Cost of living in Ottawa

[QV]

Hey everyone, I am possibly looking at a posting to Ottawa.  I have heard all kinds of stories about the high cost of living there.  I did a check of realestate and it is only marginally higher then where I am now in Alberta.  Can anyone give me an idea on what the cost of living is like in Ottawa?

 

 

[buzgo]

Its quite expensive. The real estate market is still booming, prices are still going up. My wife and I bought a semi-detached home in October 2004, in Ottawa south that has gone up in value by $20K! Groceries are expensive too. There are lots of less expensive places to live - Orleans, Kanata, Vanier... Its an awesome city to live in though.

 

[QV]

What is the job market like for civvies?  I heard that you had to be bilingual to get any job.... is this acurate?

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

NO

 

[gkeir]

I live in Kemptville which would be a 40 minute drive and the houses are quite resonable, between 200,000 to 250,000 for a 2200 square foot home with 1 acre.

And nice and close to the Rideau River.

EDIT: and Monkhouse says the golf course is just tooooooo close.

 

[QV]

Thats not too bad at all.  I live in Cold Lake and paid a hair under $200,000 for an 18 year old home 1300 sq ft, city lot.  Nice neighborhood though.  Some old retired guys were telling me about when they were posted from Alberta to Ontario (Ottawa) they took a loss in take home pay and their wives couldn't find work and blah blah.... so I wonder about that.

 

[gkeir]

If you have any more questions just PM me.

 

[COBRA-6]

Inside the city the prices are high at the moment, but still low compared to Toronto or Vancouver....

 

[lawandorder]

Kanata and Orleans are hardly less expensive places to live in the city.  Some of the most expensive homes in the city are in those to regions.

Vanier on the other hand......

 

[COBRA-6]

I recommend Elgin street, but you need self discipline not to eat out every day... (and to avoid becoming a raging alcoholic...)

 

[yoman]

Orleans is a very nice place. Lots of hockey rinks, soccer field etc. Businesses going up everywhere (especially on Innes road).

The lots are starting to get pretty small hear though.

 

[George Wallace]

Thats not too bad at all.  I live in Cold Lake and paid a hair under $200,000 for an 18 year old home 1300 sq ft, city lot.  Nice neighborhood though.  Some old retired guys were telling me about when they were posted from Alberta to Ontario (Ottawa) they took a loss in take home pay and their wives couldn't find work and blah blah.... so I wonder about that.

Those stories are from the distant past.  There should be no way that you will take a loss on a Post these days.  Those are stories from back in the Eighties when the Housing markets collapsed and there was no 'protection' provided by DND on a move.  Times have changed.

You can buy a house in Orleans for $40K less than the same house in Kanata.  Kanata (and also Stittsville) is notorious for being the home of the Carp Mountain and numerous power outages.  Kanata and Stittsville are cashing in on the High Tech workers.  Vanier is a more rundown and seedy area.  Barrhaven to the South has a lot of crime.  Spread throughout the city you will find areas of 'Refugee Slums/Slum Blocks/Apartments'.  There are many nice neighbourhoods as well as those that are not.  Orleans has a very good Transportation link to Downtown with OC Transpo.

Outside of town you can find places in Carp, Stittsville, Carleton Place, Almonte, Arnprior, Rockland, Vars, Kempville, North Gower, Navan, Embrum, Manotick, Greely, Metcalfe, Richmond, or go across to Gatineau in Quebec.  You will find a wide variance in house prices, for the same style of home, depending on which community you look at.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Merrickville, George,...dont forget Merrickville, the Jewel of the Rideau.

 

[George Wallace]

The list is soooo long, I thought I had mentioned it.  I also didn't want to go to far out, or I would be listing places like Smith's Falls and then Sharbot Lake and Kingston and Cornwall.  Montreal is less than a two hour commute now, with Hawksbury and Casselman halfway and already becoming like Borden is to Toronto, a bedroom community of Ottawa.

 

[Old Sweat]

As one who lives south of the Rideau in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, getting into Ottawa via 416 is fairly convenient and property taxes are lower outside the city. The natives are also friendly and generally pro-military, in part thanks to the ice storm.