Can a single person live on a bit more than $50,000 a year in Edmonton, Alberta?

November 21, 2012 9:44 PM

Is it possible to live in Edmonton, Alberta as a single person on a a salary in the low 50 thousands? I've been offered a position and would be moving from a medium sized city in the Eastern provinces, and no idea what to expect if I accept.

I know I can't trust cost of living calculators, so I ask the washed masses of Metafilter!

posted by anonymous to work & money (13 answers total)

Apartment? House? Condo? Rent? Own? What are you expecting?
posted by mazola at 9:54 PM on November 21, 2012

I guess the short answer is that people do live in Edmonton with salaries of $50K, but...
posted by mazola at 9:54 PM on November 21, 2012

I certainly hope so. I know many people living on less than that in the City of Vancouver, which has a heckuva lot higher housing cost. It might help if you explain what you want your standard of living to include.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 9:56 PM on November 21, 2012 [4 favorites]

Sure, I have friends that do it in Calgary, and rent is higher here than there. You'll be fine, and your salary will probably go up from there.
posted by tatiana131 at 10:05 PM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

So long as you don't buy multiple sets of Oiler's season's tickets, I suspect you'll be fine.
posted by mazola at 10:18 PM on November 21, 2012

No real problem
posted by PinkMoose at 1:34 AM on November 22, 2012

Lots of people are.
posted by phrontist at 2:03 AM on November 22, 2012

Yes you can, and fairly well. Edmonton has some surprisingly good restaurants, too.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:43 AM on November 22, 2012

Yes, I did that for a long time on a lot less.

Rentals are here..
posted by blue_beetle at 6:06 AM on November 22, 2012

I did for several years. So, yes.
posted by Kurichina at 7:39 AM on November 22, 2012

Absolutely. Lots of friends of mine have lived there on much less.
posted by futureisunwritten at 7:48 AM on November 22, 2012

You can certainly live comfortably, if modestly. You won't be driving a flashy car, but you won't be living hand-to-mouth either.

Just be aware that the amount of oil-wealth in this region has led to a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses mentality, more so in the last ten years. There are a lot of Subaru beaters, but also more and more blinged out Mercs and Bimmers on the road these days. That said, Edmontonians have been pretty good at maintaining an air of humility, unlike peeps in Ft. Mac and Calgary (I say this as a detached Vancouverite, so don't be accusing me of any bias!).
posted by wutangclan at 11:16 AM on November 22, 2012

I will add to the cacophony of affirmatives: yes you can. I do! and last time I checked I was both alive and not homeless.

As was mentioned by wutangclan, there is a fair bit of oil money floating about, and this does hugely skew people's perspectives on what constitutes "living".
posted by selenized at 12:24 PM on November 22, 2012