A British expat who relocated to Canada has revealed that mobile phone plans are significantly more expensive than in the UK, describing the cost as one of the biggest financial shocks of moving abroad.
Louise Ware-Armstrong, a lifestyle and travel vlogger from the UK who now lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario, shared a TikTok video breaking down her monthly living costs. While rent, utilities and household expenses were largely as expected, she said phone and internet services stood out as particularly costly.
“One of the most expensive bills in Canada is your phone plan,” she said in the video, which has garnered over 11,000 likes. “You cannot find a cheap phone plan anywhere.” She explained that her combined mobile phone, home internet and TV package costs around 400 Canadian dollars (£215) per month.
According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), mobile prices have fallen in recent years, but Canada remains one of the more expensive markets for wireless services internationally. Price comparison platform WhistleOut reports the average Canadian mobile bill is about CA$64 (£34) per month, compared to the UK average of £15 to £20, as reported by regulator Ofcom.
Industry studies attribute the high costs to a less competitive market and higher infrastructure costs in Canada. Louise pays 1,650 Canadian dollars in rent for a two-bedroom home, plus separate utility bills, but it is the phone and internet bill that she finds most shocking.
