Like many living in Canada, Alexandra Sherwood and her partner Evan were under pressure from the country’s high cost of living.
The young married couple held good jobs and managed to afford a place in Port Moody, a Vancouver suburb known for its natural beauty and slew of hip restaurants and breweries.
But life added up between groceries, transportation, and everything else, and they eventually decided to leave Canada.
It’s been just over a month since they settled in Stirling, Scotland, a town about 60 km northeast of Edinburgh.
In their early thirties, the couple moved to Scotland for a few reasons: Evan was looking for a career change, and they found themselves being priced out of the Metro Vancouver region.
Alexandra Sherwood and her husband, Evan, recently made the move to Stirling, Scotland. (Supplied)
Sherwood explained that if her husband were going to commit to a job change, it would be financially challenging.
“We had been living paycheck to paycheck in Vancouver, and we knew that if he wanted to pursue that, there would be no way we could afford to live on my income alone,” she said.
After crunching the numbers, they realized that maybe their best path forward was to leave Canada altogether.
“We looked at our options and realized even if we wanted to move somewhere remote in BC like Merritt, the average home price is upwards of $600,000 — and grocery costs and phone bills would be the same,” Sherwood told Daily Hive.
“If we can live for far cheaper and do it in Europe instead of Merritt, why wouldn’t we?”
After months of researching, they finally decided they were going to make the move to Stirling.
“I should acknowledge how privileged we are to be able to make this move,” noted Sherwood.
“My husband has UK citizenship as his father was born here, and I was able to get a partner visa.”
As a remote employee for a global software company, Sherwood said she could easily relocate her work overseas.
Another factor that helped the couple with their move was the fact they owned their Port Moody condo. Selling their home helped fund their relocation and allowed them to find a place to live in Scotland.
The couple hasn’t been living in the UK for long; they relocated last month. Still, Sherwood said she’s already seen the impact of the cost of living compared to Metro Vancouver.
Here’s an overview of the couple’s spending in Scotland so far.
Groceries
Sherwood said the food costs in Scotland have “really surprised” her.
She estimates the couple’s average grocery bill in one month is around £300 to £350, which is about C$534 to C$623.
“In Canada, our average monthly spend was closer to $1000 — and that’s us on a budget,” Sherwood explained.
“That’s us choosing the off-brand versions of everything and really considering whether we need each item before putting it in the cart.”
Sherwood often shops at the UK chain Tesco for her groceries. (Supplied)
She noted that since arriving in the UK, she’s picked up items at the grocery store that are considered “gourmet” products — such as specialty cheeses, Italian deli meats, and name-brand crackers — which she didn’t buy back home.
“Every grocery store carries alcohol, so we often pick up a bottle of wine for £5. It’s nice to be able to afford small luxuries like this without the anxiety over our budget that would normally come along in Canada,” she added.
Sherwood says a benefit of her move has been being able to afford small luxuries, like wine, at the grocery store. (Supplied)
“Small luxuries make life worth living, and it’s something we had come to accept just wouldn’t be a part of our lives anymore, living in Vancouver.”
Not to mention, she’s found staples much cheaper. For instance, at the UK grocery chain Tesco, spices are usually £1 (C$1.78), grapes are £1.80 (C$3.20) for a bag, and a four-pack of chicken breast goes for £2.50 (C$4.45), she told Daily Hive.
Transportation
Sherwood and her husband rely on local transportation to get around. While the couple has found transit much more accessible, it is more expensive in the UK compared to Vancouver.
Sherwood provided an example of one train route compared to a similar one in Metro Vancouver.
“From Stirling to Edinburgh, it’s about a 40-minute train and costs around £24 (C$42) for two people for a return trip,” she said.
“By comparison, the West Coast Express from Port Moody to [downtown Vancouver] used to cost me $12 per day, return — around half the price of an equivalent journey in the UK.”
Sherwood said that it would add up if she had to use transit every day in and around Stirling.
“But if you’re just going into town for a concert or a football match, it’s far less expensive than taking an Uber.”
Housing compared to Canada
The couple is renting and plans to buy a home in the future.
They’re currently paying £950 per month (about C$1,700) to live in Stirling, which Sherwood admits is a “premium” for residing in the city.
“We have talked to other Stirling residents, and it sounds like rent is around £500 to £700 (C$880 to C$1240) in this area, but those are likely for unfurnished flats,” she said.
Still, she feels what they’re paying to live in Scotland beats prices back home.
For example, Sherwood explained that a friend who lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Port Moody—similarly sized to her place in Stirling—pays around C$2,600 per month for rent.
The couple is renting and plans to buy a home in Scotland. (Supplied)
“You definitely have to be prepared for homes here to be much older than we’re used to in Vancouver. Our current flat is about 100 years old, but the landlords have renovated it with modern amenities,” she stated.
The couple has been conducting extensive research on purchasing a home in the area, noting significant savings compared to homeownership in Canada.
“We have found beautiful four-bedroom homes for sale in small villages in the highlands for around £225,000, the equivalent of C$400,700,” highlighted Sherwood.
“We have found smaller two-bedroom terraced homes (similar to townhouses or row homes) in the suburbs of Glasgow or Edinburgh for around £200,000, the equivalent of C$356,000.”
All of these options are cheaper than their condo in Port Moody, which they sold for just under $700,000.
“Of course, if you don’t like a country setting or have to commute, you might want to live in the heart of Edinburgh or Glasgow, which would be more expensive.”
Phone bills and internet
Canada is known for its higher mobile data costs than some other countries.
According to a report from HelloSafe published earlier this year, Canada placed 10th among countries with the most expensive cellphone data in the world.
The ranking is based on the average price of 1 GB of data per country on September 2023. The average cost per 1 GB in Canada is $7.36, making it the 10th most expensive country in the world.
Sherwood said she and her husband’s phone bill costs have dramatically decreased since moving to the UK.
They’re currently on a pay-as-you-go plan with UK carrier VOXI, including 75 GB of monthly data, unlimited calls, texting, social media use, and music streaming for £12 per month (C$21) for one person. Both of their phone bills are under C$50 per month.
“In Canada, with Telus, we were paying a combined $225 per month. Evan’s Telus portion was $75, and mine was $150 because mine had more data (10 GB) and included a $10 Apple Watch Plan,” said Sherwood.
For their home internet, the pair pays £28 per month (C$49), compared to the $175 they spent in Canada.
Liesure and restaurants
They’ve also spent a lot of time exploring their new town, and Sherwood said she’s noticed some price differences in leisure activities.
They went to a Tottenham Hotspur football game, spending £30 each (C$54) on tickets. Concert tickets to a show in Glasgow cost £18 each (C$32).
Sherwood notes that it depends on what activities you choose, but compared to costs back home, they’ve gotten more bang for their buck in Scotland.
The couple at a football game in Scotland. (Supplied)
“The last concert we went to at Rogers Arena was $140 per ticket. The last time we went to the Vancouver Aquarium, it was [around] $50 admission for each of us. Based on those prices, I would say we are saving money on leisure activities,” she explained.
She’s found the prices of restaurants in Scotland quite comparable to those in Vancouver. One advantage of dining out is that there “isn’t really a tipping culture” there.
“You’ll rarely be given the option to tip on payment machines at restaurants and coffee shops,” she added.
Is the grass truly greener than in Canada?
Reflecting on her time in Scotland, Sherwood said she hasn’t lived there long enough to tell if the grass is greener than her life back in Vancouver.
“I’ve heard other immigrants say that there is a honeymoon phase at first, then a miserable phase where you feel really homesick, and then finally you start to think of your new country as “home.” But it can take a year to get to this point,” she explained.
The ex-Vancouverite noted that Scotland’s weather can be much drearier than the West Coast’s and that there is a difference in accessing nature.
“For example, my husband is really into fly fishing, but you can’t just walk up to a river and start fishing in the UK as you can in BC,” she said, adding that folks must pay to use river space.
Overall, the couple is getting acquainted with their new life across the pond, but their move has lightened the burden on their wallets.
“I’m sure there will be many more things we will come to miss as time goes by,” added Sherwood.
Have you relocated out of Canada due to the high cost of living? Email us at [email protected] — we might contact you for a story.