STANDING at her local supermarket checkout, Lyndsey Thomas watches the cashier tallying her family shop for the week.
When she sees the total of £200 flash up on the monitor Lynsey does a double take.
“Are you sure that’s correct?,” she asks the cashier.
It’s worlds away from the pricey £300 per week British mum is used to, but it is just one of the many benefits of moving to Toronto, Canada.
Since Lyndsey, 45, moved with her husband and two teenagers to the city she has discovered that not only is the weather better but the cost of living is cheaper.
Lyndsey has so far saved thousands on her gas and electric bill and can fill up the family car for just £30 compared to around £69 in the UK.
The family get free access to swimming pools and skating rinks just a few streets from their home and can enjoy a Chinese, sushi or pizza takeout for four people for less than £35.
Unlike the UK where NHS waiting lists are causing untold agony, Lyndsey and her family can get emergency same day appointments with their GP and face no waiting for surgery using Canada’s free universal health care system.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Lynsey says: “It’s been a revelation.
“We fled Britain for Canada three years ago.
“It’s cheaper, we have a better life and more of our friends are following our lead.
“My husband needed hand surgery. It took six weeks from the time he saw a GP to when he had the operation.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”I left the UK & moved to the cheapest country in the world – rent is £432 a month, petrol AND lunch is £1 & beer is 40p” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6369590320112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“He’d still be waiting for an appointment with a consultant if we still lived in England.”
She added: “Petrol is cheaper, eating out is a bargain, swimming pools, ice rinks and specialist dog parks are all free to use.
“We don’t have to pay a vehicle tax or MOT each year. Even public transport is a bargain.”
[authenticated-scripts src=”%3Cscript%20class%3D%22palin-poll%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fpollingwidgets%2Fv3%2Fwidget.js%3Fquestion_id%3D109168%26game%3Dpolling%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E” type=”embedded” width=”100″ /]Mum of two and marketing agency owner Lyndsey, 45, and her railway engineer husband Ian, 50, who are parents to Teddy, 13, and Ferne, 10, leapt at the chance to relocate.
“We’d come through the worst of the pandemic, and we had this amazing chance to live and work in Canada,” she says.
“The cost of living was spiralling, and we decided to flee our home in Ilkney, West Yorks, to move halfway across the globe.
“Four years later I am thrilled we made the right decision. The kids love living here. Every time we holiday back home, we’re reminded why we chose to make the move.”
And she isn’t the only one.
Office of National Statistics figures reveal more Britain’s are fleeing the country and choosing to live overseas than ever before.
In 2022, almost 471,000 British people emigrated to other countries, while up to June 2023, this number rose to 508,000 Brits leaving the UK.
A Currencies Direct study showed 23% of Brits — the equivalent of 12.3 million UK adults — are considering moving abroad in the next five years, while 12% of people want to move in 2025.
The British Expat Report found 39% of Brits cited the cost of living crisis, rising property prices, and better job prospects as their reasons for leaving.
Between 2021 and 2022 when Lynsey and her family moved to Canada more than 11,000 Brits were admitted to Canada as permanent residents.
Canada’s queue free and high-quality universal healthcare, safe environment, and top-notch education are the top reasons Brits choose to live in the northern American country.
No school fines
“The education is great here,” Lyndsey says.
“You don’t get a fine for taking the children out of school for a holiday in term time. It means travelling during the non-holiday period is possible and saves us a fortune.
“The kids don’t have to wear a school uniform which makes my children more responsible when it comes to selecting outfits and planning their school week.
“The children are now taught via regular more assessment based testing not one final exam, and it means there is no exam pressure, rather constant learning and checking which makes them feel less pressured.”
Lyndsey adds: “I feel they achieve more and learn more.
“The education is more relaxed, and my kids are doing better here than in Britain.
“Children must stay in school until they are 18 and then can go to college or university.
The couple are currently renting a 3-bedroom, three-bathroom Victorian semi-detached house in central Toronto for £2,900 a month which includes the equivalent of council tax.
They plan to buy when their residency papers come through.
Lyndsey says: “We sold our 4 bedroom house in Britain for £650k after extensive renovations almost drove us crazy.
[quote credit=”Lyndsey Thomas”]I do miss Lidl and the middle aisle[/quote]“It was costing us £900 a month to cover basic council tax, energy, water, internet, and phone bills.
“In London £2,900 a month would get us a two-bedroom flat.
“Our rented house has off-street parking, a garden and a huge basement which almost every home has. It’s a revelation.
“Gas and electricity are really cheap. The house has central heating and air conditioning.
“We pay £95 a month even in winter. After eye watering bills back home, I nearly fell over.”
The family’s water bills are £170 a quarter, internet costs £62 a month and Lyndsey says the mobile bill is £107 a month.
In Britain a family of four pays £448 a year for water, gas and electric is £1639 annually, council tax, which is set to rise in April, for band D property is £2,171 yearly, and internet and mobile costs £49.59 on a monthly basis and unbundled mobile costs for a family of four is £128.
In Canada the Thomas family pays £320 a month for basic household utilities while here in Britain the cost is £531.80 on average.
That means Britain is 49% more expensive than Canada for Lynsey and her brood.
Cheaper breaks
The family has also discovered plane tickets are a bargain in Canada.
A flight to New York which is the equivalent of London to Edinburgh return is £160 per person for the family.
The family now holidays in the US, the Caribbean and Mexico all just a four-hour flight away.
“Family holidays are more accessible and cost effective,” Lyndsey says.
The mum of two spends an average of £800 a month on food shopping for a family of four including food, cleaning products and households’ items.
She adds: “I buy more fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fresh daily bread than I ever had access to in Britain.
“Bread is around £1.69 a loaf, an organic chicken for the Sunday roasts costs up to £8.50, with fillet steak scanning at £6.70 a kilo.”
However, there is one thing she highlighted as way more expensive – cheese.
She says: “Cheese is super expensive.
“The equivalent of a small block of supermarket labelled cheddar cheese is around £11 while back home we’d pay £2.50.”
While ten eggs for Lynsey cost £5, the eggs are more expensive than a cooked chicken for £6.
There is one major downside to food shopping in Canada.
“I do miss Lidl and the middle aisle,” she admits.
Lyndsey says ordering take out is no longer an expensive monthly treat.
“We get takeout a couple of times a week. A sushi dinner for our family of four costs us £30, a family size pizza is just £ 4.51 and Chinese takeaway is around £30,” she says.
In Britain a study by Verdict Foord Services estimates a family of four spends up to £60 on a Chinese takeaway while Nimblefins and Menuprice.co.uk estimate a sushi takeaway for four will set you back between £60 to £100 and pizza for a family of four including drinks and garlic bread home delivered will cost up to £60.
Cocktails at the ready
Lyndsey reveals: “We were paying up to £100 for two adults and two teens back home.
“We can afford to eat out more and get high quality takeaway on a Friday or a special treat on the weekend.
“It’s often cheaper to order a family meal of sushi for £40 than buy the ingredients and make it at home.”
Going out for date night Ian pays £4.50 for a pint of beer, and Lyndsey gets a glass of house wine for £4.
“I can enjoy a cocktail for £6 depending on the venue,” she says.
In London, the average pint sets you back £6.50, a bottle of house wine starts at £15 and the standard cocktail in London starts at £13.
This makes the cost of a beer in Canada 36% less expensive and a cocktail 73% less costly.
She adds: “I can take the kids to the cinema for £3.95 a ticket. Popcorn is just as expensive as it is back home.”
[quote credit=”Lyndsey Thomas”]People are less stressed, the pace of life even in the city is quieter and crime rates are low[/quote]The family is now looking to find a permanent residence in the city.
“We’re looking to buy a family home in the centre of Toronto like the one we are renting and expect to pay around £750k,” she says.
According to WOWA.ca, a leading online finance website the national average house price in August this year was the equivalent of £376k taking into account regional differences with banks offering fixed term mortgage rates of between 4.39% and 5.22%. Sixty six percent of Canadians are homeowners.
Back in Britain, the Office of National Statistics says 62.5% of households have mortgages.
Affirmative Data finance reports the average house price of a four bedroom house in Britain is £428k taking into account regional differences and in London a similar property costs an average of £1.2 million.
The interest rate with a 10% deposit is currently 5.18% for a two year fixed rate mortgage.
[boxout headline=”Who can move to Canada?” intro=”Those wishing to move to Canada will need to meet specific criteria. “]Things such as age, education, work experience and skills, and language proficiency (English or French) will be taken into account.
You may need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family.
A clean criminal record is also essential for successful immigration to Canada.
Brits can find out if they will be accepted by filling in an eligibility form.
Skilled workers can apply through Express Entry, where they will be assessed via TEER (training, education, experience and responsibilities) categories.
“Banks encourage the purchase of second and third homes and happily extend credit,” Lyndsey says.
“It’s uncommon not to own a house and also have a cottage or holiday home.
“You don’t get stung with extra taxes or second home criticism. It’s much easier here to buy a second home by releasing equity in your first home. “
Lyndsey says the weather is certainly better than Britain.
[quote credit=”Lyndsey Thomas”]Friends in Britain are always asking me about the cost of living here and can’t believe how cheap some items are[/quote]“We have long hot summers and amazing winters,” she says.
“The kids have learnt to ski because snow resorts are only two hours away. We could not afford that hobby back in Britain.
“We do miss family and friends, but the Canadian lifestyle is much more relaxed.
“People are less stressed, the pace of life even in the city is quieter and crime rates are low.
“I worried about how the kids would cope but they love living here. It’s an eye opener for us.
“Friends in Britain are always asking me about the cost of living here and can’t believe how cheap some items are.
“We thought we’d always call England home, now Canada is our forever home.”
