Cost of housing in Canada

[Kirkhill]

One source of competition is disappearing

Immigration: Canada was a dream destination for Indian students. Is that changing?

Tighter rules, rising costs and visa risks are forcing Indian students to rethink studying in Canada.

www.bbc.com

...

80% drop in interest in Canada


At an overseas education consultancy in the Indian capital, Delhi, students sit with their parents, flipping through brochures from universities in Italy, Germany and Australia.

But one destination, once the top choice, is now largely absent.

"Until 2023, most of our applications were for Canada," says Shobhit Anand, who runs the consultancy, which helps students navigate the admission process, including visa applications.

Now, he says they have seen a drop of nearly 80%.

...

Indian share of international students dropped from 51.6% in 2023 to 8.1% in by Sept 2025


According to a report submitted by Canada's auditor general to parliament last month, the share of Indians in the country's incoming international student population was just 8.1% in September 2025 - a sharp drop from 51.6% in 2023.

....

Study permit rejections rose from 38% in 2023 to 52% in 2024

...

SDS problem eliminated

The Canadian auditor general's report also mentions concerns around a now-scrapped fast-track visa system known as the Student Direct Stream (SDS). Popular among Indian applicants, it allowed quicker processing for those who met certain financial and language requirements.

Approval rates under SDS for Indians rose from 61% in 2022 to 98% in 2024, even as officials flagged risks such as fraudulent applications, students not attending classes and rising asylum claims. By the end of 2024, the scheme was scrapped and scrutiny has since tightened.

....

Not just for the foreigners!

Jobs are another big concern.

Many private colleges expanded rapidly during what experts describe as the "international student boom" - a surge in overseas enrolment, particularly after the pandemic, when Canada saw record numbers of foreign students.

But many of these institutions offered limited academic value and operated largely as revenue-driven businesses, experts say.

As a result, job opportunities failed to keep pace with the growing number of graduates, leaving many students unable to recover the high cost of studying abroad.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Just remember these same academics who basically funnelled these poor foreigners though useless made up programs for cash are also the same academics who lecture us on ethics.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It's amazing what can happen when a plan doesn't come together...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2067701561174958202

 

[Brad Sallows]

It's amazing what can happen when a plan doesn't come together...

Reinforcing failure. Another nail in the productivity coffin.

 

[YZT580]

Reinforcing failure. Another nail in the productivity coffin.

Is that the same money that was going to be used for new homes to accelerate construction?

 

[Brad Sallows]

Is that the same money that was going to be used for new homes to accelerate construction?

As usual, "more for this is less for that" applies.

 

[Halifax Tar]

It's amazing what can happen when a plan doesn't come together...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2067701561174958202

Careful ...

 

[Halifax Tar]

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

The Urban Stress Index (USI) uses data on the distribution of employment income across Canada and the National Rent Report from rentals.ca to divvy out its scores.

The index ranks Halifax at 76.35 – the highest among the Canadian cities on its table – beating Toronto at 73.12 and Vancouver at 73.45.

Halifax ranked ‘extreme’ for unaffordability, worst of Canadian cities scored: index report

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[dapaterson]

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

The Urban Stress Index (USI) uses data on the distribution of employment income across Canada and the National Rent Report from rentals.ca to divvy out its scores.

The index ranks Halifax at 76.35 – the highest among the Canadian cities on its table – beating Toronto at 73.12 and Vancouver at 73.45.

Halifax ranked ‘extreme’ for unaffordability, worst of Canadian cities scored: index report

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

www.ctvnews.ca

A little less avocado toast and a few less donair is all it takes

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

The Urban Stress Index (USI) uses data on the distribution of employment income across Canada and the National Rent Report from rentals.ca to divvy out its scores.

The index ranks Halifax at 76.35 – the highest among the Canadian cities on its table – beating Toronto at 73.12 and Vancouver at 73.45.

Halifax ranked ‘extreme’ for unaffordability, worst of Canadian cities scored: index report

Halifax’s cost of living has been ranked as “extreme” in an index ranking cities’ typical monthly income, rent prices, and costs of essential food.

www.ctvnews.ca

They missed one metric... taxes.... of all forms.

Nova Scotia and Québec take the cake for highest tax burden in North America.

Living in Nova Scotia as a high income/high potential earner is the equivalent of pissing money in to the wind:

Assuming:

• Starting salary: $150,000
• Annual salary growth: 3–4%
• Similar deductions and tax situation each year
• Current provincial tax structures remain broadly comparable

A reasonable estimate is:

[th]

Annual Salary Growth​

[/th][th]

Estimated Extra Tax Paid in Nova Scotia (vs. Alberta) Over 10 Years​

[/th]​

[td]

3%​

[/td][td]

~$95,000–$110,000​

[/td]​

[td]

3.5%​

[/td][td]

~$100,000–$115,000​

[/td]​

[td]

4%​

[/td][td]

~$105,000–$120,000​

[/td]​

A good midpoint estimate is about $110,000 in additional provincial income tax over the decade.
For example, with 3.5% annual raises, your salary would progress approximately as follows:

[th]

Year​

[/th][th]

Salary​

[/th]​

[td]

1​

[/td][td]

$150,000​

[/td]​

[td]

5​

[/td][td]

~$172,000​

[/td]​

[td]

10​

[/td][td]

~$204,000​

[/td]​

As your salary rises into higher provincial tax brackets, the annual gap between Nova Scotia and Alberta generally widens, so the cumulative tax difference grows faster than if your salary remained flat.
If you're evaluating two otherwise comparable job offers, an Alberta position paying the same nominal salary can easily leave you with around $100,000–$120,000 more after provincial income tax over a 10-year period.

At a $150,000 starting salary with 3–4% annual raises, the tax difference between Ontario and Nova Scotia is much smaller than the gap between Alberta and Nova Scotia.
A reasonable estimate is:

Province
Ontario
Nova Scotia

[th]

10-Year Income Tax (Relative)​

[/th]​

[td]

Baseline​

[/td]​

[td]

~$45,000–$65,000 more​

[/td]​

Using a midpoint assumption of 3.5% annual salary growth:

• Starting salary: $150,000
• Year 10 salary: ≈ $204,000
• Additional tax in Nova Scotia vs. Ontario over 10 years: approximately $55,000 (give or take about $10,000 depending on future tax policy and deductions). (Canada)

Comparison over 10 years​

Comparison
Nova Scotia vs. Alberta
Nova Scotia vs. Ontario

[th]

Approximate Additional Tax​

[/th]​

[td]

$100,000–$120,000​

[/td]​

[td]

$45,000–$65,000​

[/td]​

Ontario's provincial tax rates are generally lower than Nova Scotia's, particularly at middle and upper-middle incomes, but the gap is considerably smaller than Alberta's advantage. (Canada)

Source: ChatGPT Pro


What's more amazing is if you are a high-income earner and had the ability to invest the excess tax burden you would otherwise pay in Nova Scotia..


If we use the Nova Scotia vs. Ontario estimate and assume:

• Starting salary: $150,000
• Salary growth: 3.5% per year
• Average additional tax paid in Nova Scotia: about $5,500 per year (growing with salary)
• You invest that tax savings each year into a low-cost S&P 500 index fund
• Contributions are made at the end of each year

You get approximately:

[th]

Average Annual Return​

[/th][th]

Value After 10 Years​

[/th]​

[td]

7%​

[/td][td]

~$82,000–$87,000​

[/td]​

[td]

8%​

[/td][td]

~$85,000–$92,000​

[/td]​

[td]

10%​

[/td][td]

~$92,000–$100,000​

[/td]​

The amount invested over the decade is only about $55,000. The remainder is investment growth.

Alberta vs. Nova Scotia​

If instead you compare Alberta and Nova Scotia, where the cumulative tax difference is approximately $110,000 over 10 years, the numbers become much larger:

[th]

Average Annual Return​

[/th][th]

Value After 10 Years​

[/th]​

[td]

7%​

[/td][td]

~$165,000–$175,000​

[/td]​

[td]

8%​

[/td][td]

~$170,000–$182,000​

[/td]​

[td]

10%​

[/td][td]

~$185,000–$200,000​

[/td]​

Long-term effect​

The really significant impact appears after the first 10 years. If you stop contributing after year 10 and simply leave the money invested:

Scenario
Ontario vs. Nova Scotia
Alberta vs. Nova Scotia

[th]

Value After an Additional 20 Years at 10%​

[/th]​

[td]

~$600,000–$700,000​

[/td]​

[td]

~$1.2–1.4 million​

[/td]​

This illustrates the compounding effect: a lower annual tax burden not only increases your immediate after-tax income, but also creates a larger pool of capital that can compound over decades.
Given your investment approach of using broad-market index funds and your long-term wealth-building focus, differences in provincial taxation can have a meaningful impact on your net worth over time.


You are leaving $100,000s of $$$ potentially off the table just to live in Nova Scotia!

 

[Halifax Tar]

You are leaving $100,000s of $$$ potentially off the table just to live in Nova Scotia!

Thanks lol I didn't need this reminder.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Thanks lol I didn't need this reminder.

My plan is to make my $$$ elsewhere and then buy the nicest beachfront property I can on the East Coast when I retire. Lots of nice white sand beaches in NB and PEI!

 

[Halifax Tar]

My plan is to make my $$$ elsewhere and then buy the nicest beachfront property I can on the East Coast when I retire. Lots of nice white sand beaches in NB and PEI!

This is a huge part of the problem. Said as respectfully as possible.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

This is a huge part of the problem. Said as respectfully as possible.

Oh yah, but why would I move to the East Coast now when they will just take my $$$ and piss it down the drain. I was born and raised in the area. Would love to contribute but they don't want that. Atlantic Canada’s largest export is brainpower for elsewhere.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Oh yah, but why would I move to the East Coast now when they will just take my $$$ and piss it down the drain. I was born and raised in the area. Would love to contribute but they don't want that. Atlantic Canada’s largest export is brainpower for elsewhere.

Its just prices out the locals and puts unpaid burden on local medical system is all.

We seem to be becoming Canada's retirement home... Those are expensive to run FYI.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Its just prices out the locals and puts unpaid burden on local medical system is all.

We seem to be becoming Canada's retirement home... Those are expensive to run FYI.

The burden isn't unpaid. I paid a bigger part of the bill for that medical system than the locals did via income taxes and equalization transfers from the Federal Govt via my tax $$$. 20% of Nova Scotia's Healthcare system is subsidized by the Federal Govt.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The burden isn't unpaid. I paid a bigger part of the bill for that medical system than the locals did via income taxes and equalization transfers from the Federal Govt via my tax $$$. 20% of Nova Scotia's Healthcare system is subsidized by the Federal Govt.

We all pay federal taxes and 20% leaves 80%.

But hey man you do you. Your goal is just part of the problem is all I am saying.

I say again:

We seem to be becoming Canada's retirement home... Those are expensive to run FYI.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

We all pay federal taxes and 20% leaves 80%.

But hey man you do you. Your goal is just part of the problem is all I am saying.

I say again:

Some of us pay substantially more than others, I've paid more in taxes this year than the average Canadian earns in an entire year, that's not a flex, that's just a fact. A province like Nova Scotia should be happy if I were to move there, my money gets injected in to their relatively stagnant economy.

Another big misnomer is that "wealthy people are buying up all the homes!" The price wars and rat races actually happen at the lower levels of home ownership. Between the $300,000-$500,000 mark. That's where the big markups and ridiculous overbids happen. Past a certain point, there aren't many people buying those houses and there isn't a huge demand for those houses. In my current market, a house that has a listing price of $400,000 on it will have 20+ bids with an insane mark up and bidding war. Anything over $600,000 will have 1 or 2 bids.

I don't really consider money paid by anyone employed by the Govt as a real tax payment. It's just a recirculation of $$$ that was paid by private means. Sure public servants pay in the literal sense but it's really a pointless administrative transfer between govt departments. We could actually eliminate some needless churn if all public servants didn't pay taxes, ei, cpp, etc. I'd be happy if the public service was exempt from tax and other payments but simply had their salaries reduced to account for this. We could then subsequently reduce the size of various Govt accounting departments.

The top 20% of earners contribute roughly 2/3 of all taxes (federal/provincial/municipal). The rest is paid by everyone else.

As for the 20% Federal funding, that's direct funding via Canada Health Transfer. Equalization payments, which account for almost $5 billion a year of Nova Scotia's budget. Now the province can spend that $$$ however they choose and it's not marked up specifically for healthcare but because healthcare is a substantial portion of the Provincial budget, the amount paid via equalization makes the number far higher than 20%.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Some of us pay substantially more than others, I've paid more in taxes this year than the average Canadian earns in an entire year, that's not a flex, that's just a fact. A province like Nova Scotia should be happy if I were to move there, my money gets injected in to their relatively stagnant economy.

Another big misnomer is that "wealthy people are buying up all the homes!" The price wars and rat races actually happen at the lower levels of home ownership. Between the $300,000-$500,000 mark. That's where the big markups and ridiculous overbids happen. Past a certain point, there aren't many people buying those houses and there isn't a huge demand for those houses. In my current market, a house that has a listing price of $400,000 on it will have 20+ bids with an insane mark up and bidding war. Anything over $600,000 will have 1 or 2 bids.

I don't really consider money paid by anyone employed by the Govt as a real tax payment. It's just a recirculation of $$$ that was paid by private means. Sure public servants pay in the literal sense but it's really a pointless administrative transfer between govt departments. We could actually eliminate some needless churn if all public servants didn't pay taxes, ei, cpp, etc. I'd be happy if the public service was exempt from tax and other payments but simply had their salaries reduced to account for this. We could then subsequently reduce the size of various Govt accounting departments.

The top 20% of earners contribute roughly 2/3 of all taxes (federal/provincial/municipal). The rest is paid by everyone else.

As for the 20% Federal funding, that's direct funding via Canada Health Transfer. Equalization payments, which account for almost $5 billion a year of Nova Scotia's budget. Now the province can spend that $$$ however they choose and it's not marked up specifically for healthcare but because healthcare is a substantial portion of the Provincial budget, the amount paid via equalization makes the number far higher than 20%.

Like I said you do you. Your goal is just part of the problem is all I am saying.

Id encourage you not to come here and inflate prices even more.

 

[Altair]

Like I said you do you. Your goal is just part of the problem is all I am saying.

Id encourage you not to come here and inflate prices even more.

You keep that up and we will all move there.