A British expat who moved to Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada, shared her monthly living costs in a viral TikTok
Relocating overseas is no small task, bringing with it unexpected financial challenges. However, one British woman living abroad has disclosed a particular expense that left her reeling after her move to Canada.
Louise Ware-Armstrong, a lifestyle and travel content creator who swapped the UK for Niagara Falls in Ontario, recently posted a TikTok video detailing her monthly outgoings. While rent, bills and domestic costs were roughly what she’d anticipated, one vital service proved substantially pricier than in Britain.
“One of the most expensive bills in Canada is your phone plan,” she revealed in the video, which has garnered over 11,000 likes. “You cannot find a cheap phone plan anywhere.”
Louise revealed that her combined monthly spend on mobile, broadband and television services totals approximately 400 Canadian dollars (£215). She explained: “For my phone and my internet in my house and my TV package, so for all three of them comes to around $400 a month, which is literally crazy.
“You couldn’t find a phone plan when I first moved here for less than $60 a month without the phone.”
Her comments ignited discussion amongst followers, with many acknowledging this represents a substantial cost-of-living concern in Canada.
Data from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) shows mobile tariffs have decreased recently, though global studies consistently place Canada amongst the costlier nations for telecommunications provision.
According to price comparison site WhistleOut, the typical Canadian mobile phone bill sits at approximately CA$64 (£34) each month – considerably steeper than UK rates, where regulator Ofcom has previously indicated average monthly mobile expenditure ranges between £15 and £20 based on contract type.
Multiple industry analyses have consistently positioned Canada amongst the pricier nations for mobile phone provision, primarily attributed to reduced market competition and elevated infrastructure expenses.
The vlogger was detailing her complete monthly expenditure following her relocation from Britain to Niagara Falls. She disclosed paying 1,650 Canadian dollars in rent for a two-bedroom property, with additional separate charges for electricity, gas and water utilities.
Nevertheless, the expense of her phone and internet provision proved most striking, with Louise characterising the bill as amongst the most significant financial surprises encountered since moving overseas.
