Comparing Prices in Canada and Australia.

From

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Australia&country2=Canada

Brisbane, Australia
Restaurants	[Edit]
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	10.49 $
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant	54.62 $
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	6.78 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	5.37 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	6.65 $
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	2.87 $
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	2.55 $
Markets	[Edit]
Milk (regular), 1 liter	1.27 $
Loaf of Fresh Bread	2.71 $
Eggs (12)	3.66 $
Fresh Cheese (1kg)	11.62 $
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	11.34 $
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	2.13 $
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	8.08 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2.88 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	4.09 $
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	11.92 $
Transportation	[Edit]
One-way Ticket (local transport)	3.73 $
Monthly Pass	90.34 $
Taxi (5km within center)	13.78 $
Gasoline (1 liter)	1.14 $
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	33,300.44 $
Utilities (Monthly)	[Edit]
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)	122.51 $
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff (no discounts or plans)	0.47 $
Internet (2 Mbps ADSL flat)	49.95 $
Sports And Leisure	[Edit]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	45.02 $
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	25.73 $
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	13.08 $
Clothing And Shoes	[Edit]
1 Pair of Levis 501	111.14 $
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	62.06 $
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	111.14 $
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	138.93 $
Rent Per Month	[Edit]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	967.86 $
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	996.47 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	1,535.59 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	1,233.43 $
Buy Apartment Price	[Edit]
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	7,788.46 $
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	3,216.08 $
Salaries And Financing	[Edit]
Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)	4,298.04 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly	7.25

Vancouver, Canada
Restaurants	[Edit]
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	15.58 $
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant	53.28 $
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	7.26 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	4.78 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	5.26 $
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	1.68 $
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	1.76 $
Markets	[Edit]
Milk (regular), 1 liter	2.19 $
Loaf of Fresh Bread	2.16 $
Eggs (12)	3.07 $
Fresh Cheese (1kg)	11.33 $
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	13.51 $
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	2.76 $
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	17.02 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2.86 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	3.61 $
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	9.63 $
Transportation	[Edit]
One-way Ticket (local transport)	2.62 $
Monthly Pass	82.61 $
Taxi (5km within center)	13.19 $
Gasoline (1 liter)	1.11 $
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	22,107.97 $
Utilities (Monthly)	[Edit]
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)	195.34 $
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff (no discounts or plans)	0.48 $
Internet (2 Mbps ADSL flat)	38.84 $
Sports And Leisure	[Edit]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	43.64 $
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	?
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	11.22 $
Clothing And Shoes	[Edit]
1 Pair of Levis 501	49.12 $
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	36.76 $
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	83.19 $
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	115.29 $
Rent Per Month	[Edit]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	1,286.77 $
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	1,068.46 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	2,810.86 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	1,838.95 $
Buy Apartment Price	[Edit]
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	6,260.06 $
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	4,697.98 $
Salaries And Financing	[Edit]
Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)	2,936.91 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly	4.50

Melbourne, Australia
Restaurants	[Edit]
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	12.15 $
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant	42.90 $
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	6.44 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	4.63 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	5.98 $
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	2.17 $
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	1.95 $
Markets	[Edit]
Milk (regular), 1 liter	1.49 $
Loaf of Fresh Bread	2.34 $
Eggs (12)	3.52 $
Fresh Cheese (1kg)	9.11 $
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	7.97 $
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	1.52 $
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	11.06 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	1.72 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	2.43 $
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	13.26 $
Transportation	[Edit]
One-way Ticket (local transport)	3.08 $
Monthly Pass	86.06 $
Taxi (5km within center)	10.00 $
Gasoline (1 liter)	1.13 $
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	24,864.33 $
Utilities (Monthly)	[Edit]
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)	143.54 $
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff (no discounts or plans)	0.37 $
Internet (2 Mbps ADSL flat)	33.93 $
Sports And Leisure	[Edit]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	61.83 $
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	17.45 $
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	14.31 $
Clothing And Shoes	[Edit]
1 Pair of Levis 501	74.20 $
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	60.20 $
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	125.96 $
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	165.79 $
Rent Per Month	[Edit]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	1,145.17 $
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	875.72 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	1,862.84 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	1,543.43 $
Buy Apartment Price	[Edit]
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	6,054.36 $
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	3,969.74 $
Salaries And Financing	[Edit]
Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)	3,757.98 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly	7.02

Toronto, Canada
Restaurants	[Edit]
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	9.49 $
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant	43.29 $
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	6.41 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	5.12 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	5.98 $
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	1.40 $
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	1.24 $
Markets	[Edit]
Milk (regular), 1 liter	1.70 $
Loaf of Fresh Bread	2.20 $
Eggs (12)	3.01 $
Fresh Cheese (1kg)	17.10 $
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	10.44 $
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	1.44 $
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	14.44 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2.88 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	3.40 $
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	11.15 $
Transportation	[Edit]
One-way Ticket (local transport)	2.87 $
Monthly Pass	114.48 $
Taxi (5km within center)	11.31 $
Gasoline (1 liter)	0.98 $
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	22,892.39 $
Utilities (Monthly)	[Edit]
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)	124.32 $
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff (no discounts or plans)	0.17 $
Internet (2 Mbps ADSL flat)	38.88 $
Sports And Leisure	[Edit]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	81.11 $
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	42.84 $
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	11.48 $
Clothing And Shoes	[Edit]
1 Pair of Levis 501	85.14 $
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	61.61 $
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	122.13 $
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	146.87 $
Rent Per Month	[Edit]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	1,215.70 $
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	885.56 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	2,261.90 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	1,603.99 $
Buy Apartment Price	[Edit]
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	4,522.16 $
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	3,128.93 $
Salaries And Financing	[Edit]
Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)	3,592.37 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly	3.90

Whistler

I have been in Whistler for a few days and its sweet. Its going to be weird going home when all these Aussies are arriving for the ski season. Went out on Wednesday nigtht and got pretty hammered with Lindsay. Bree, Emma, Ange, Will, Trent and Simon. Still a sausage fest here as you would expect but a good atmosphere non-the-less. The camera was dead so no photos - argh.

Harrison has taken me out to a lake were you swing out on this massive rope. We swung out and held firmly so we didn't fall into the cold water. Went to my first real diner and got a good feed.

It was supposed to snow last night so will interesting to see if it did. Can't see the moutain atm as its covered by cloud.

I sold just about all my snow gear really cheaply. The guy should be pretty happy about it.

Some other sites I dig  for music and reviews are.

www.hypem.com

www.rottentomatoes.com

Leaving Canadia!

I have booked to fly out on the 24th of October- still waiting on the credit card stuff to go through though.

Canada has been fun. It is a very liveable place and I have made many friends. I learned how to snowboard and canoe properly. I discovered camping can actually be fun and that you can get used to people driving on the other side of the road. I went to 6 Canadian cities and went to both sides of the Country.

I will be leaving after a year but I know many Australians who have been here longer. If I had a job which somehow resembled what I studied I might have stayed longer.

If you said I would come to like gangsta rap and mashup music before I left I would have questioned you. Likewise 'ice' hockey. I have come to like music they play over here and their sports. Although they are def backward with alternate music and the kinda music they play on JJJ.

The girls here are cute...and maybe more open than say Sydney girls. I think I wouldn't be the only Aussie to say that I would be more confident trying to wooo a Canadian girl than an Aussie from a large city. The accent helps. Canadian girls are more likely to be proactive and sporty than Aussie girls. Which is weird because its cold here for long stretches of the year.

I would like to come back at one stage. Hopefully I can get a job which enables me to travel between the two.

These are some websites I have found lately that I like

http://www.soundcloud.com/

http://soundcloud.com/taras-syd-aus

http://www.thechive.com/

http://www.mashupyourbootz.com/

Been overseas for a year- time to blog.

So i'm sitting at my friends place on Thanksgiving and it's raining. I didn't think this would be how I would lose my Thanksgiving virginity. I had pictured turkey's stuffed with pumpkins, stuffed with potatoes, stuffed with cranberry sauce. I even bought the ingredients to make this concoction- yes ladies I can cook. I don't know how much Canadian's know about Australian history but I was unaware that the maple leaf country had a Thanksgiving (never tell them they're American's incognito).

Despite this I'm still happy because It's a long weekend here (don't tell Canadians Australian's get 4 weeks off a year plus public holidays). Working in landscaping I need all the time off I can get. Although making money is all important here albeit on 13 dollars an hour (I'm in BC). My Australian friends will scoff at that number. It's a good experience but I need to get back into 'White Collar' work....where I actually use my brain. It would take me 12 months to get qualified as a lawyer in Canada....which I did consider at one point.

I went to the pub on friday night and got swarmed by late 20, early 30 year olds who signed me up to play ultimate frisbee. I don't know if I look like a young, fit and fertile male but maybe they thought I did. They must be keen, they have already messaged me this morning. I don't really feel like getting wet though...playing ultimate frisbee.

Tonight appears to be promising. I'm going to watch my friend Steph play in a roller derby clash. Her stage name is 'one night slammer' so she will prob be pretty frisky especially because they're selling vodka there. Her sister has just had a baby and I know she will be an awesome Auntie to Sophia.

I am unclear what my plans are atm. I was going to quit landscaping at the end of this week. But I want to get home and have some money and I know I won't get work straight away when I'm back home. But its getting colder here it its kind of dead here unless you're on a mountain. My friend might be able to get me a job in Whistler and I have been looking at Australian business's in Vancouver.