Aug 01, 2023
Worth it ba talagang mag-Canada?
I didn’t really want to talk about this topic. I feel like I’m NOT the most qualified person to talk about it.
Why?
It’s because my wife and I decided we want to move and settle down in one of the most beautiful places in the world with four seasons. We would have settled down in the Swiss or Norway, but we don’t really have the time to learn a new language. That and bunch of other personal preference, we finally decided to choose Canada.
After choosing Canada, of course we are going to aim for the most beautiful province, the beautiful British Columbia. And here we are.
BUT, that’s already going to start an argument. Which province nga ba ang pinaka-maganda? People will argue it’s Alberta with its most famous Banff. And that’s why I don’t want to talk about this topic. It’s because this topic can lead to arguments and long meaningless discussions.
And I don’t really like arguing, nor I don’t have time for it.
I don’t want to waste time discussing these things kasi there will never be a winner. Because beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I can’t and will NOT convince you na mas maganda dito. Kasi it’s up to your preference. There are people who prefer beaches than mountain views. Personally sawa na ko sa dagat and Malalaman nyo dahilan pag nameet nyo ko in person, and you discover my true colors.
In short, kung ako ang tatanungin, worth it para sakin to move here, kasi I’m mostly here for its scenery. Which is kayang kaya nyo naman ding pasyalan na lang as tourist. Hence, my criteria for it being “worth it” is also NOT so relatable for most people in this group, and feel free to disagree with what I wrote down.
So, setting aside kung “Saan nga ba mas maganda, let’s talk if it is financially wise to move to Canada.
Let’s talk about numbers!!!
Disclaimer: It’s very difficult to make an accurate comparison kasi iba iba naman ang situation natin sa buhay. I can only super simplify this and make a general comparison. Accuracy is YOUR problem and YOURS to figure out. NOT mine. So again, this is a super simplified answer.
Minimum wage earners Philippines vs Canada
In the Philippines, if you are single and have a salary of about 15k monthly, you don’t need to pay income tax. Your main expenses are rent, groceries, bills and transportation, which is around 8k. I know mahirap to keep your expenses sa 8k monthly pero possible and in this scenario, I’m giving Philippines a upper hand na lang. So, you have 7k remaining for your health, leisure, and future. You must eventually reward yourself too. Mental health is also a concern. You also need to think about inflation, career progression, housing.
In Canada, a single person earning minimum wage of 120k PESOS monthly, will have to pay tax, rent, groceries and transportation, which can be around 100k Pesos. You are left with 20K, which is still 5k more than just simply your minimum wage in the Philippines. Pero still the same sa Pinas, with those remaining savings, you’re far too off to be able to purchase your own home?
Anyway, at least you have those for leisure, and to plan for career progression or a better future. You don’t really need to worry about medical bills kasi you’ve paid for them on your taxes. Yes, benefits in Canada aren’t free. Malaki ang tax na binabayaran mo to be able to be eligible for those.
With that comparison alone, who do you think has more quality accommodation, food, and commute? Canada for the win!
But wait, how are you going to afford going to Canada on the first place if minimum wage earner ka?
Agencies my friends.
List of POEA-licensed recruitment agencies for Canada
By the way, if you are a low-wage earner in the Philippines doing trades working as a Carpenter, Construction worker, Welder, etc., then please know that you’re not coming to Canada earning minimum wage. You can easily get a median wage or more. So, for those working on trades, it’s definitely worth it.
Median Low wage earners in the Philippines vs Minimum wage earners in Canada
If you earn more than 15k but below 50k in the Philippines, then you’ll probably spend most of it in getting a more decent quality of life in the Philippines. The most you’re going to save is just 10k din naman. Let's be realistic.
In this comparison, cutting the story short, you might be able to match the quality of life of low-wage earner in Canada, but you will still have to set aside for your health and future.
This is the perfect timing to address the “free” health care sa Canada. Free nga daw, but you are likely to spend the day waiting in the emergency lane before you can see the doctor. Half a day in most times, but people like to exaggerate things. Or maybe they experience waiting in line for a day and generalized the whole thing na. It also depends how likely you need an urgent consultation.
On the other hand, how much is a single consultation in the Philippines? 500 pesos agad per visit. And how much is the minimum wage? 610 Pesos per day? You didn’t have to wait that long to see a doctor, but it will cost you a day’s worth of work. Isn’t that pretty much just the same as spending one day just to see a doctor? For median low-wage earner earning 1200Pesos per day, that’s still also equivalent to half of your day spent just to see a doctor.
But what if your condition is not just a simple stomach or headache? What if you need more medical attention. Jan ka na ulit matatalo sa Pinas. Kasi you’ll have to keep spending until you recover.
In Canada, that’s part of your taxpayer’s benefits na. You can get an appointment on your succeeding consultations, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time waiting in the emergency lane.
Above median-wage earners in the Philippines vs median wage earners in Canada
In my previous two examples, in my OPINION, it is worth it to move to Canada. Much more if you can progress and work your way up to being a median wage-earner or more.
But if you are earning more than 50k-100k monthly sa Pinas, then you can “start” to afford both a decent life and all the benefits you’ll get from Canada. It will still be a challenge and it will depend on how you budget though.
If you are earning more than a 100k, this is where I draw the line. It's financially wise to stay in the Philippines. You can "arguably" match up the quality of life you’ll get in Canada, and be able to properly afford the benefits. Not to mention, much more affordable housing market sa Pinas.
For health benefits, you can buy health insurance. For retirement, you can build a retirement plan. For unfortunate disability, you should already have life insurance. Future for your children, you can afford that tuition fee. The list goes on, and the higher you earn in the Philippines, the less it’s “financially worth it” to move to Canada.
AT LEAST if you are comparing it to minimum-wage earner in Canada.
BUT are you going to stay as a minimum-wage earner?
If you don’t have a career progression plan once you move to Canada, then it is a wise decision to stay in Philippine. You can afford a better life in the Philippines earning 200k pesos vs earning the same in Canada. Again, all the benefits in Canada, you can afford to buy the equivalent in the Philippines.
BUT one thing that’s a challenge in the Philippines, is opportunity. Opportunity to land a job in one of the biggest companies that is only available if you live in a first world country. If you know, then you know. If you don't, then it would not matter so much for you, and I don’t need to elaborate further. Arguably, it’s not actually “impossible” find an opportunity from the Philippines.
Anyway, moving to another country is NEVER easy. But if you can see a career progression, like if you are presently earning a mdeian wage of 50k pesos monthly in the Philippines, and would potentially be earning at least the median wage of 4.5k CAD monthly in Canada, then it is definitely worth it.
If you are already earning enough and financially stable in the Philippines, it all boils down to what are you going to do in Canada? What would be your potential life in Canada? You must answer those questions before you can personally answer kung “worth it” nga bang mag Canada.
After carefully considering if it is worth it or not, you now must also take into consideration the transition part. What pathway are you planning to take?
To learn about the different pathways, you may read about them in our guide.
Pangarap ko talagang makapag Canada
Direct Permanent residency is definitely the best pathway, IF ELIGIBLE.
How does one obtain a Permanent Resident (PR) visa?
Followed by work permit pathway.
Foreign Workers - Which Visa to Apply?
If one of these two above is your pathway, then it’s NOT going to be too expensive, hence you don’t really need to think about how hard the transition can be.
Stop saying moving to another country is going back to zero!
You are NOT going back to ZERO if you move to Canada. You’re only going start from zero, if you have, or you are ZERO to begin with.
Let me explain.
To begin with, your family is still your family. Maybe you’re not fortunate enough to bring them with you in Canada immediately, but you’ll have a chance to.
Your talents are still with you to make some friends and create connections. Or boost your job hunt, or earn an extra income.
Your experience and skills are also accounted for when you apply for a job in Canada. No one, as in no one, is going to reject your application just because you didn’t have previous experience inside Canada. Having an international experience is an advantage, and you should treat it like so. The key is dapat gagandahan nyo pag-sulat nyo ng experience nyo sa resume. Hindi ung kayo pa ang nag do-downgrade saying na hindi from Canada ung experience nyo.
On the other hand, your education and certification might not have the same equivalency in Canada. BUT it’ll never be zero. The least you can get from an assessment of your bachelor’s degree is a 2-year diploma. My wife got the same equivalency in Canada. Again, it’s NOT zero. Education in the Philippines is NOT trash.
Assuming it is worth it to get your career progression in Canada, then going to school for another year or two is also worth it, since you don’t need to spend as much in tuition fee as International Students do. And you can work full-time.
Your savings and investments? You can bring them with you in Canada. It’s NOT going to buy you as much as you can afford in the Philippines, but at least you are NOT starting from zero. There will be expenses and mababawasan ang savings, but It’s NOT because you are moving to Canada. It’s simply because you are moving. Kahit saan ka naman lumipat, lagging may expense.
Anyway, unless you barely have savings, then hindi ka mazezero. I mean if you DIY, the most na magagastos mo for applying for PR is roughly around 7,000 CAD. For WP it could be cheaper.
Kung may Malaki kang savings, possible ka lang mag back to zero if ma-scam ka kasi di mo binasa ung guides namin dito sa group.
Moving on, the ones who needs to be concerned about their savings are the ones taking the International Students pathway. You’re the ones na malaki talaga ang magagastos and malaki pa ang magagastos. You’re the ones who are likely to go back to “financially” zero if you move to Canada.
In my opinion, taking this pathway is only worth it if the career that you will be taking is going to change your life for good. Unless you’re already rich to begin with, then please don’t make it as a pathway na “makarating lang sa Canada”. It's a really expensive pathway!
Sobrang daming tao na nagrereklamo how expensive it is to live in Canada.
And that is 100% true!!!
Only come to Canada if you can and will be able to afford to live here. Take time to really research what your life could be in Canada. Iba iba kasi tayo ng buhay, iba iba tayo ng future, and iba iba din tayo ng goals in life.
There’s a LOT of people out there already exaggerating how hard it is to go “back to zero” moving to Canada. As I’ve explained, it is just an exaggeration, pero sobrang hirap na. And that’s the exact reason why people are exaggerating it. Kasi, it feels like going back to zero. Even if they are NOT literally going back to zero.
How much more challenging do you think it would be if you were moving here literally starting from zero?
And how much more moving here with negative? Kaya, wag na wag mong ipangungutang pa ung pag punta sa Canada. Baka umuwi ka lang din na lubog sa utang, complaining how expensive it is in Canada.
With all these being said, or written, I guess you should have an idea if it is financially worth it to move to Canada. It’s the most important thing, pero there are a lot more to consider than just financials.
May mga taong nagrereklamo na puro trabaho lang ang buhay sa Canada. May mga taong nagpapasalamat kasi madaming available na trabaho sa Canada.
May mga taong nagrereklamo how expensive rent is in Canada. May mga taong nagpapasalamat kasi kumikita sila sa pag collect ng rent sa Canada.
May mga taong nagrereklamo na ang lamig sa Canada. May mga taong nagpapasalamat kasi na-experience din nila ang lamig at snow sa Canada.
May mga taong namimiss ang beach. May mga taong nagpapasalamat sa mountain views.
May mga taong namimiss ang kanilang love ones back home. May mga taong who found “The One” in Canada.
The list goes on and ayaw ko na sanang pahabain to kasi sobrang haba na nga. And that's my concern is I think masyadong mahaba to para maging post lang. Ang hirap tapusin magbasa.
And congratz if you did!
As much as I appreciate you taking the time reading what I wrote, I know it would be more convenient if I made it as a video, instead of an article.
Hence, I am thinking of starting a youtube channel!
If that’s a good idea, I hope you can support me by subscribing to the channel I’ve created.
There are more than 160 thousand members in our group, and I believe getting 10 thousand subs should be easy, and will confirm that it is a good idea to start doing videos.
If you find value in what I do, I hope you can also take the time to support me in what I do.
Have a great day everyone!
I hope you found valuable information in our website. I've been investing a lot of my time to create this website and help as much as I can.
I want to do this for as long as I can! Your support in buying me a coffee can help me achieve this and help more people.
to top