"Public transportation is poor, but if you're a successful trader, you should be able to afford a car" Poor compare to ??. I used to live in Vancouver, came to Phoenix. Didn't owned a car when I was in Phoenix, can't go anywhere because there is no Skytrain or buses on weekend.
Hi DNAJ Allow me to disagree on cost of living. I know Canadian survey says Vancouver is the most expensive city to live in compared to Canadian standard. But if you try to compare those figures to American and European standard you'll agree with me it's not expensive at all. My apartment on Beach Ave was about $950 a month , nice building with Swimming pool, Sauna and a little gym, great view of Burrard Bridge and Grandville Island, 30 secs from the beach Believe me, if you can find something similar in Europe, it would cost at least 1300-1500 euros. Phone bill is supercheap, 20-25 $ a month , no time fees? A dream in Europe When I received hydro bills, I thought there was a mistake. Not to mention heating and Condo expenses are included in your rent, in Italy you pay the same amount of money for your rent (with a lower quality) plus you pay heating and Condo expenses ( about 1500-2000 euros a year for a two bedroom apt). In Italy I spend for my car insurance (Honda Prelude) 1500 euros a year plus a yearly tax of 250 euros. Gasoline here is 1.1 euros a liter As you said food is quite cheap and I must say fruit and vegetables are 1st quality. Really expensive compared to Italy are Liquors, wine and cigarettes, but government Imho do the right thing taxing this stuff. Forget about Shaw cable and 39 $ a month for Internet connection here. Let's say forget about cable, only adsl. Technology is much cheaper than in Europe. I bought my Sony Vaio Laptop for $2500, in Europe it was about $3200 calculating the change. Cars cost at least 1/4 less than here and I could go on for hours. The only problem, from my point of view, is the policy of the city about night life and fun ( they call Vancouver "No Fun City" for some reason) , and those illegal venues are the logic consequence. But for families I understand it's better this way. What about Real Estate in Whistler, I was looking to invest in a little apartment , because of the Olympic Games. What do people think over there ? Is it a good Idea? Thanks
Thanks to everyone for being so genrous with good information. Truly wonderful! Ramora, I second your question - any thoughts on Costa Rica & Panama, I 'll also add to that list Cuba!?
Dana Point, Laguna Beach, La Jolla, Malibu, or Santa Barbara are okay, too. Any other questions? Okay, we're done here then.
Gosh! Am I monopolizing (hope this word exists in english ) this thread ? Ok, now you know I LIKE TRAVELLING! Let's see ..ahem Costarica... it happens my cousin lives there in Quepos and runs a little resort. Ok first of all , ADSL is only available in San Jose' , and believe me, you won't live in Costarica to be in San Jose'. Dial up is available anywhere, but power outage is a classic . And when power is ok , pray the crocodile won't eat the cables ( lol really happened to my cousin) Forget about the local women, they are so tied to the family, you can't even meet them without the supervision of a relative or you can meet them with the whole family at the church . The country is a far west, and Los Ticos (costarica's people) are not very supportive with Yankees ( we had to wait 2 months to have a new engine for a boat, and we know it was available). And you'd better don't argue with them. Go there for a couple of weeks and enjoy the privilege of being a tourist, if you like caribbean area go to the Est coast, but be prepared for a lot of humidity and mosquitos. The other cost is completely different, much more temperate. I've never been In Panama city, but my cousin told me it's very dangerous , overcrowded and polluted. Another tip, when you travel in these kind of countries, never ever show people you have lots of money with you, not even with girls. A couple of friends of mine were in Los Roques (Venezuela), a wonderful group of islands. One night they went to a Club with a local waiter they met there. Drunk and stupid they showed a couple of girls some money , to impress them. A bit later out of the club, two guys with masks on their face and guns in their hands tried to steal their money, the waiter very drunk started to argue with them. They didn't think twice and shoot him down. Fortunately they ran away and my friends were safe. The police told them to leave the island immediately, their life was in danger, cause the criminals were still free. Go figure what a vacation. The fiesta of stupidity.
You've been in San Antonio, don't you? Well , the white isle is much more than that, but the average tourist don't take the time to discover it. Next time avoid San Antonio and especially the West End , rent a car and take a tour for the whole island , you won't regret it