I can now share how I lived in Toronto for almost 10 years. Please note that these are my experiences living here and every immigrant may experience life in Toronto differently.
Immigration
In terms of immigration, I think it is best to come as a permanent resident because transitioning from a temporary visa to permanent residency is a pain. Life in Toronto will be easier that way because you don’t have to get a lawyer or deal with tiresome immigration procedures. Most corporate jobs with high salaries only look for permanent residents so that’s something to consider. Housing and other services may become difficult to access if you don’t have a valid immigration status.
The TTC
Public transportation in Toronto is called the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) and it is pretty affordable with one way trips costing $3.25. You can use coins (no cash) or a Presto card. If you pay with coins, you can ask for a bus transfer if you are transferring to another bus. You still have the option of loading a monthly pass onto the Presto card, which costs about $156. With a monthly pass you have unlimited TTC access for the month you paid for, and it has to be renewed for the next month. You can reload funds online using the Presto app or at the Presto kiosks at subway stations.
If you transfer to another bus or subway, you don’t have to a fare within the two hours of the first trip. So for example, if you tapped your card at a subway at 10:30am, and you hopped onto another bus at 11:30am, you won’t be charged for it. It will be considered “free transfer”. Since converting to a Presto card system you can travel from Toronto to neighboring cities like Burlington using this same pass. The fare varies from city to city. P.S: If you ever see a convenience store kiosk at a subway station, try out their patties. They are usually sold in beef or chicken and spicy or mild.
Accessibility is pretty okay in the city I think. There’s ramps for wheelchairs in a lot of places and Braille bumps on elevator buttons. It’s rare to visit any multiple floor building in Toronto which doesn’t have an elevator or where you have to go up a long flight of stairs (except low-rise apartments). I haven’t lived in any other first world country so I’m not sure if this is the norm or if it’s impressive. I’m not a physically disabled person so I could also be wrong about how accessible this city is.
When you come here, it’s probably best to get your IDs right away such as a Photo ID or driver’s license in case you lose your passport. Most formal places like the bank, driving test etc. require two pieces of government ID with photo identification so this is something you can’t escape. I opened my bank account right away when I got here.
Housing
Housing is cheaper the further you go outside of Toronto. Downtown is the most expensive place to live but is very easy to navigate in terms of convenience and accessibility because you can walk to shops. Housing in the downtown area is much older because it has lots of historical buildings and I’ve found that you have to pay for utilities as an extra fee to rent. That’s why most people prefer to live in condos downtown. When you move uptown near North York, or far east towards Scarborough, utilities are included in the rent. Basement apartments are really popular in Toronto because they are cheaper than main ground housing. It’s also good for a group of friends or a couple.
Here are the rent I’ve paid in different parts of the city. I initially came as a student so I lived on campus for a year. My family paid about $900/month for on-campus housing, and I left after first year to live off campus. With the exception of one room in Etobicoke, these are all shared accommodations (kitchen and washroom are shared with roommates).
- Scarborough-$600/month
- Scarborough-$500/month
- Scarborough-$400/month (basement apartment)
- Scarborough-$500/month
- East York-$600/month + utilities (hydro) extra fees
- Etobicoke (with my own washroom)-$800/month
- North York -$650/month
- North York-$680/month
- North York-$750/month for the first year and went up to $800/month the 2nd year
- York-$650/month
I lived in Toronto for 9 and 1/2 years and it’s generally very safe. I haven’t experienced any mugging on the street even late at night. Just take a cab or Uber if you are tipsy after a night out. The subway closes around 1:30am and you can catch the last bus up to around 2am depending on the area you live in. They actually have night buses which start at around 4 am till 6 am, so you may be in luck to catch one.
Food/dining/shopping
Food is plentiful and you will get a diversity of cuisines in this city. There are lots of good, affordable options for getting food. There are lots of luxurious, high end restaurants around especially downtown. In the summer time, there are food festivals across the city like Little Italy, Taco fest and Rib fest. If you come visit Canada, you have to try poutine, which is like loaded fries but ten times better!
Grocery shopping is pretty okay. I used to spend about $45-$50 per week on food shopping and I own a food blog so I think that’s decent. But that’s for one person so double or triple this if you cook for more people. Prices range from $8-12 per 1lb of meat. Chicken is more pricey with wings around $12, a whole chicken is around the same and a pack of chicken legs are $7-8.
Universities
The tertiary education system is okay. I came for university so I don’t know anything about high school or primary school. Every thing is modern and sleek e.g Wi-Fi on campus, directions to different parts of campus, online classrooms are available for some courses. In a semester for a full time international student, you might be budgeting for around $16,000 with all the extra miscellaneous fees. Some universities also help you file your taxes on campus.
Weather
The weather in Toronto is best in the summer and spring. Fall is lovely because it has all the vibes and cozy atmosphere. Winter is pretty depressing because it is very frigid and the longest season from around November to April. Temperatures can go down to -20°C. So you will need good snow boots to walk in the snow and a thermally insulated jacket to survive over here. A good snow beanie will also do you lots of good because brain freeze and frost bite is real.
Check out the my life page to see more fun stuff I do.