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Best places to retire in Canada for low budget snowbirds

18K views 70 replies 18 participants last post by  steve41 
#1 ·
OK, let's get this over with - I am a uncommitted wandering middle-aged male who just happens to have been born in Canada, has had tenuous connections to Canada for over 25 years, and is reluctantly remaining until I am rich enough to permanently leave. Might never happen. My purpose here is not to get into a moral debate about nationalism, but to discuss practical solutions for others in the same situation as I am. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks and acts this way.

Moving on...

Where is the best place in Canada to live on a budget of under $1200 in passive State income? Better under $800. Even $650 (no GIS). Plus have few limitations to one operating a little unregulated business for extras. I won't just be watching the clock until I can leave. I intend to be economically productive if my health allows.

Context - I am talking about only half the year in Canada -- obviously the warmest months. Could be a small city or even a town. I am not a wilderness kind of guy, though I have thought about being a lighthouse-keeper.

Everybody is going to have their own wishlist, so tell me yours.

For me it is, in order of priority...

1. Cheap: None of this $900 a month for a bachelor apartment. Subsidized housing maybe (I am creating a whole thread on this). In GVRD transportation is expensive, although maybe at 65 I can get a senior's all-zone bus pass. Currently, I have to pay $91 in Vancouver for *one zone*. $170 for a three zoner! So I walk and when I have to take the bus I use my stored value Compass card so rides are $2.10 instead of cash of $2.75.

2. Vegetarian-friendly: Able to grow my own veggies or lots of food banks with produce. Arctic would be good for a long growing season. Lower Mainland of BC has enough rain to grow greens but I do get tired of the slugs and wet shoes. Places like New Westminster with its Salvation Army have plenty of food banks. It's basically Hobo Paradise. This also means a lot of drug addicts and mentally ill. Trade offs, trade offs...

3. Good weather: One summer each in Toronto and Manhattan taught me that that hot and sticky part of the world is not for me. Summers hot but not humid would be ideal. Some breeze would be nice. The thing that gets to me about GVRD is it drizzles for months. In Singapore and Malaysia it pours dramatically then dries out half an hour later. I prefer the rainy season of West Bengal or Sikkim (I was in Calcutta and Gangtok for their monsoon and dealt with the flooding better than eternal cloudy skies of depressing Vancouver). Calgary -- I loved the hail storms of summer, but it was actually too sunny. I was always squinting my blue eyes. Where is the 'sweet spot' in Canada for agreeable weather?

4. Business friendly: Not a depressed economy, so I can operate a seasonal business or get a part-time job. Maybe a place catering to tourists. But that'll mean higher cost of living. Hmm, trade offs again. I know that the flavour of the decade is 'internet businesses that can be operated from anywhere'. I am not convinced. I like brick and mortar with human contact. I'd prefer to not live on handouts.

5. College or university town: Can take courses and maybe meet some women not my own age (I don't like bars etc)

6. Cultural: historic buildings, live theatre, film and music festivals, etc

7. Cosmopolitan but English-speaking: Where I live in GVRD the languages I hear the most are about equally English plus Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Russian and increasingly Arabic. I'd like to live somewhere in Canada where the demographic is more native language English-speaking. I'll bet Quebec is more Anglo-friendly than GVRD!

8. Religious: I prefer to be near a large Buddhist or Orthodox Christian population. I am actually secular but love religious festivals and parades. I have no problem with plenty of Hindu and Sikh Temples either. Lots of Catholic churches would be fine too.
 
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#3 ·
Context - I am talking about only half the year in Canada -- obviously the warmest months. Could be a small city or even a town
Actually, it's my plans too :), but my wife just partially agrees with me :(.
1. IMHO, the best place to live cheap will be NB or NS. Those province also mostly "white", have pretty nice summer, English-speaking...
 
#7 ·
But have dreary, wet winters. There is no place in Canada that has as much agreeable weather that the OP wants.

Not to appear biased, but the BC Okanagan Valley might be a best fit for climate.
From what I understand , OP cares only about 6 months around summer :). BC Okanagan has good mountains not too far, NB/NS - nice ocean (Bay of Fundy etc)... . If other 6 months OP is planning to go to Europe, NB/NS is more convenient.
Are BC Okanagan Valley is cheaper then NB/NS?
 
#9 ·
Actually just on Monday I had lens replacement surgery at Bochner with Raymond Stein :). In case of such surgery, the best clinics are in Toronto, Bochner and Herzog, your waiting time is 2-4 months, so you can just fly to Toronto and stay in Hotel for couple of days.
And why are you speaking about rural areas?! You may live in major cities like Moncton, St Johns or Fredericton . Also, all those cities have Universities
 
#10 ·
A friend who liked to 'smoke' and he liked other things too.. he had to speed with his motorcycle in downtown Kingston due to high crime. And I mean violent crime. I have never had any problem with Jamaicans in Canada. Very hard-working people. Remember the 'In Living Colour' skit of the stewardess having three jobs?

I forgot about crime rate.
 
#11 · (Edited)
A Hungarian immigrant acquaintance in the next generation up (my mum's common law husband) quite liked Kelowna. He came to Canada during the 1956 revolution, worked very hard buying and fixing up houses, selling then moving up. Then retired in the Okanagan. Dropped dead out of the shower one day.

He used to go back to Budapest for better value dental care. Not a puritanical place despite being Catholic (mind you so is the Philippines, but let's not 'go there' figuratively or literally - only place in Asia I dislike, robbed twice for one. Too much a booze culture) Fed up with Soviet influence Hungarians have very liberal attitudes to very human vices. Czech Republic too.

Maybe I should forget about Asia and move to Central Europe. Look up Vienna 1683.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Gibor365

You make a very good point. YVR is convenient for East and SE Asia. But back east (especially Toronto) much cheaper to get to Cuba and London. Maybe I could get used to Romania. I miss my landlady in Havana too. Phnom Penh and Havana are the only cities in the world I have ever visited where I feel totally at ease. Trees, walkable, and nice people. Both.
 
#20 ·
Per my earlier post, I was trying to suggest a place that had dry hot summers (not hot humid summers) as the OP requested, activity going on, access to medical care, airports, AND where housing costs would be low enough to 'live on nothing'. Such a place does not exist in Canada given all my travels (virtually everywhere in Canada) but the closest I could think of would be Osoyoos:
1. the only true desert in Canada and a 5-10 minute drive to a US border crossing.
2. local urgent medical clinic and maybe 1-1.5 hour drive to Penticton (nearest hospital)
3. circa 2.5 hours from Kelowna YLW International airport and a major urban class hospital
4. busy summer tourist season on the lake (and nice beach). Town population doubles then.
5. housing costs....not so cheap but much better than Kelowna and somewhat better than Penticton. Note there's no place really cheap in Canada unless you want to be in the more isolated 'armpit' locations. The OP could always find some kind of isolated cabin in the hills almost anywhere, perhaps along with a meth lab, chop shop, or other 'quonset' operation.
 
#23 ·
The Oliver (South Okanagan General Hospital) has limited services (more like an Urgent Care Centre) albeit it does have Obstetrics, Radiology, etc.. The real hospital for anything more important like surgery is in Penticton, and for serious issues like cancer... Kelowna. Okanagan RE has gone up a lot but the further one goes out from Kelowna, the better it is, and the further from urban limits, the better it is.

Keith is correct in that some **** town in the Prairies would be cheapest, especially in hamlets and villages that are almost all declining in population. Probably can rent a house there for its operating costs (taxes and insurance). Boarded up windows come as a free extra.
 
#25 ·
Have you seen a prairie winter yet? The middle of the continent is where 2 weather systems are always fighting each other hence extreme weather. Harsh winters in the North, tornadoes, humidity etc in the south.

I think the only place that meets the weather criteria is Vancouver Island, like up toward Comox or Courtney. Not too terrible expensive yet, still amenities and yet very hospitable weather. I didnt find the island too humid. And its the best winters by far. All the rain rolls up into vancouver and the island can be clearer and a degree warmer usually.
 
#24 ·
You want cheap and good weather. You have little income and no money saved after 62 years.

So you are not talking about retiring, you are talking primarily about surviving through good fortune and the goodwill of others.

I suggest you stay in Vancouver, or possibly Victoria where you don't face as severe a winter climate. There you can sleep in the parks and not face rental, heating or utility bills, and it fits your free spirit style. I'm not sure how competitive the dumpster diving is - hopefully you are an early riser.
 
#41 ·
Getting a job will be on the menu. Just spoke with a security guy at Walmart. He is on GIS and works 13 hours a week. Curiously he doesn't know how much it will reduced his GIS.

As far as dumpster diving goes, I do know a guy who did this. He ate rather well - amazing what is thrown away. But he was also a junk collector who stuffed storage rooms full of stuff he didn't need and couldn't sell. Another friend drives cab and lives in his car near Nanaimo. I was shocked to see the price for rents on Gailiano island nearby.

I live very lean. But camping? No, I don't think so.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I agree with the posts -Osoyoos +1, Prairie Town=+1. these are appealing.

The OP says that he would like to avoid humid locales in the peak of summer "Summers hot but not humid would be ideal. Some breeze would be nice." I mentioned Peterborough (& places among the Kawarthas) for the following reason:

1. Cheap: likely in the 8/10 range for meeting expectations. Ideally, you would want a place on or near a lake - which my drive price up. There are gorgeous little towns nearby - but these are very quiet, hobbit-like villages. (You will not need to ask neighbors to turn their stereo's down!.)
2. Vegetarian-friendly: (7/10). you would likely be able to grow a little garden there. Many farmer's markets in summer.
3. Good weather: This is the about the only variable that may not meet your requirement. Winters can be nasty, but then, IMO - I'd get out an do some X-country skiing, skating on open frozen lakes and enjoying what is available rather than lamenting what is not! Also - I'd consider going the Fla for a spell for a month in February.
4. Business friendly: ("Not a depressed economy, so I can operate a seasonal business or get a part-time job.") I think there would be ample opportunity to set up a lil business.
5. College or university town: Trent University and other community colleges are close by.
6. Cultural: (historic buildings, live theatre, film and music festivals, etc.) Depends on your expectations. they have a token theatre guild, music festivals, wine festivals (but nothing like kelowna!)
7. Cosmopolitan but English-speaking: Check!
8. Religious: Check!
...also...
9. Well established hospital: Check!

Another part of the Canada that has rec'd some attention for retirees/boomers running away from Toronto is St. Catharines, Ontario. My brother live there.

Real estate/rent is quite reasonable. LOTS of arts/culture (Niagara-on-the-lake), wine festivals etc., summers can be humid, but the breeze from lake does help to temper the humidity to some extent. Brock University would supply the need for a university. Has a few very new and very good hospitals.
It does, however, have its share of dysfunction with a rust-belt (GM plant closures) employment scenario. There are challenges, in the downtown area, with drugs etc.


I also thought about Elliot Lake - a small mining town in N. Ont. that closed 30 years ago and looked to set itself up as a "retiree haven" replete with hospitals and houses for 35K https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17972338/3A-LONDON-CRES-ELLIOT-LAKE-Ontario-P5A2P7. But...I dunno, it ain't Kansas.

check out these 7 locales...some of whicha have already been discussed. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...seven-spots-in-canada/article16755296/?page=1
 
#27 ·
IMHO, an important thing is not to stay in small village, as OP will need car simply to buy groceries or to get to airport or hospital ... in bigger cities he can use public transportation...and if he need he can always rent a car
I was suggesting NB/NS big cities because as per numbeo.com:
Rent Prices in Moncton are 27.66% lower than in Peterborough
Rent Prices in Fredericton are 25.05% lower than in Peterborough
Rent Prices in Saint John are 26.53% lower than in Peterborough
 
#28 ·
Yeah, the suggestions for places like Peterborough or Vancouver Island are way over the top in terms of 'cheap'. You have to be losing population to have really cheap rent. Not even Powell River is dirt cheap. IIRC, I think the OP was thinking really cheap, e.g. $400 or so
 
#44 ·
I am reconsidering the prudence of any permanent independent housing. Better to rent a cheap room. If I am in Canada only half a year an apartment is not worth the investment -- furniture, pots and pans, linens etc. Plus utilities and risk of break-ins while travelling. What I am doing now of renting a room with a bachelor who owns a condo and likes to reduce his mortgage is simpler and probably more sensible. I don't see the big draw of becoming domesticated. I am not a nest builder. Some pluses to be sure, but the negatives outweigh them. I'll be dead in 25 years or less. This is not the time to be establishing roots.
 
#35 ·
y'll know how canadian newspapers & magazines are always running 10-best-retirement-spots-in-canada articles?

viewed from a distance, this thread reads like a rad kook version of such an article. Some of the locations are sensible but the treatment is rad.

no-go-newfoundland is a nice contribution

.
 
#42 ·
I have read numbeo and a similar site and compared them to what I knew from experience of sojourning in several Asian countries. They are very inaccurate and measure all kinds of ridiculous things like the price of a McDonald's hamburger instead of local produce. I am not going to be eating pizza in Saigon (where I worked for a 6 months as a teacher) -- I eat noodles. Maybe those kind of sites are more accurate for North American cities. I consult them for only ballpark estimates of total cost of living, not individual differences such as 20 cent bus fares and $10 hotel rooms (Vietnam has both BTW).

When I see numbeo comparisons where there are 300% differences I believe them -- not 30%.
 
#53 ·
I am reconsidering the prudence of any permanent independent housing. Better to rent a cheap room. If I am in Canada only half a year an apartment is not worth the investment -- furniture, pots and pans, linens etc. Plus utilities and risk of break-ins while travelling.
I know several snowbirds who live in subsidized housing and leaving for 6 months to Florida every year. Rent can be very cheap, as it's 30% of your annual income, so you may pay only $100-200 and all utilities are included as well as maintenance. Usually all such houses are occupied by seniors and I've never heard about any break-ins.
 
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