How Is Living in Canada Different from the US?

By  //  April 25, 2022

Both the US and Canada are a part of North America and both countries are first-world nations. Although the US is a superpower, bringing in 20 times the GDP of Canada, the per capita income is somewhat comparable.

Moreover, the recent US citizen test is made difficult while the Canadian citizenship test is fairly easy in comparison. The Canadian citizenship test is designed to assess your understanding of Canadian rights, responsibilities, symbols, regions, government, and so on.

This article will talk about more of such things that differentiate life in the US and Canada.

Free healthcare

One of the most debated topics in the US, as a first-world nation, is the lack of free healthcare. In a world where less developed countries like Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Oman, and others have universal healthcare, the United States does not have it. Americans always bring up Canada’s free health service whenever there is a debate on the topic.

However, health care in Canada is rather perplexing, particularly for Americans. Every state seems to have its own healthcare system, which does not operate in the same manner. If a person from Toronto visits Montreal and has to visit a specialist, he or she must register the expenditures with the Toronto healthcare system, which might or might not compensate for the exact price that Montreal wants to be reimbursed, and matters rapidly become very difficult. 

Many individuals also have difficulty obtaining primary care providers, and most Canadians have private health insurance in conjunction with their government-provided coverage to cover prescribed drugs, dentistry, optometry, and other treatments.

Less competent online shopping

People in the United States are accustomed to being able to purchase everything from one’s internet-capable device for a reasonable price and with immediate shipment. People in the United States have purchased sneakers on Zappos and received them on the same day.

Many Americans are startled to learn that many companies do not allow online purchases and that even a website like eBay Canada has a far lower assortment than its American equivalent. Although Canadians use the Internet in large numbers, only about 50% of all companies operating in the country have dedicated web pages, much alone the capacity to sell things on the internet.

Bilingualism

Officially, Canada is a multilingual nation. Folks from other cities than Quebec frequently claim that few individuals speak French in everyday life in Canada. Nevertheless, in Quebec, French is the dominant language, and it is the only language prevalent in many parts of the region. 

Montreal is a strongly multilingual city, and it’s remarkable to listen to residents fluidly transition from French to English and vice versa, with some regions predominated by people who speak French and others by people speaking mostly English.

Cheaper accommodation

Compared to the US, daily living expenses are less. It is cheaper to live in the major cities of Canada than the major cities of the USA. However, it also depends on the part of the city you’re looking to live in and your income tax rate.

Overall, there are many other factors that differentiate life in Canada and life in the US but despite the differences, both countries are good options for residency.