Standard of Living: Canada vs Us
Problem:
Having lived in the border town of Windsor, Ontario, for over ten years I have happened to observe some differences between the lifestyles of residents living in Canada and the United States; some differences being more apparent than others. To identify these differences, lets first look at the difference between standard of living and quality of life as these are specific terms I will use to identify the differences in lifestyles between Americans and Canadians. Standard of living refers to the level of wealth, comfort and material goods and necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area. Quality of life relates to the number and quality of basic benefits provided to all citizens. These include a strong social safety net, the number of freedoms and rights guaranteed to all individuals and a reasonable amount of equality among social classes.
I typically see Americans enjoying a higher standard of living than Canadians and Canadians enjoying a higher quality of life than Americans. The following example can be taken to illustrate the higher standard of living in the US vs Canada. The average salary for a anaesthesiologist in the US is about one hundred and four thousand dollars higher than in Canada. Also, the average salary for a general surgeon in the US is about thirty one thousand dollars higher than in Canada (Physicians for National Health Program, For Medical Students, 2003). However Canada is consistently ranked higher than the US in terms of quality of life (Bloomberg Business Week, 2009). From these observations once can conclude that cost of living in Canada is higher than the US which is what causes many Canadian residents to maintain a lower standard of living than in the US. Windsor being a border town is significantly influenced by American beliefs, lifestyles and media than the other Canadian cities. Living so close to the border, some disadvantageous differences to Canadians become quite evident
Having lived in the border town of Windsor, Ontario, for over ten years I have happened to observe some differences between the lifestyles of residents living in Canada and the United States; some differences being more apparent than others. To identify these differences, lets first look at the difference between standard of living and quality of life as these are specific terms I will use to identify the differences in lifestyles between Americans and Canadians. Standard of living refers to the level of wealth, comfort and material goods and necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area. Quality of life relates to the number and quality of basic benefits provided to all citizens. These include a strong social safety net, the number of freedoms and rights guaranteed to all individuals and a reasonable amount of equality among social classes.
I typically see Americans enjoying a higher standard of living than Canadians and Canadians enjoying a higher quality of life than Americans. The following example can be taken to illustrate the higher standard of living in the US vs Canada. The average salary for a anaesthesiologist in the US is about one hundred and four thousand dollars higher than in Canada. Also, the average salary for a general surgeon in the US is about thirty one thousand dollars higher than in Canada (Physicians for National Health Program, For Medical Students, 2003). However Canada is consistently ranked higher than the US in terms of quality of life (Bloomberg Business Week, 2009). From these observations once can conclude that cost of living in Canada is higher than the US which is what causes many Canadian residents to maintain a lower standard of living than in the US. Windsor being a border town is significantly influenced by American beliefs, lifestyles and media than the other Canadian cities. Living so close to the border, some disadvantageous differences to Canadians become quite evident
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