If you've ever thought about saying goodbye to Canada and moving to another country, you may have considered the U.K. — and you'd be right to.
With more temperate weather, iconic landmarks, endless travel options and a truly unique culture, in my opinion Britain is one of the best places in the world to live as a millennial. Even better, as a Canadian, you wouldn't even need to learn a new language — just learn to decipher Britain's most distinctive accents and you'll be golden.
Having lived in both Canada and the U.K. and ultimately deciding to settle in the latter, I often consider how the countries compare and the pros and cons of living in one versus the other. While Canada has so much going for it — including breathtaking scenery, bustling cities and famously polite inhabitants — the U.K. and the countries therein offer a way of life that I just couldn't permanently say goodbye to.
So, here's my best attempt at convincing you that a better life awaits on the other side of the world — and why you should consider ghosting the Great White North for a new life on this tiny (albeit soggy) island.
I'll admit, one of my favourite things about Canada is the four seasons it promises each year. A snowy winter, a bright spring, a warm summer and a golden fall — beautiful, of course.
Over in the U.K., the seasons are a little less romantic, with most of them blurring together into a wet, drizzly mess. That said, British winters are short (albeit wet) and practically toasty in comparison with Canada's long, dark, snowy and extremely frigid winters. Temperatures rarely get lower than minus 1 in most places, which generally means the conditions don't prevent you from doing anything.
Comparatively, when I lived in Canada, it felt like time stood still during the winter season. People stayed at home a whole lot more, there were fewer social activities going on and the length of time it was dark and cold seemed to last an eternity.
Admittedly, Canada's summers are much warmer and more pleasant, and the orange colours during fall are truly beautiful (although they are here, too), but I'd sacrifice the loveliness of both for a milder winter season. Life's too short for it to be put on pause for half of the year, right? Or to spend it finding creative ways to layer every piece of clothing you own.
Another thing that's worth considering when weighing up where in the world you want to spend your prime years is how much it'll cost you to be there.
Right now, the cost of living in both Canada and the U.K. is expensive, and there's no getting away from it. But, according to data from Numbeo, the price of groceries is around 26.2% higher in Canada as of March 2024, with rent also costing 6.9% more on average.
Not to mention, one of the best things about buying products in the U.K. is that tax is included in any product's ticket price, so you know exactly how much you're paying before you get to the cash register.
What's more, in the U.K. you can save a fortune on your phone bill in comparison to Canada, where the cost of a basic plan made me want to yeet my iPhone straight into the Rideau Canal. For reference, in the U.K. you can pay as little as £5 (CA$8) per month for the most budget-friendly plan.
You can save money while eating out, too. In most service industries in the U.K., employees don't rely on tips to earn a living wage, so there's much less of an obligation to leave anything extra if the service isn't top-tier. It's a nice gesture, but in most cases, it's not expected. And, that doesn't mean your bill necessarily costs more either. In fact, Numbeo says British restaurants are only around 1% more expensive than Canadian ones — and for that you get to enjoy your meal without arguing with your fiancé about whether 18% or 20% is more appropriate for the service.
And, if you do move to the U.K., the National Health Service (NHS) has got your back when it comes to any medical or dental issues. It's not without its problems for sure, but having totally free universal health care — which includes dental and some other things not covered in Canada — is one of Britain's finest attributes.
If you're not already packing your bags and preparing to take a long-haul flight, waving goodbye to those pesky gun-toting neighbours of yours, consider this: A recent study found that Canadians have among the fewest vacation days worldwide, and with just 10 mandatory paid vacation days for full-time employees, it's not hard to see why.
The U.K., on the other hand, offers a minimum of 20 days of paid vacation, in addition to 8 national bank holidays per year. That's a whole lot more time off, folks — enough time to explore every castle in Scotland or finally learn the rules of cricket.
This increased holiday time not only gives you the chance to travel more but also to fully immerse yourself in the local culture, from arguing about the correct way to pronounce "scone" to debating whether it's jam or cream first.
For me, one of the biggest benefits the U.K. has over Canada is its proximity to other countries — and therefore how easy it is to travel. Depending on what part of the U.K. you fly from, you can get to bucket-list countries in Europe like Spain, France, Greece, Italy and more within just a few hours.
What's more, strong flight connections within Europe and a whole host of budget airlines means you can secure return flight tickets for less than £100 (CA$163) — and many countries are close enough for you to visit just for a weekend.
And, while countries like Thailand, Australia, Dubai and Egypt are much further away, high demand and a high volume of flight routes mean it's not only easy to book a trip to continents like Asia, Africa and Oceania, but it's also comparatively affordable.
Even better, the U.K. is literally four separate countries in one — so you can experience the iconic cities of England, the dramatic coastlines of Northern Ireland, the rolling hills of Scotland and warm hospitality of Wales without even having to pick up your passport.
Which leads me nicely to my next point: Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world by surface area, and I think it feels that way. Although I knew before arriving in Canada that the country is huge, I couldn't believe just how big each province is — and just how far some of them are from each other. It's truly wild to me that you can fly for hours and land be in the same country that you started in. And there are some downsides to this.
With the cost of airfare in Canada being pretty high, Canadians often have to fork out hundreds of dollars to travel within their own country, which is really strange to me, and when the cost of exploring your own backyard rivals that of an expedition to Mars, you've got to wonder if it's worth it.
Living in a smaller country (the U.K. could fit inside Canada over 40 times) means it's a whole lot easier to explore where you live. And, if you have friends and family on the opposite side of the country, you can travel to be with them in a matter of hours — even if you're driving. What's more, if there's ever an event, festival, sporting fixture, music concert or something else taking place on the other side of the country, it's not a big deal for you to attend.
Ok, let's dive into the cultural deep end. Look, I love Schitt's Creek, Workin' Moms and Kim's Convenience, but I strongly believe that Canadian entertainment doesn't even come close to what the U.K. has to offer. From easy-watching trash TV like Gogglebox and Love Island to gritty ITV crime dramas and BBC documentaries, I think British television is truly top tier and you can't convince me otherwise.
A lot of investment is pumped into making British TV among the best in the world, and it's not surprising that highly rated shows from broadcasters like Channel 4 ( Derry Girls, Peep Show, It's A Sin, Stath Lets Flats, This Is England '86), ITV (Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, Des) and the BBC (Fleabag, Line of Duty, I May Destroy You) are streamed worldwide.
Canada's cable channels, in my opinion, were comforting at best, whereas you can enjoy a lifetime's worth of incredible, unforgettable content on television in the U.K., whether you have access to streaming services or not.
As for sports, Canada has hockey — I get it, and it's cool, and freshly Zamboni'd ice rink is satisfying as heck. During my time in Canada, I went to hockey games and baseball games, and they were all very low-key exciting – like going to a friend's house for a really hyped-up board game night. But not once did I experience the same emotion, excitement and undiluted passion that you find in the U.K. — regardless of the jeopardy.
Football (AKA soccer) is a relationship builder like no other. Total strangers will always find common ground around football — the teams they love, the teams they hate (with equal passion) and how their team is doing — and it evokes a camaraderie you just won't find anywhere else.
Rivalries run hot, Match of the Day runs weekly, and fans of lower-league teams can pretty much always rely on their Saturday being ruined. It's not always pretty, but it's a way of life.
While football is, undoubtedly, the U.K.'s favourite sport, you'll also find grown men sobbing in Welsh pubs during the annual Six Nations, you'll spot people who have waited a whole year to enjoy strawberries at Wimbledon, and you'll spy cricketers on every corner as soon as the weather permits.
It's messy, it's beautiful, and it's irreplaceably British. The U.K.'s sports culture is unlike anything else in the world, and once you've lived it there's just no turning back.
And nothing goes hand in hand with British sporting culture quite like British pub culture.
While drinking is arguably a cornerstone of life in the U.K., spending time in the pub doesn't have to revolve around alcohol. Lunch with your grandma? Pub. Beer with your bestie? Pub. Hard day at work? Pub. Want to get drunk? Pub. Want a quick meal? Pub. Want to take your dog on an adventure? Pub. Freezing cold winter day? Pub. Extremely hot summer day? Pub (garden).
Pub on a Monday? Yep. Pub on a Wednesday? Yep. Pub on a Saturday? Yep. Pub on a Sunday? You know it. Essentially, the pub is a safe space to do whatever you need to, and you'll find one on every corner of every village, town and city in Britain. The pub is essentially your living room, but with better beers and a higher chance of meeting someone who says they went to school with Adele.
While, of course, "pubs" exist in all countries around the world, British pubs are like hubs for the local community. Kids, dogs, your nan's knitting club — everyone is welcome. And naturally, you'll find sport on the TV in almost all of them.
They're great places to make new friends (talking to strangers in the pub is encouraged), socialize and just be — and Canadian millennials are truly are missing out on all of the wonders of pub life.
Of course, Canada is a beautiful, wonderful, special country, and I am so grateful for the two-ish years that I spent living there. Above all else, Canadian people are so warm, friendly and welcoming, and it was so easy to call the country home while I was there.
However, clearly, the U.K. has my heart and I would encourage anybody dreaming of a change from Canada to try it — even if it's just for a year or so. You might just never leave.
