Accommodation in Canada for International Students - Homestays, Homestays, Walking the tightrope, Cost

Accommodation in Canada for International students- Making the decision to study in a country like Canada is a life-changing experience as you will not only be far away from your home, but you will be in an alien environment where the locality, culture, people, and food will be completely different. In such a scenario, if you manage to find the right accommodation while studying in Canada where you get that home away from home feeling, it will only help you settle quickly into the new environment but also put more interest in your studies. There are many options for accommodation in Canada for international students that are suitable for every budget and requirement. Finding the right student accommodation in Canada may not be a problem provided you know what you are looking for. Read this article to know more about accommodation in Canada for foreign students.
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This Story also Contains

1. Search for Accommodation in Canada for International students
2. Student Accommodation Options in Canada for International students
3. Accommodation in Canada for International students
4. Estimated Accommodation Cost in Toronto
5. Cost breakdown
6. Accommodation in Canada for Indian students in various cities
7. Off-campus versus on-campus accommodation

Search for Accommodation in Canada for International students

The first question is "How to find accommodation in Canada for students?". However, there is no straight answer. Put some effort into finding the right accommodation in Canada, because you will be spending the majority of your time outside the classroom at the student accommodation in Canada. And please avoid putting off your hunt for housing options in Canada until too late, a mistake many students make as they get caught up in admission preparation, Canada student visa application, and travel preparations. Otherwise, in your rush to find accommodation, you might end up in a shabby place or one that creates a hole in your wallet! As to what is the best time to start looking for student accommodation in Canada, start as soon as you receive your admission offer. Starting early will allow you enough elbow room to weigh your options: whether you want to go for a one-bedroom apartment, two-bedroom apartment, or a bachelor pad, to name a few.

Student Accommodation Options in Canada for International students

The student accommodation in Canada options for foreign students include both on-campus and off-campus options. These are dormitories or condominiums. These are mostly on campus and are ideal for students doing a course in Canada for one or two semesters or for students in the first year of college. Both these accommodation options provide a cafeteria and also provide internet facilities. The rooms are furnished and student can have the benefit of access to the library and other campus facilities.

Shared Apartments

Another option for accommodation in Canada for students are shared apartments which is an off-campus option which you will be sharing with other students. But you will have to share the kitchen, bathroom and other facilities with your co-occupants.

Rental Apartments

Another option for accommodation in Canada for international students are Rental Apartments which allow international students to stay alone or accommodate with their friends. This is the best way of accommodation in Canada for international students to stay away from the campus.The accommodation in Canada to rent will be available with fully furnished furniture, kitchen and living rooms, etc.

Homestay

Options for accommodation in Canada for students even include the homestay option, something that remains quite popular. The many likable aspects of a homestay include you get to stay in a family environment with the family taking care of your needs; you get breakfast and dine with the family, share precious moments and learn about the locality and their culture and in return share your own experiences and about your country. In fact, homestays are the best bet to break social barriers and advance universal brotherhood. Many choose these foreign students housing options in Canada because they are good value for money, as you are served healthy home-cooked food and extended services like laundry. While opting for a homestay, though, remember that since you will be staying with a family, you will have to be more sober and restrained in what you do and say. It is also ranks as the cheapest accommodation in Canada for international students.

It is easy to find a homestay as a foreign students’ housing option in Canada because there are many dedicated sites offering homestay information and services to international students. One of them is The Canada Homestay Network, which claims to have helped thousands of students since 1995. Do some research, like how far a homestay is from your university, the cost, and facilities offered before narrowing down on any particular one.

Accommodation in Canada for International students

Accommodation in a foreign country is very expensive and it is uniformly applicable across almost all countries, be it Australia, the UK, the US, or for that matter Canada. As such, it makes a lot of sense to tread with care while selecting a particular accommodation option in Canada

You should be aware of the accommodation cost in Canada for international students. Because choosing the best option can save you at least a couple of thousand dollars in a year. Take for example, if you are enrolled in a university in Toronto near St. George, the difference between staying in a single room ($625) and a 3-bedroom apartment ($2,060) can be as much as $1,435, which is quite substantial. If you multiply it by 12, it costs you $17,220 a year, almost the entire tuition fee of some less established courses! The figure, if anything, shows that you have to be wise while selecting accommodation in Canada, especially when many students from India have to take loans and survive on scholarships to complete their studies abroad. Here are details of the accommodation costs in Canada for students across different regions in Toronto, Canada.

Estimated Accommodation Cost in Toronto

Cost breakdown

If you take a closer look at the chart, you will find that it is not only the type of room that influences cost of accommodation in Canada for students; but where you stay is equally crucial. Places like the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) are cheaper compared to St. George. So, even if you are staying in Toronto, you and your friend – who, for example, lives in some other part of Toronto, may end up spending very different amounts. And this argument can be extrapolated to include other cities as well. If you compare accommodation in Montreal and Vancouver with those of Toronto, it will throw up different figures. For, example if you are studying in the University of Columbia at its Vancouver campus, a one-bedroom accommodation will cost you $1,182 per month (off-campus) and $1,061 per month (on-campus).

The price differential in the monthly room rent in Canada for students that you see here between cities, though, isn’t just a Canadian phenomenon. For, if you pick two cities in the UK, say London and Cardiff, there is a gulf in accommodation costs between them. In London, a room in the cheapest price band hovers around £135 per week, and it is so basic that it offers a kitchen and a bathroom and you also have to share it with around nine other people. Now contrast this with Cardiff, where you may live in luxury in a room that comes with a suite bathroom but costs all of £100 per week.

Students living in places where accommodation costs in Canada for new immigrants are higher definitely feel the urge to save money elsewhere, by cutting down unnecessary expenses. But, sometimes it so happens that there is not enough money to buy books and other items that are integral to your study. If you too get stuck in such a situation, don’t despair. See if you can land a part-time job somewhere; Canada has a fair earn-while-you-learn scheme that you can explore and earn to self-finance your studies.

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Accommodation in Canada for Indian students in various cities

As the accommodation prices vary from city to city, here are the estimated costs for accommodation in a few top cities in the USA listed below.

Estimated Accommodation costs in various cities

Off-campus versus on-campus accommodation

While searching for the cheapest accommodation in Canada for international students, there is another component that needs to be addressed. It is whether to go for on-campus accommodation in Canada for students or off-campus student accommodation in Canada.

Per-week cost of on-campus vs. off-campus accommodation in Canada for International students across different accommodation types in Vancouver:

Both on-campus and off-campus accommodations have their own pros and cons. Staying in on-campus accommodation, while you have to pay more, on the brighter side you cut down on transportation time and costs, and have a more happening social life. On campus student accommodation in Canada for Indian students is a great way to maximize university experience as it provides 24/7 access to campus resources, fellow communities, libraries and health related support as well. First year undergraduate students are recommended to choose on campus student accommodation in Canada to increase the time spent on studies and understanding the culture of Canada. Not only is university housing guaranteed to first year students, many universities mandate first year students to live in on campus student accommodation in Canada.

On the other hand, living off campus is a great way to get oneself immersed in the Canadian local culture, learn financial management and enjoy a sense of independence. However, off campus student accommodation in Canada is only advised to upperclassmen and graduate international students. Students bringing families can find multiple bedroom apartments in Canadian cities. The downside of staying off-campus is longer transportation time, additional expenses and limited social life. Accommodation in Canada for Indian students consists of these two options.

While selecting a university in Canada, factor in student accommodation Canada costs as well and look for lower cost accommodation in Canada for international students. What many students do is select a university purely based on its tuition fees and world ranking, with the top ranking universities in the world frequently featuring in their wish list. But it can be a sort sighted approach, because costs of accommodation in Canada for Indian students can be as high as 4.2 lakhs per annum. The best solution is to check the cost of living at a particular university, which you should be easily able to do as most universities have dedicated pages giving you detailed breakdown of living costs, including cost of accommodation. Once you have a fair idea how much money goes into accommodation in Canada for students, you can budget in properly and avoid getting drawn into a financial quagmire.

Also read:

• Study in Canada - admission cycle
• Things to know before studying in Canada
• MBA scholarships for foreign students in Canada
• Best student cities in Canada
• Work after study in Canada