As an expat be prepared to hear “this is normal in Georgia” every time something goes wrong. No one is in a hurry to fix anything - from broken lift in the building (I even got stuck once on a Sunday night and was told “maybe someone will come tomorrow to free you”! - had to break out myself) to your wifi (stopped working for almost 2 weeks, not until we threatened to change companies that they decided to send a technician). We didn’t find it very friendly. People don’t smile, staff in stores are surly and unhelpful. The taxi drivers are the worst in the world (including Uber). Utter maniacs. The cost of living has risen steeply because of inflation. People also constantly thought we were Russian and we got yelled at several times by locals who don’t want Russians around (for obvious reasons). Overall, it’s not the most pleasant place to be an expat. However, the food is delicious (if heavy), the scenery is gorgeous. The mobile data is cheap, but groceries ans eating out is more expensive than we expected. I’d recommend it for a month or two, but no more.
Pros and Cons of Living in Edmonton, Canada
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Pros of Living in Edmonton
Pretty safe Fast internet Good air quality on average Spacious and not crowded Very easy to do business High quality of education Great hospitals Roads are very safe Great freedom of speech Democratic Everyone speaks English Very safe for women Family friendly Very friendly to LGBTQ+
Cons of Living in Edmonton
Way too expensive Not much to do Gets very cold in the winter Difficult to make friends Many people smoke tobacco -
Compared to other Canadian cities rent is affordable but it's unfortunately such a depressive place to live, due to the harsh and long winters. You get about 2-3 months of fantastic weather, and between 5-8 months of absolutely oppressive cold. It has some decent local culture for its size, but a distinct lack of fun nightlife. Public transit is absolutely horrendous. People can be a bit close-minded. Quality of life is otherwise comparable to other big NA cities. Taxes are on the low side. It's very out of the way - there's no real reason to come here as a tourist because Calgary is closer to everything interesting.
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