[MX90]

1500usd converts to just a shade over 2k cnd. Better but still not enough to enjoy yourself. Not sure why people are recommending Winnipeg, it should be near the bottom of the list for large to mid sized Canadian cities. Big thumbs up for Montreal. It's the most cosmopolitan city in Canada. Do not need french there. Best peeler joints in North America hands down.

[kinjutsu]

(04-21-2017 02:56 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Good point about the currency conversion. The bonus in CDN cash from US may be enough to cover his lodging outright. Montreal would be the cheapest choice. Calgary could work as well but the city is big and I don't think they have Uber there either sof getting around with no car night be tough. You would have to pay a premium for lodging to be downtown or central to the good areas like Beltline.

Calgary just got Uber in November of 2016.

[DigitalNomad]

Absolutely not on Winnipeg haha. I think he could get by in Toronto. I routinely see rooms relatively downtown (Bathurst and Dundas, or Ossington and Bloor) for ~500/mo, sometimes a bit less. If he cooks most of his meals, that's another $500. That leaves you $30/day for nighttime activities, day trips etc. Pregame a bit before he goes out and he'll be all set. The women are beautiful, he's not Canadian so jell do well with them (ignore locals re toronto girls, they have awful game).

Basically comes down to whether he wants to budget wisely in a 1st tier city, or splurge a bit in a 2nd or 3rd tier city.

Had there not been a non-Quebec requirement, Montreal will be the best on that budget. No problem with English only there.

[MX90]

I would never recommend T.O.

He could pull off Vancouver lower mainland but would be pushed to the burbs...or worse Surrey. If he's into Chinese chicks then Richmond would very a good option.

[Seadog]

(04-20-2017 03:01 AM)Moma Wrote:  

I have a friend who wants to try out Canada for a month on $1500. This includes food, accomodation and the remainder would be for miscellaneous. Is this possible? I suggested that he use hostels for accommodation as hotels or AirBnB would eat far too much of his money to make it even worth his while.

Given this information, which part of Canada would be the best bang for his buck? He wants to be in an English speaking part so I told him to exclude anything in Quebec. Lizards aren't important to him.

Which province and which city would be worth his while?

When you say "try out" do you mean $1500/month for several months which seems to be the jist of most replies here suggesting things like renting rooms in houses, or a month total like a long vacation to get the feel and travel around a bit?

$1500/mth is easily doable over longer term like 4 months where you can rent a furnished room and live like a student. As a tourist only there for 1 month total, you'd have a hard time finding someone to rent a student style room to for only one month, and you'd eat up a non-trivial amount of time trying to organize it. So he'd be stuck in hostels. Which for bottom end, 50% hostelworld score will be $25-30 a night. Add in groceries, a few buses between/in cities and the budget would be more or less spoken for.

I personally thing that's cutting it too tight for a trip and defeats the purpose of travelling. But if the goal is to physically be here and survive, mainly just walking around bigger cities and taking in free things like libraries and parks, it's possible.

Anyways, As long as he's fine with survival mode, I'd also suggest east coast in June/Sept. Shoulder season, and the cheapest part of Canada. Camping could save some money nightly, but then he'd need rental car and gas, which alone could surpass his $50/day budget.

[Moma]

Some of you lot are not reading the finer details. You keep recommending Montreal and Toronto..are you trying to torture the guy? He doesn't care about game, he just wants to go somewhere in Canada fitting his budget where he can also hear fluid English. I personally think Toronto is overpriced and overrated, from personal experience. I would suggest somewhere with much better bang for its buck. Canada is a very beautiful country during the summer (when he plans to go).

So to rehash the key points:

- Only $1500 US dollars as the monthly budget (obviously not including his flight to and from Canada). Remember he is just visiting for a month. Not moving to Canada, just visiting.

- Needs to be an English speaking place, English is not his first language so he is going there with the intent to improve his English. Please don't tell me a month is not enough..if one waits for when there is 'enough' time..that person will be old and gray in the beard. This is his time, the month HAS to suffice. I know they are bilingual in Montreal again from personal experience (I've been there probably 7 times or more) but I feel the nudge there is towards French speaking and I would personally recommend something apart from that (unless locals can steer me straight).

- He doesn't care about game. It doesn't mean that you just throw him into the midst of fat SJWs and SIFs due to that, there is a vile energy that emanates from those groups that affects a person who isn't even trying to game. With that being said, someone said Toronto. Isn't Toronto a tad pricey?

Let me tally some sums. I am thinking that the accomodation for the month would run about $600-700 for some kind of lodging. This leaves $700-800 for other expenses. If he decides to get a monthly pass for the TTC, it would be $146.75 exactly. To my recollection, you have to buy the pass at the beginning of the month, it's not calculated as 30 days unlimited riding from when you bought it, it's from e.g. 1st May -31st May respectively. So if he arrives on the 15th of May, June, etc then he would have to buy a weekly pass at around $43.75 which works out to around $173 dollars (roughly) for the monthly total in transport. Let's round the first transport cost scenario ($146.75) to a whole number and leave the change for afterwards. that would leave him with $650. I am going to average each meal (3 per day) at 7 dollars. Breakfast is usually cheaper for most people but on average, let's call it 21 per day (assuming he doesn't have a long throat - slang for big eater). That's 147 dollars a week (round it up to 150 for now). So 600 dollars would be spent for the month on food..leaving $50 for everything else including admissions, miscellaneous stuff like trinkets. Call it $12.50 a week for splurge money...I am laughing as I type this, bro is going to need an under the table or a friend with transport to absorb some of the transport costs.

Or, he will need one of those work as you stay jobs.

[Moma]

(04-21-2017 05:25 PM)Seadog Wrote:  

(04-20-2017 03:01 AM)Moma Wrote:  

I have a friend who wants to try out Canada for a month on $1500. This includes food, accomodation and the remainder would be for miscellaneous. Is this possible? I suggested that he use hostels for accommodation as hotels or AirBnB would eat far too much of his money to make it even worth his while.

Given this information, which part of Canada would be the best bang for his buck? He wants to be in an English speaking part so I told him to exclude anything in Quebec. Lizards aren't important to him.

Which province and which city would be worth his while?

When you say "try out" do you mean $1500/month for several months which seems to be the jist of most replies here suggesting things like renting rooms in houses, or a month total like a long vacation to get the feel and travel around a bit?

$1500/mth is easily doable over longer term like 4 months where you can rent a furnished room and live like a student. As a tourist only there for 1 month total, you'd have a hard time finding someone to rent a student style room to for only one month, and you'd eat up a non-trivial amount of time trying to organize it. So he'd be stuck in hostels. Which for bottom end, 50% hostelworld score will be $25-30 a night. Add in groceries, a few buses between/in cities and the budget would be more or less spoken for.

I personally thing that's cutting it too tight for a trip and defeats the purpose of travelling. But if the goal is to physically be here and survive, mainly just walking around bigger cities and taking in free things like libraries and parks, it's possible.

Anyways, As long as he's fine with survival mode, I'd also suggest east coast in June/Sept. Shoulder season, and the cheapest part of Canada. Camping could save some money nightly, but then he'd need rental car and gas, which alone could surpass his $50/day budget.

Seadog, now you are talking. It's one month ONLY, not a series of months. Just one month. You say the cheapest part of Canada on the East coast, I would be inclined to agree with you. Where exactly? I agree that his budget is tighter than a pair of skinny jeans on a millennial but that's all he's got.

[kinjutsu]

(04-22-2017 04:03 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Some of you lot are not reading the finer details. You keep recommending Montreal and Toronto..are you trying to torture the guy? He doesn't care about game, he just wants to go somewhere in Canada fitting his budget where he can also hear fluid English. I personally think Toronto is overpriced and overrated, from personal experience. I would suggest somewhere with much better bang for its buck. Canada is a very beautiful country during the summer (when he plans to go).

So to rehash the key points:

- Only $1500 US dollars as the monthly budget (obviously not including his flight to and from Canada). Remember he is just visiting for a month. Not moving to Canada, just visiting.

- Needs to be an English speaking place, English is not his first language so he is going there with the intent to improve his English. Please don't tell me a month is not enough..if one waits for when there is 'enough' time..that person will be old and gray in the beard. This is his time, the month HAS to suffice. I know they are bilingual in Montreal again from personal experience (I've been there probably 7 times or more) but I feel the nudge there is towards French speaking and I would personally recommend something apart from that (unless locals can steer me straight).

- He doesn't care about game. It doesn't mean that you just throw him into the midst of fat SJWs and SIFs due to that, there is a vile energy that emanates from those groups that affects a person who isn't even trying to game. With that being said, someone said Toronto. Isn't Toronto a tad pricey?

Let me tally some sums. I am thinking that the accomodation for the month would run about $600-700 for some kind of lodging. This leaves $700-800 for other expenses. If he decides to get a monthly pass for the TTC, it would be $146.75 exactly. To my recollection, you have to buy the pass at the beginning of the month, it's not calculated as 30 days unlimited riding from when you bought it, it's from e.g. 1st May -31st May respectively. So if he arrives on the 15th of May, June, etc then he would have to buy a weekly pass at around $43.75 which works out to around $173 dollars (roughly) for the monthly total in transport. Let's round the first transport cost scenario ($146.75) to a whole number and leave the change for afterwards. that would leave him with $650. I am going to average each meal (3 per day) at 7 dollars. Breakfast is usually cheaper for most people but on average, let's call it 21 per day (assuming he doesn't have a long throat - slang for big eater). That's 147 dollars a week (round it up to 150 for now). So 600 dollars would be spent for the month on food..leaving $50 for everything else including admissions, miscellaneous stuff like trinkets. Call it $12.50 a week for splurge money...I am laughing as I type this, bro is going to need an under the table or a friend with transport to absorb some of the transport costs.

Or, he will need one of those work as you stay jobs.

In Calgary he can rent a room for $600 ult included (The city is going through a oil and gas recession so it's highly likely he will be able to get a fully furnished room for $600)
A monthly transit pass will cost $101. There are more than enough things to do that he will be able to travel to by bus without any issues.

That will leave him with about $800 left.
Split that into $200 a week for food/entertainment.
If he goes during June or July there are plenty of free events in the city that he can easily kill an afternoon attending.

If he goes to Winnipeg the costs will come down but he wont want to go anywhere because there is nothing to do there.
Also Calgary doesn't have any kind of SJW culture, those people flock to Vancouver or Toronto.
Plus the costs of either of those cities would kill his budget in 2 weeks.

[casa-nostra]

If you dont work pick up a small or meduim city : i will go for Halifax , Edmenton , calagry

for the big citcies , Montreal is the least expensive but the hardest and the worst to get laid, Toronto and Vancouver arent paradise , but comparing to MTL they are. This a the truth that many dont want to admit here.

I like small canadian citcies though.They are the best for womens.

[Seadog]

Actually with the oil crunch, if he sends off a few emails before hand, he might actually get someone desperate in AB who will rent for one month. That area with the mountains is amazing, but even on a normal year it's pricey and busy in the summer, and this year all national parks are free so it's going to be worse. It's also difficult to do without a car. I'd recommend starting or ending in Halifax, possibly doing a trip up through Montreal on bus or train. Depending on the flights Montreal is bigger and may be cheaper to get to. Where is he coming from? If he had a car and was able to drive, that would make a big difference by enabling him to camp. Or get a bike and a tent and slowly explore the province while sleeping in the woods. Couch surfing is an option too.

[Moma]

Seadog, kinjitsu is saying Calgary but you are saying no. What's the final consensus? kinjitsu says there is a monthly bus pass for $101 dollars in Calgary, also.

[MX90]

His best bet is to find a landlord who rents the basement to university students. Just post a bunch of craigslist or kijiji ads in numerous cities 'looking to rent for one month in July or August'. Offer $400. There are landlords out there who will accept a low ball offer for a stop gap tenant. Having said that, the rental market throughout Canada is generally tight due to the high cost of entry into home ownership, especially in first and second tier cities that are worth visiting.

Let's also not forget fully furnished suites or rooms aren't common in Canada. It's not Thailand. So most likely he's walking into an empty space. This will obviously cut into his budget to set up a basic livable space...even for a short stay.

The gist is that 1500usd just won't cut it. I'm assuming a few of us here are canucks. Think about it. You have a suitcase and 2k cad on your pocket and told to relocate anywhere in canada for a month. A. Where. B. Doable? C. What's the point with that budget.

Here's a breakdown from coast to coast in a nutshell. My experience and observation, take it with a grain of salt.

Victoria. Mid sized city on the island with great scenery nearby. Access to Tofino the only decent surf break in Canada. Generally easy access to Vancouver and Seattle. High crime rate, top five nationwide.

Nanaimo. Small city. Like all Canadian cities in that 100k population range, chock full of small town skanks. OP mentioned he doesn't care about gaming. Bullshit. He will want to get his dick wet eventually.

Vancouver. Overrated. Expensive. Aloof. Only a notch below Toronto as Canada's SJW mecca. Overrun with Chinese, Indians, and faggots. They call Vancover the 'the city of neighborhoods'. This is just PC babble for racial isolationism which fuels this general unfriendly aloof vibe.

Kamloops. Basically Nanaimo inland. Zero attractions of note unless into mountain biking. Still amazingly rooms rent for 600ish. Because they can. Run of the mill one horse town.

Kelowna. Growing small city approaching 200k in population. On a gorgeous lake. Overpriced for what it is. Douchbags from all surrounding areas tend to migrate their especially during the summer. Classic case of a 4 thinking shes an 8. High crime rate.

Prince George. The toilet bowl of BC. Highest crime rate in BC and top three in Canada. Dirty inside and out.

Edmonton. Large city of over 1m. Underrated in the summer. Festival capital of Canada. Whyte Ave can be a blast but with no entertainment budget there's no point. Cost on par with Calgary. nicknamed Deadmonton for a reason.

Calgary. For a first time visitor it'll look and feel the same as Edmonton. Was booming. Stagnant now but still pricey. This is the Dallas TX of the north.

Red Deer. Same small city vibe as any other similar place in Canada. Mid point between Calgary and Edmonton which is basically Alberta purgatory.

Regina. Complete dump. High crime rate. High drug use. Lots of Natives.

Saskatoon. Better than Regina but still suffer from the same issues as Regina. These small cities in the 200-300k population range just don't offer enough for travellers wanting to spend a significant amount of time.

Winnipeg. Combine Regina and Saskatoon and you basically have Winnipeg. Along with it same issues. High crime. High drug use. Lots of Natives. See a pattern? No idea why some people are recommending this shit hole.

Thunder Bay. See Red Deer.

London. Mid sized city approaching 400k. Located between Detroit and Toronto. Nothing of importance or interest except that it was once the serial murder capital of the world.

Hamilton. On the lake. Midway between Toronto and Buffalo NY. Surprisingly little going on for a town with a metro population of 700k.

Toronto. SJW capital of Canada. For all its celebrated diversity the city feels bland. Caribana can be a blast. Fags take over the city during pride week. For the fourth most populous city in North America it has surprisingly little going for it. Expensive.

Ottawa/Gatineau Metro. Nation's capital. Clean city of 1m with some old world charm. Nice city to relocate but to visit...meh. Easy 2hr trip to Montreal. 30 bucks by bus. The city is officially bilingual but doesn't mean shit. Expensive.

Montreal. Yeah they speak French, so what. You'll be fine without having to speak a word of it. Unlike Quebec city they aren't militant about their precious language. Large cosmopolitan city of 4m, it's the most European city in Canada in terms of look feel and attitude. Cheaper than Toronto/Vancouver and more vibrant. Friendliest women out of all the major Canadian cities.

Quebec city. Mid sized city of approx 800k. Will get attitude if you don't speak French. 95% speak French as their mother tongue. Whitest large city in Canada. Mainly known for winter activities and festivals.

Fredericton. Small city of 100k. Similar vibe to any other city of that size. Not much to do but friendly locals.

Halifax. Mid sized city of 400k. Rich maritime history and culture. Scenic. Lilly white. Friendly locals typical of most Atlantic Canada.

St. John's. Small city of 200k on the far eastern coast. Shitty weather. Summer temp barely cracks 20 Celsius. Locals are known for their 'Newfie' friendliness. Has a distinct look and feel reflecting the city's maritime past. Quaint and not much to do. Scenic.

[TorontoRocks]

The entire country sucks.

Best place to be is Windsor, Ontario....a five minute drive through the tunnel and you are in downtown Detroit (a fantastic underrated city). From there, easy access to Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati...and Detroit airport a hub for Delta so tons of direct flights to most first and second tier U.S. cities.

[casa-nostra]

(04-22-2017 05:16 PM)MX90 Wrote:  

His best bet is to find a landlord who rents the basement to university students. Just post a bunch of craigslist or kijiji ads in numerous cities 'looking to rent for one month in July or August'. Offer $400. There are landlords out there who will accept a low ball offer for a stop gap tenant. Having said that, the rental market throughout Canada is generally tight due to the high cost of entry into home ownership, especially in first and second tier cities that are worth visiting.

Let's also not forget fully furnished suites or rooms aren't common in Canada. It's not Thailand. So most likely he's walking into an empty space. This will obviously cut into his budget to set up a basic livable space...even for a short stay.

The gist is that 1500usd just won't cut it. I'm assuming a few of us here are canucks. Think about it. You have a suitcase and 2k cad on your pocket and told to relocate anywhere in canada for a month. A. Where. B. Doable? C. What's the point with that budget.

Here's a breakdown from coast to coast in a nutshell. My experience and observation, take it with a grain of salt.

Victoria. Mid sized city on the island with great scenery nearby. Access to Tofino the only decent surf break in Canada. Generally easy access to Vancouver and Seattle. High crime rate, top five nationwide.

Nanaimo. Small city. Like all Canadian cities in that 100k population range, chock full of small town skanks. OP mentioned he doesn't care about gaming. Bullshit. He will want to get his dick wet eventually.

Vancouver. Overrated. Expensive. Aloof. Only a notch below Toronto as Canada's SJW mecca. Overrun with Chinese, Indians, and faggots. They call Vancover the 'the city of neighborhoods'. This is just PC babble for racial isolationism which fuels this general unfriendly aloof vibe.

Kamloops. Basically Nanaimo inland. Zero attractions of note unless into mountain biking. Still amazingly rooms rent for 600ish. Because they can. Run of the mill one horse town.

Kelowna. Growing small city approaching 200k in population. On a gorgeous lake. Overpriced for what it is. Douchbags from all surrounding areas tend to migrate their especially during the summer. Classic case of a 4 thinking shes an 8. High crime rate.

Prince George. The toilet bowl of BC. Highest crime rate in BC and top three in Canada. Dirty inside and out.

Edmonton. Large city of over 1m. Underrated in the summer. Festival capital of Canada. Whyte Ave can be a blast but with no entertainment budget there's no point. Cost on par with Calgary. nicknamed Deadmonton for a reason.

Calgary. For a first time visitor it'll look and feel the same as Edmonton. Was booming. Stagnant now but still pricey. This is the Dallas TX of the north.

Red Deer. Same small city vibe as any other similar place in Canada. Mid point between Calgary and Edmonton which is basically Alberta purgatory.

Regina. Complete dump. High crime rate. High drug use. Lots of Natives.

Saskatoon. Better than Regina but still suffer from the same issues as Regina. These small cities in the 200-300k population range just don't offer enough for travellers wanting to spend a significant amount of time.

Winnipeg. Combine Regina and Saskatoon and you basically have Winnipeg. Along with it same issues. High crime. High drug use. Lots of Natives. See a pattern? No idea why some people are recommending this shit hole.

Thunder Bay. See Red Deer.

London. Mid sized city approaching 400k. Located between Detroit and Toronto. Nothing of importance or interest except that it was once the serial murder capital of the world.

Hamilton. On the lake. Midway between Toronto and Buffalo NY. Surprisingly little going on for a town with a metro population of 700k.

Toronto. SJW capital of Canada. For all its celebrated diversity the city feels bland. Caribana can be a blast. Fags take over the city during pride week. For the fourth most populous city in North America it has surprisingly little going for it. Expensive.

Ottawa/Gatineau Metro. Nation's capital. Clean city of 1m with some old world charm. Nice city to relocate but to visit...meh. Easy 2hr trip to Montreal. 30 bucks by bus. The city is officially bilingual but doesn't mean shit. Expensive.

Montreal. Yeah they speak French, so what. You'll be fine without having to speak a word of it. Unlike Quebec city they aren't militant about their precious language. Large cosmopolitan city of 4m, it's the most European city in Canada in terms of look feel and attitude. Cheaper than Toronto/Vancouver and more vibrant. Friendliest women out of all the major Canadian cities.

Quebec city. Mid sized city of approx 800k. Will get attitude if you don't speak French. 95% speak French as their mother tongue. Whitest large city in Canada. Mainly known for winter activities and festivals.

Fredericton. Small city of 100k. Similar vibe to any other city of that size. Not much to do but friendly locals.

Halifax. Mid sized city of 400k. Rich maritime history and culture. Scenic. Lilly white. Friendly locals typical of most Atlantic Canada.

St. John's. Small city of 200k on the far eastern coast. Shitty weather. Summer temp barely cracks 20 Celsius. Locals are known for their 'Newfie' friendliness. Has a distinct look and feel reflecting the city's maritime past. Quaint and not much to do. Scenic.

Nice, Thank your for the informations. Interessting

I will comment on the citcies i knew , and the citcies i found girls more approchable and more fun and sexual.

Gatineau/Ottawa : Gatineau have some Ontarioclubs ,18-20 ontario peoplegoes there , they are usually freindly, i remember a club called la maison there. And also some Quebcois bars like 4 jeudis , Quebcers are more difficult to approches , and way more sociale circle mentality , they are hot though. But i will say for the same quality of girls between Quebec-Ontario girls, I feel like Ontario girls are way funnier , open minded.
I usually choose Ottawa and dont stay in Gatineau, people are more mature in Ottawa.


Toronto : I dont know why people here hates Toronto , I personnaly find it pretty fun , it is not my favorite city , but still good diverse city.
Girls are approchable , freindly . Competition is ok , not that easy , but not that hard . I am personnaly more into white girls , so i have found Ottawa girls more attractive.

Calgary : I never been there , but i met some Alberta girls in Montreal, there are more freindly and less pickier than Quebcoises.

Montreal : the advantage about Montreal is that clubs closes 3am , also it is cheaper than Toronto. The worst thing about Montreal is that a 4/10 girls acts like a 8/10. girls are hot though , but Competition is way harder than any other canadian city. Girls in Montreal have a that bitch shield because they got approched many times so they pretty have a lot of options.
Ratio is on favor of Womens in Montreal.But Sometimes you can get luckey with some anglophones tourists who are usually more approchable.
Language is not problem in MTL , but Quebec girls will use it as cause to reject you. Most Montreal people speak englsih in downtown.


Personnaly i dont recommand neither Montreal , Toronto or Vancouver.
Halifax , Ottawa , Calgary are the city where girls are more fun.

[Nascimento]

(04-22-2017 06:27 PM)TorontoRocks Wrote:  

The entire country sucks.

Best place to be is Windsor, Ontario....a five minute drive through the tunnel and you are in downtown Detroit (a fantastic underrated city). From there, easy access to Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati...and Detroit airport a hub for Delta so tons of direct flights to most first and second tier U.S. cities.

Your username praises Toronto. To be fair, you could be being sarcastic.

But then you say Windsor is best.

[rudebwoy]

MX90 - nice write up my man.

Detroit is a shithole.

I looked on backpages and it seems rent is very expensive in a lot of places.

His best bet and only choice is too look at hostels in whatever city he chooses.

[kosko]

Not having a car will be a big factor. I wouldn't recommend any city where NOT having a whip will be a hurdle. 90% of Canada you need a car to live and if not you are stuck relying on others or cabs. Places like Winnipeg, Kelowna, Kingston, whatever are all off the beaten path and you will need a car. He won't have fun in these places with no way to get around.

Based on the update from Mona there is only once place that will fit this guys criteria.....

Toronto.

Toronto is the obvious choice. The city is trash to live in but for vacations and trips it is fine. How else do you think so many get fooled into living here? I can speak for myself that I was lured into this place after a 3-week trip here way back. I was blown away by the city and all the shit to do. Now mind you it isn't the same as then, but the bones of the city still remain. It is easy to get around, interesting free shit all over in the summer months, and it is big enough you can explore different neighbourhoods and areas and just wander around and not get boerd.

Toronto can be expensive but if you plan and don't eat out at restaurants you can live modestly here. With lodging he can be strategic and just rent a simple shabby room in Kensington Market or take in someone's sublet for a month. Or you can find a room a but farther out in like North York or something. As long as he is near the subway he will be fine.

Food, you can find cheap meals in Chinatown and Kensington Market and if he cooks his meals like breakfast/lunch he should be fine. For entertainment you can find deals for the art gallaries. Avoid all the pricy tourist stuff it is overhyped and not worth the time or money. CN Tower is a waste a day waiting in line and like 80.00, not worth it. Simple stuff like festivals and parks and going out for a drink or two are very accessible. Go rent a bike and ride around town, go check out the beach, the bluffs, go spend a day exploring UofT campus, etc. Lots of random and interesting things here to check out.

All that stuff gets old when you live here and the social culture is strange but for a short trip you don't notice those quirks here. It really takes a full year and one winter here before this place turns sour. But for a quick trip, with that budget, he can make it work.

Only other options I would say is Calgary as you can survive without a car there but it won't be easy. Edmonton as well but you will have to make friends with people who are cool driving you places the trains don't hit.

Everywhere else in Canada will be boring if you don't have a car. You could maybe get away with it in Halifax or Victoria as both places are compact and you can live downtown. For those places you make friends who drive you to the father parts when needed.

**If he likes the outdoors I would recommend Hamilton as it has trails and quarries in the city and people like to take advantage of them in the summer months. He will miss out in the University girls but there is enough tail from girls fleeing Toronto expensive real estste. Plus you can take GO train to Niagara Falls to check out or to Toronto for little mini trips. Hamilton is kind of shabby but it is a authentic Canadian City.

In the end, the obvious choice is Toronto, as much as I don't went to recommended it. He will struggle in other places to keep busy. Canada is quite boring overall if you don't settle into a specific lifestyle. Most Canadians for example go to Cabin/Cottages in the summer frequently so many Canadian cities get quite quiet if there are not tourist heavy cities.

[Moma]

kosko, are you forgetting the budget? Tell me how Toronto works for $1500 for the month.

[rudebwoy]

Kosko - I couldn't agree with you more, for a month it is the best city in Canada for a visit.

Summers are good here and loads of festivals to visit.

Living here is a whole other matter and no one would recommend that.

The problem I see is that he is going to have to find a place for $500 a month or less.

http://www.hostels.com/toronto/canada

[Nascimento]

(04-23-2017 02:10 AM)kosko Wrote:  

**If he likes the outdoors I would recommend Hamilton as it has trails and quarries in the city and people like to take advantage of them in the summer months. He will miss out in the University girls but there is enough tail from girls fleeing Toronto expensive real estste. Plus you can take GO train to Niagara Falls to check out or to Toronto for little mini trips. Hamilton is kind of shabby but it is a authentic Canadian City.

To add to your post, Hamilton isn't a bad option in general. It's pretty good for dating, actually. Nightlife is bustling in the spring through fall, particularly at Hess. And it provides for very affordable nights out, which isn't exactly the case for the good spots in Toronto.

I'm biased, though. Most of my nightlife in the GTA region has been in Hamilton. It's a big enough city, so there's always a crowd. And it has a major university and college so that guarantees there are always some students around. Not to mention it attracts crowds from the nearby suburbs that want to have fun on the weekend without having to make the lengthy trip downtown.

[kosko]

(04-23-2017 12:32 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

Kosko - I couldn't agree with you more, for a month it is the best city in Canada for a visit.

Summers are good here and loads of festivals to visit.

Living here is a whole other matter and no one would recommend that.

The problem I see is that he is going to have to find a place for $500 a month or less.

http://www.hostels.com/toronto/canada

For Hostels, one hack he can do is message all of them inquiring about a live-work option. If he approaches it in a professional manner and just presents his case that his is looking for a cultural experience but is limited on funds, sometimes these Hostels will give him a bed in exchange for work/volunteer hours. He can give 12-16 hours a week of work in exchange for the bed.

The Hostel I used to work at would do that all the time and structure it longer for people from abroad like Australia or Germany. Hostel got cheap labour and the folks got free lodging so both sides were happy.

For the rest of the lodging, Toronto isn't blanket expensive like London or NYC for example. The city is still strange where deals exist if you look hard enough in the right places.

Vacation Sublets would be a good option for this guy.

If he digs around Craigslist for dudes who are going on vacation and need somebody to sublet for a short-time frame he can make it work.

Here is one example locaiton in downtown east ($500):
https://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/sub/6054983029.html

[kinjutsu]

Calgary is a lot easier to get around than Edmonton. Calgary has spent the past few years boosting the public transit system to reach the newer areas as well as have more times available later in the evening.

Even with $2000 cdn Toronto and Vancouver are still too expensive.
The people are friendlier in Calgary compared to Toronto. The primary reason it wasn't suggested is because the guy is wanting to practice his English with native English speakers. In Toronto he's more likely to meet people who's English is their 2nd or 3rd language.
There's a less noticeable immigrant population in Calgary compared to Vancouver and Toronto.

With the lower cost of living in Calgary combined with the $101 bus pass he will be able to live in Calgary comfortably and be able to eat out if he chooses. On top of more friendlier people the city has, Calgary is the better option in most cases based on what Moma said the criteria was.

[kosko]

(04-23-2017 02:35 PM)kinjutsu Wrote:  

Calgary is a lot easier to get around than Edmonton. Calgary has spent the past few years boosting the public transit system to reach the newer areas as well as have more times available later in the evening.

Even with $2000 cdn Toronto and Vancouver are still too expensive.
The people are friendlier in Calgary compared to Toronto. The primary reason it wasn't suggested is because the guy is wanting to practice his English with native English speakers. In Toronto he's more likely to meet people who's English is their 2nd or 3rd language.
There's a less noticeable immigrant population in Calgary compared to Vancouver and Toronto.

With the lower cost of living in Calgary combined with the $101 bus pass he will be able to live in Calgary comfortably and be able to eat out if he chooses. On top of more friendlier people the city has, Calgary is the better option in most cases based on what Moma said the criteria was.

Those are all good counter points. My main thing was acessibility but if learning english is a very huge factor then being in a more relaxed environment of Caglary will be better.

[christpuncher]

^ Do you guys actually think that for "learning English" Toronto will somehow be inferior to any other city because it is more multicultural and not as "relaxed". Was that a serious recommendation?

I fail to see how bus pass prices are relevant. Will he be travelling 5 times per week round trip with no money to spend at whatever the destination is? No.

I fail to see how the flight to Canada not being in the budget is irrelevant... He's coming internationally, not all destinations will be the same price, Toronto and Vancouver most likely the cheapest. Calgary and Edmonton close behind, everywhere else, $300+ more.

Does he want to actually study English and take classes? In what cities is that offered? Or is puttering about and living a cheap peaceful life with some social interactions what he's after? What exactly is goal of this 1 month experience?

I'd say 2nd tier Ontario is the best bet. Kitchener Waterloo, guelph, London, Barrie, Sudbury, St Catherine's, Kingston. One is most likely to be able to nab a cheap student summer sublet for $300-400, and bussing and groceries will be a bit cheaper than the GTA. He can grab a cheap greyhound bus from Toronto to these cities, and fly out of Toronto on the way back home.

Any east coast capital city would be decent as well, maybe Kelowna too, but again, how is your guy going to get there? Transportation past the major airports will be costly.

[kinjutsu]

(04-23-2017 10:01 PM)christpuncher Wrote:  

^ Do you guys actually think that for "learning English" Toronto will somehow be inferior to any other city because it is more multicultural and not as "relaxed". Was that a serious recommendation?

I fail to see how bus pass prices are relevant. Will he be travelling 5 times per week round trip with no money to spend at whatever the destination is? No.

I fail to see how the flight to Canada not being in the budget is irrelevant... He's coming internationally, not all destinations will be the same price, Toronto and Vancouver most likely the cheapest. Calgary and Edmonton close behind, everywhere else, $300+ more.

Does he want to actually study English and take classes? In what cities is that offered? Or is puttering about and living a cheap peaceful life with some social interactions what he's after? What exactly is goal of this 1 month experience?

I'd say 2nd tier Ontario is the best bet. Kitchener Waterloo, guelph, London, Barrie, Sudbury, St Catherine's, Kingston. One is most likely to be able to nab a cheap student summer sublet for $300-400, and bussing and groceries will be a bit cheaper than the GTA. He can grab a cheap greyhound bus from Toronto to these cities, and fly out of Toronto on the way back home.

Any east coast capital city would be decent as well, maybe Kelowna too, but again, how is your guy going to get there? Transportation past the major airports will be costly.

Yes that was a serious recommendation. Vancouver is a majority non-English speaking currently. Every where you go there white English speakers are the nearly the minority. Toronto is the same.

Toronto and Vancouver are not cheap places to live in. Regardless of time spent there the cost of living in both places are high.

Calgary is friendlier as well.
I have lived in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon so i have an idea of what I'm talking about.

Did you even read the thread before commenting? The guy will not have a car. He will not be able to rely on someone else for transportation. A monthly bus pass for $101 is the best possible deal.