some decent property in a newly developed neighborhood. Was such a gamble but was really worth it.
Given the political climate, that's not a tenable option for many people, though. I'd rather be struggling in my HCOL, left leaning state than terrified in a house in Texas. I can't imagine being...
Given the political climate, that's not a tenable option for many people, though. I'd rather be struggling in my HCOL, left leaning state than terrified in a house in Texas. I can't imagine being LGBTQ (as I am) or having a child who was, and seriously considering somewhere like Texas as an option.
Do you still get the disability payments in Texas too? That's another factor to consider, the stingier benefits available in many LCOL states vs. somewhere like California. I have an aunt and uncle who are nearing retirement and looking at potentially going to somewhere cheaper, but the issue is the availablity of benefits and medical care, should my uncle's illnesses worsen. They're cis, straight, and childless, so my other considerations aren't an issue for them, but the politics of many of these places rear their heads in other ways too.
I am not gay but Texas has a huge LGBT presence in the major cities. I don't know too much about that kind of stuff so it would be ignorant for me to say not to worry about moving here. However I...
I am not gay but Texas has a huge LGBT presence in the major cities. I don't know too much about that kind of stuff so it would be ignorant for me to say not to worry about moving here. However I know the big cities have Pride activities. Texans are slowly getting used to the LGBT scene but they are mostly good people.
I do still get disability payments. I get them from my time in the military so no matter where I go, from my understanding, I always get them. That's until they review my conditions at some point and I just work on that then.
Living in a friendly city unfortunately doesn't do much when the state passes unfriendly laws. Many folks are actively fleeing states like Texas and Florida because of lawmakers banning medical...
Living in a friendly city unfortunately doesn't do much when the state passes unfriendly laws. Many folks are actively fleeing states like Texas and Florida because of lawmakers banning medical care (such as abortions and trans healthcare).
Not trying to jump down your throat, just wanted to let you know a bit more about the situation, since you said you don't know much. It's not (just) about whether individual people are friendly or welcoming.
Wait a second... I thought Canada was this amazing place that all Americans want to immigrate to, because it's Just Peachy up there?.... yes, this is sarcasm. Though certainly Canada does do SOME...
Wait a second... I thought Canada was this amazing place that all Americans want to immigrate to, because it's Just Peachy up there?.... yes, this is sarcasm. Though certainly Canada does do SOME things better than its Southern neighbor.
More seriously: There are some MAJOR caveats, but like a couple other posters, I'm also in Japan, and its cost of living is just crazy- but in a GOOD way. In Tokyo, a 1 BDR is (supposedly) about $1200~1400 USD, which is still not terrible for Tokyo (being the most populated city and all that). Meanwhile, if you go to more rural areas... well, then things become similar to any rural area: incredibly affordable housing. Another Big City in Japan (which is NOT super-touristy) has 1 BDR going for about $700 USD.
Of course, keep in mind that for the GOOD way to live over here, you need to have a highly-in-demand skill, especially because there's a MAJOR language barrier. I took what's known as the "easy route"- as in, very easy to get into Japan with it, but while rent is still affordable, it's also a very low salary that is potentially a dead end. Granted, I am working on improving my language skills so that other possibilities become open to me.
I went from Toronto to New York City, which you'd think, from going to an even higher cost of living city, would be a less affordable move, but I'm taking home more money each month so far. My...
I went from Toronto to New York City, which you'd think, from going to an even higher cost of living city, would be a less affordable move, but I'm taking home more money each month so far.
My rent ballooned more than double from Toronto to NYC, but America, especially in HCOL cities, pays so much more and gives lucrative RSUs, that it's working out for me.
Only really works for in-demand jobs where you'll get a payday, and if you really like nightlife or living large, the city will find a way to sap all your money from you, but if you're boring like me it works out well.
I'll do the opposite and tell you to absolutely not move to the US. Its a complete tradh fire right now, even the "good" places are only called that because its just less shit there.
I'll do the opposite and tell you to absolutely not move to the US. Its a complete tradh fire right now, even the "good" places are only called that because its just less shit there.
Is it really as bad as you say,pardon my ignorance but the immigration rates to canada are really high and people want to move there more even now. is the immigration a cause for this current...
Is it really as bad as you say,pardon my ignorance but the immigration rates to canada are really high and people want to move there more even now.
is the immigration a cause for this current predicament in canada?
(im not from the west)
It’s less individual people and more outsized wealth of foreign buyers driving up prices and capturing supply, paired with ancient boomers denying any high density housing development while...
It’s less individual people and more outsized wealth of foreign buyers driving up prices and capturing supply, paired with ancient boomers denying any high density housing development while profiting off the same artificial scarcity. Since the dinosaurs are in charge, there seems to be no hope except living indentured to your landlord, or, leaving for the wilderness and living in a tiny hamlet.
oh that's very disconcerting,but kind of a follow up for my last question.. what do you think this means for the newly immigrated population in canada? also hope things turn out for the better for...
oh that's very disconcerting,but kind of a follow up for my last question..
what do you think this means for the newly immigrated population in canada?
also hope things turn out for the better for you op
I moved from Toronto to Tokyo as an engineer and things worked out great. Despite the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area being the same size of all of Canada, detached houses are common and reasonably priced here, and I was able to buy a nice four bedroom house next to a park on my single income.
Totally recommended, cost of living here is crazy affordable compared to Canada, and I had no issues getting my visa and later Permanent Residency. Gotta learn a new language though..
Amazing. You always hear it’s “impossible” to move to Japan so any actual 1st hand experience is appreciated.
Did you have work already over there / remote , or did you find a position domestically after arrival?
I initially came on the working holiday visa, which the only requirement was that you’re under 30, and then later converted to a working visa sometime after arriving. No job was waiting for me though, I started to look after I got here.
I think it’s a lot easier today then several years ago to get an offer from abroad as long as you have experience, more tech companies here trying to expand into the foreign talent pool now.
where you fluent in japanese before moving?
Not even close, I took a Saturday morning Japanese class for a few months before leaving. I learned hiragana, katakana, and that’s about it.
I stayed in Tokyo and Osaka for a while. I loved it there! My favorite part of Japan was the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo. So much fun! https://youtu.be/Ly9VLfD4pvU
Haha, I always wanted to check that out but even after being here several year I’ve never been.
It's expensive but worth it in memories many times over. I went maybe 6 years ago and it was about 8000¥ from what I remember more or less. The show was awesome, and I loved the intermissions in between for snacks and beer!
I'd start with investigating your ancestry and what passport/citizenship options are available to you. That will make the emigration part much easier.
You most likely will not be able to continue your current job while living full time in a foreign country, so make sure finding new employment in your new home is sorted as well.
While I have not pulled the trigger on it, knowing that I am eligible for Greek citizenship (and a EU passport) has given me comfort of having an actionable escape plan if the US continues to decline. This opens up an easy path for me to move to and work in Greece or other lower income countries like Portugal in addition to a richer one like Germany for instance.
Unfortunately: none. No birthright or relatives abroad for me. So I’d be going in blind, essentially.
Additionally, it seems rather pointless if I have to change jobs to make “local” salary wherever I go, that would put me in the same position of unaffordable housing I’m in now.
My goal is to keep my wage and be able to literally exploit a country for my own benefit, as the landowners and lawmakers do to us in Canada.
I want to be the crab on top of the bucket.
Hey OP I totally understand the desire to move somewhere more affordable, but please consider what occurs to the local populations in cities that have catered to folks like you with similar interests. You would be taking your personal frustrations and possibly transferring them to a foreign population who does not have the same luxuries as you. This became super apparent in Mexico City as of recently and this article may provide context as to what I'm concerned about.
By taking your high salary to an area with a lower local average, you contribute to the gentrification of that area. Rents rise, pricing out locals who have lived there for years, and you would be contributing to an issue you are attempting to run from. The affected in this situation just changes to someone less fortunate.
Please don't think I'm trying to be condescending of your desires; I simply want to share some awareness of who you may affect in your actions. With this mindset you may very well be contributing to a trend in another nation of which you yourself are attempting to escape from. If the frustrations of rising costs is enough to make you want to leave, how is subjecting a foreign population suffering from something similar any better? They may find themselves in a very similar situation to your own, but they will lack the high salary to make a similar move. I urge you to please be mindful of this if you decide to move abroad.
I fully understand your position. Here is mine:
Imagine a plane is going down.
They always tell you “First, affix your own oxygen mask before helping others. “
Me moving to a LCOL country is my own oxygen mask.
After that’s taken care of I’ll consider what my actions will be. If those actions amount to “take off your mask and suffocate” I sadly have to say imma keep my mask on, thanks.
I wish that fossilized boomers who fought tooth and nail to prevent fair housing while simultaneously selling out to foreign investors didn’t decimate my chances of survival, but I’m just playing with the hand I’m dealt now.
I’m being gentrified out of my own country by foreign investment anyways, so I’m forced to shift the old poop sandwich down the ladder or barely scratch by. Sucks but what can you do?
That doesn't bring any positive perspective to your position. If I need to break it down is
"because others are negatively affecting me, I am going to negatively affect others, creating a similar situation therefore continuing a downward spiral of misery".
Similar flawed logic as hazing rituals... "because I had to suffer others have to similarly suffer".
I feel It’s more “I have the option to take a parachute or die with the plane”. I’d rather live and feel “kinda bad” than smash into the ground.
Again, you are not making a strong case for yourself.
And thereby inflicting the same type of suffering towards others. You can argue all around it trying to explain it. But, it is a selfish call where you're basically deciding that somehow other people are less “human” as you. Talk about being humans, we can reason, so we can look beyond Dunbar's number, you deliberately are deciding not to do that here.
I get it and I understand that by me being a non-Canadian probably affects my full understanding of this. But I want you to please consider that even by taking actions to mitigate after moving, you are still contributing to the very thing you are attempting to escape from. The victim and contributor only change in the dynamic.
Let me pose a likely scenario for you using Mexico City since that was the example in the article I link. Say you are a local craftsman within that city with an average Mexican salary that converts to about 17k USD; I may be over generous in that number. Formerly with that salary, you're able to get by and may have an occasional struggle, but the local market prices are based on those averages. Rents, food costs, and more all scale to it as well.
Now your city is flooded with multiple people making 4-5 times that and the market is flooded with individuals with a strong buying power in comparison. Rents rise from those who want to get in that cash flow and who can blame them? But in return, that local craftsman is having to give way more of their average salary to pay for living expenses. They are now effectively priced out of the city they lived in and now they are having to take what meager leftovers of their income to essentially restart or reinvent their way of living. They lack the large funds you or I may have to make drastic changes or moves, and so their options are even more limited.
While I completely get the oxygen-mask concept and apply it to other areas in my life, I also recognize that empathy is still needed at times. This continual selfish view of only looking out for yourself over and over again has given the fuel for these issues to keep burning. Instead consider there are different types of oxygen masks and the most intensive one isn't always the best.
I would say jumping to a LCOL area and contributing to gentrification issues is akin to being intubatated. Sure it prolongs the ability to breath, but it brings risks of infection and some scaring.
Instead maybe moving to a more moderate LCOL area with a better social safety net would be like a normal oxygen mask. It's less intensive, but offers the ability to keep breathing without those risks of intubation.
I really don't mean to harp, but I have lived in both poverty and privilege. Like many people in these trying times, I have entertained the research of what type of effort it takes. But in this research, the repercussions and future impacts aren't exactly something I can ignore. Maybe I'm too empathetic, but the experience of being on the less fortunate end and the struggles it entails really weighs as a heavy consideration in my mind with my actions. I am fortunate now to no longer be in that position, but it really serves as a reality check on what my privilege means for those who are not. My life was severely affected at times by being stepped on by a fellow crab or having a ladder pulled up; I simply don't want to do that to someone else who may not be as lucky as me.
I get the stance that you’re taking, kudos for being a more empathetic person than I.
I’ve learned that empathy and housing are incompatible where I’m from, so my only option is to leave.
If I leave, I’m going to “displace” somebody local no matter what, so why not make it as advantageous to myself and my own survival as possible?
I’d be losing more than staying if I go to any other “HCOL” country, so I’m asking here to see who else has hit a similar wall and scaled it. I’m not super concerned about how the sausage gets made if the other option is paying 70% of my wage to a government sponsored land baron.
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, or Cambodia would work, if you aren't looking to buy land. Foreigners can usually own condos, land gets iffy and usually requires some kind of business investment. Often there are silly/shady loopholes that allow you to get a longterm visa rather than relying on tourist visas, if you can afford them.
This is purely if you think you can maintain your WFH job while abroad. I wouldn't invest in anything without prior experience, because it's easy to get scammed or run out by local competition and lose everything you put in.
it would be pointless! but you'll definitely have to change jobs—i doubt your current job is going to suddenly want to directly comply with the policies and regulations of whatever random country you suddenly move to, because that will need to happen.
i really doubt your company is gonna be happy with you moving to Thailand or something out of nowhere. most remote foreign workers (and employers looking for those) go through an agency that deals with that stuff.
i would also think long and hard before moving to a country with a lower quality of life—the low cost of living doesn’t come for free! Canada is probably like in the top 5 of the best countries to live in in the world, so you might be surprised at just how bad things can be elsewhere. or maybe i’m just coping because i won’t be able to just trample into a poor country with a high salary remote job and do whatever i want lol.
If you work remote. Just move to a less expensive part of Canada. That article may not be the most exciting news. But there's plenty of houses in my city here in Canada for 200k-300k and they're perfectly affordable on a 90K salary. There's even Nice new Condos in the sub 200s.
Selkirk, North Battleford, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Airdrie, Lloydminster, Swift Current - Plenty of affordable houses.
No need to doomsay and try and find some mythical foreign land where your money is magically worth 3 times as much.
Oh I should say: I cant drive due to a medical issue and rely on public transportation, are any of those places still a consideration?
"...the crab on top of the bucket."
Never would have guessed you're Canadian. /s
Can I recommend r/digitalnomad over on that "other" website. Tons of folks discussing this very topic. It really does boil down to available visas.
I (US citizen) hope to retire overseas to a LCOL country in the next few years. Many countries offer "no work permanent resident" visas for retirees that can demonstrate a self sufficient financial position.
Good luck!
I didn't go to another country but I did move from California to Texas a few years ago in USA. I have a lot of family in both states so it was not a bad transition.
California just got too expensive. I was making 35$ an hour and received an extra $2000 a month from disability payments. In California that got me a 1 bedroom apartment in the bad part of town.
In Texas I took a pay cut by more than 10 dollars an hour. I now own a new 3 bedroom house with some decent property in a newly developed neighborhood. Was such a gamble but was really worth it.
Given the political climate, that's not a tenable option for many people, though. I'd rather be struggling in my HCOL, left leaning state than terrified in a house in Texas. I can't imagine being LGBTQ (as I am) or having a child who was, and seriously considering somewhere like Texas as an option.
Do you still get the disability payments in Texas too? That's another factor to consider, the stingier benefits available in many LCOL states vs. somewhere like California. I have an aunt and uncle who are nearing retirement and looking at potentially going to somewhere cheaper, but the issue is the availablity of benefits and medical care, should my uncle's illnesses worsen. They're cis, straight, and childless, so my other considerations aren't an issue for them, but the politics of many of these places rear their heads in other ways too.
I am not gay but Texas has a huge LGBT presence in the major cities. I don't know too much about that kind of stuff so it would be ignorant for me to say not to worry about moving here. However I know the big cities have Pride activities. Texans are slowly getting used to the LGBT scene but they are mostly good people.
I do still get disability payments. I get them from my time in the military so no matter where I go, from my understanding, I always get them. That's until they review my conditions at some point and I just work on that then.
Living in a friendly city unfortunately doesn't do much when the state passes unfriendly laws. Many folks are actively fleeing states like Texas and Florida because of lawmakers banning medical care (such as abortions and trans healthcare).
Not trying to jump down your throat, just wanted to let you know a bit more about the situation, since you said you don't know much. It's not (just) about whether individual people are friendly or welcoming.
Wait a second... I thought Canada was this amazing place that all Americans want to immigrate to, because it's Just Peachy up there?.... yes, this is sarcasm. Though certainly Canada does do SOME things better than its Southern neighbor.
More seriously: There are some MAJOR caveats, but like a couple other posters, I'm also in Japan, and its cost of living is just crazy- but in a GOOD way. In Tokyo, a 1 BDR is (supposedly) about $1200~1400 USD, which is still not terrible for Tokyo (being the most populated city and all that). Meanwhile, if you go to more rural areas... well, then things become similar to any rural area: incredibly affordable housing. Another Big City in Japan (which is NOT super-touristy) has 1 BDR going for about $700 USD.
Of course, keep in mind that for the GOOD way to live over here, you need to have a highly-in-demand skill, especially because there's a MAJOR language barrier. I took what's known as the "easy route"- as in, very easy to get into Japan with it, but while rent is still affordable, it's also a very low salary that is potentially a dead end. Granted, I am working on improving my language skills so that other possibilities become open to me.
I went from Toronto to New York City, which you'd think, from going to an even higher cost of living city, would be a less affordable move, but I'm taking home more money each month so far.
My rent ballooned more than double from Toronto to NYC, but America, especially in HCOL cities, pays so much more and gives lucrative RSUs, that it's working out for me.
Only really works for in-demand jobs where you'll get a payday, and if you really like nightlife or living large, the city will find a way to sap all your money from you, but if you're boring like me it works out well.
I'll do the opposite and tell you to absolutely not move to the US. Its a complete tradh fire right now, even the "good" places are only called that because its just less shit there.
By the way, your link doesn’t seem to work.
Whoever posted that link seems to have deleted it. But you can still find the original Canadian press news link here.
Thanks! That doesn’t paint a good view of the future..
Is it really as bad as you say,pardon my ignorance but the immigration rates to canada are really high and people want to move there more even now.
is the immigration a cause for this current predicament in canada?
(im not from the west)
It’s less individual people and more outsized wealth of foreign buyers driving up prices and capturing supply, paired with ancient boomers denying any high density housing development while profiting off the same artificial scarcity. Since the dinosaurs are in charge, there seems to be no hope except living indentured to your landlord, or, leaving for the wilderness and living in a tiny hamlet.
oh that's very disconcerting,but kind of a follow up for my last question..
what do you think this means for the newly immigrated population in canada?
also hope things turn out for the better for you op