I'm currently in Toronto and looking to transfer to the US from Canada within my current team. Which location is better? My goal is to save enough money to return to Canada and purchase my dream house. I do love Toronto but housing is very expensive Also, how much would a single person spend per year in each location. I’m currently living with parents, so I’m able to save most of my after tax pay. But I think I can save more if I move to US. TC: 190k CAD (170k CAD afterward) YOE: 3
NYC would let you be closer to your parents should you want to visit often, and the lifestyle should be similar to Toronto in terms of both being huge cities. Seattle would let you earn more because of cost of living and no income tax. In the end, the two cities are for very different types of people and you’re going to have to look into it more than just asking “which is better” on blind.
The whole no income tax thing is kinda not exactly true. WA state hides its state income tax in a ton of other places. Vehicle tabs, utility bills, property taxes, levy, etc
But we make more than what we spend… simplifying the calculation 10% income tax in 300k, is a lot more than 10% sales tax in 100k you spend…
Seattle is gloomy and depressing. If you love Toronto, you will love NYC. Plus you are going to continue being close to parents in the same time zone. Seems to be a no brainer to me
I’m pretty sure Canadians (especially east coast) can handle Seattle weather haha
No. Actually. I’m Canadian, lived in Toronto for most of my life. I live in Seattle now for the past 10 years. I’m still not used the lack of sun. It’s depressing. Toronto has lots of sunny day and distinct seasons. Sure the winters aren’t great in the east coast, but the sun makes a huge difference to some people’s mood.
NY/NJ >> Seattle. You will have a great social life. However, outdoors are not as appealing on east coast compared to Seattle.
I grew up in Toronto. Lived there until 30. Moved to Seattle 10 years ago and still live here. Most of the comments above are accurate. NYC is closer to Toronto vibes. Seattle has certain qualities (lots of nature, close to flying to Asia and other coastal cities like SF, Vancouver). Seattle is HQ for Amazon, MS and has a few other tech jobs here. But. Seattle is gloomy for 8 months of the year. It’s not as cold as NYC but you won’t get sunny February mornings. Seattle is much smaller and after a while, it will feel boring. It’s not bustling and massive like Toronto or NYC. Lastly and most importantly, Seattle isn’t diverse. There’s only a few races and tech is mostly white, Chinese and Indian. Toronto and NYC is incredibly diverse and rich of cultures, food and lifestyles. But none of this really matters to your actual goal. You live with your parents and will save more money with them than living on your own in the US. Whenever you move to, keep in mind that you might change your mind. You might meet someone and want to start a family. They may want to live elsewhere. Maybe you’ll move to NYC and fall in love with it. Maybe you’ll grow in your new company and make more and more money but that career path won’t be exist in Toronto since it’s such a saturated low pay market compared to the us.
You are closer to your parents in NY, but WA has no income tax compared to NY which has one of the highest in the US. Both have high rental costs, so plan on a roommate or two if you want to save money for a down payment. I lived in Redmond for 15 years and enjoyed my time in the PNW. The skiing, hiking and outdoor activities were wonderful but it is grey 8 months of the year.
I'm in the US, and plan to move to Canada for better social life.
You’ll never save more living on your own vs living with parents even if you make more in the US. Vast majority of anyone’s income is housing especially if you live in a HCOL city like the two you named although Seattle is still not as bad as New York. Most of your other questions are a simple google search away.
Agree if OP eats at home and does not contribute to groceries. If it's just the rent money that is extra he'll save more in the US