Question for those in AB and SK!!

[daynabas]

We live in Ontario, about 45 minutes east of Toronto (without traffic lol). My hubby is a Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter, and he recently learned that he could accept a 18-month job in either Alberta or Saskatchewan. He pretty much has his mind made up about it, but I told him I need at least a week to consider (job would not begin until the late spring). On average, he earns a net pay of $4000 per month. This job opportunity would mean a net pay of $4000 per WEEK

In that 18-months, we could easily get ourselves out (or pretty darn close to being out) of the debt we're in (about 25k combined, that includes my OSAP and the 10k he paid his ex to walk away from the house).

Obviously being away from family/friends is my biggest consideration at this point, but I'm curious, if his wage will be 4x more than what it is here, what is the cost of living like there? I know it depends on WHERE you live, but on average for a reasonably populated city, how much would a 2 bedroom apartment rent for? What's the housing market like? What about gas prices? Food costs?

This opportunity almost seems too good to be true. So if anyone who lives anywhere in either of these provinces could offer me a little bit of insight into their lives, I would greatly appreciate it!!

Thank-you

[vesper]

I left Alberta for Sask because Sask was must cheaper. Much!! However I think Regina and Saskatoon are getting pricey now, but in a small city like SWift Current you can get a very good deal an a place to rent.

Overall, it is still a bargain to live in Sask over Alberta in most cases.

Do you have any idea what part of Sask y'all would have to go to?

[thriftygranny]

Do you have any idea where in Alberta? If it is Fort McMurray your cost of living will be through the roof. I am in Central Alberta and a 3 bedroom townhouse will rent from about $1200.00 and upwards. If you have an idea where he will be posted it would help a lot!

[Booboobear]

Vesper is right, prices overall in Regina and Saskatoon are going up, but still cheaper than AB. Housing is tight in alot of the province, especially in the areas where oil is big right now (Estevan, Yorkton, etc)

[Natalka]

I'm in Saskatoon, and rents here totally depend on so many things - what part of the city you end up living in, especially.
I haven't looked at rental costs in ages, we've been renting the same duplex (east side of river) since 1995 - but it looks like a two bedroom apartment on the east side of the river are 800-900 to a thousand and up. Because it's a university city, houses are often split to rent the main floor and basement suites separately, so there are more choices. Now just that I've looked at ads, I'm surprized there are so many units available for rent - the market seems to have let up a bit.
On the west side of the river, rents will be cheaper.

http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/f-real-es...tIdZ37QQPageZ2
http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/f-real-es...l-W0QQCatIdZ43

Food costs are very good (not as good as some of the deals in ON we see in posted flyers here on SC), but comparable. And we have London Drugs!!!

Gas right now is 1.28.

If you need anything more specific, feel free to PM me! I'm familiar with other small cities in the province, and towns as well, especially in the central part of the province.

For example, I've lived in both North Battleford and Lloydminster, and I'd move back to either of those cities in a second!

[vesper]

That is significantly cheaper than Alberta in most places.

When I moved from Banff to SW Sask, there were houses for sale $10,000 - $25,000 in many smaller towns, or $100,000 for a very large one all modern. Now they have tripled.

[Angela273]

I live in Estevan and there is a serious housing shortage, but 1,000+ job posting. A two bedroom apartment costs $1,200-$1,400. We have 3 grocery stores: No Frills, Sobeys, and CO-OP which gives you opportunities to catch the big sales. Estevan has a population of about 13,000 people. We have a lot of different storesNAND resteraunts in town because the average household income is $64,000/yr. We even have a movie theatre and WalMart.

If you know where you will be moving to, it is a lot easier to find out specific information.

[vesper]

I had a job offer with Sask Tourism at Estevan but had to decline it due to lack of decent places to live. The job was only $20 an hour when you did the math, so I was not that disappointed. Nice town, I really like Estevan!

[schwarzie]

I live in Calgary. I agree with everyone, it is dependent on where you are moving to. Some rents may be higher, townhouses in my burbs complex rent for approx $1200-$1400/month from what I hear, but I am also within walking distance of all major grocery stores and right off Deerfoot Trail. Yes, SK may be seem less expensive to start out, but also consider other factors.... what if your DH hates his new job? I would look into all aspects, such as employment opportunities for him and yourself should you be employed (I have no idea of your situation).

As well, I would be certain about the wages? $4000 net per week seems very high to me, that is over $250K per year net. Most tradespeople are generally earning approx $35-$50/hour. While I don't in any way question your DH's abilities, $120-$150/hour seems a bit out of there? Not trying to be negative at all.

[marstec]

I think for that wage, it has to be in a pretty isolated location. There is enough people who want to live in the larger centres that employers don't have to offer the high end of the scale.

If you see it as a temporary situation and can deal with the isolation, then go for it. But always factor in quality of life into the equation if that's is important to you.