Moving abroad often brings unexpected financial surprises, and for Louise Ware-Armstrong, a lifestyle and travel vlogger who recently relocated from Somerset, UK, to Niagara Falls, Ontario, one monthly expense stood out as particularly costly.
In a TikTok video that has gained over 11,000 likes, Louise detailed her monthly bills, highlighting rent, utilities, and household costs as manageable. However, she expressed shock at the price of phone plans in Canada. “One of the most expensive bills here is your phone plan,” she explained. “You cannot find a cheap phone plan anywhere.”
Louise pays roughly 400 Canadian dollars (£215) each month for a bundled package that includes her mobile phone, home internet, and TV services. “For all three, it comes to around $400 a month, which is literally crazy,” she said. “When I first moved here, you couldn’t find a phone plan for less than $60 a month without a phone included.”
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Her revelation sparked a lively conversation among viewers, many agreeing that telecommunications costs are a significant part of Canada’s cost of living challenges.
Statistics support Louise’s experience. While the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) notes a recent decline in mobile tariffs, Canada remains one of the world’s most expensive countries for wireless services. Price comparison site WhistleOut reports the average Canadian phone bill at around CA$64 (£34) per month – substantially higher than the UK average, which ranges from £15 to £20 according to communications regulator Ofcom.
Industry analysts attribute the steep costs in Canada to limited market competition and higher infrastructure expenses. Despite Louise’s rent of CA$1,650 for a two-bedroom apartment and additional utility costs, it is the telecommunications expenses that ranked as her biggest financial surprise after moving abroad.