“We came to Canada for the experience”: a French couple starts a life in Toronto on $91,000 a year

“We came to Canada for the experience”: a French couple starts a life in Toronto on $91,000 a year

Who: Ophélie Courtial, 27, and Loïc Boget, 28

What they do: Ophélie is a Marketing specialist. Loïc is an account manager at a firm that facilitates grants.

What they make: Ophélie makes $48,000 a year. Loïc makes $43,000 a year.

Where they live: A one-bedroom apartment in Parkdale.

What they spend in a month: Rent: $1,550. (They moved to Toronto from Valence, a small city in southeast France, last February and bounced between short-term sublets and Airbnbs before finding a place at Queen and Dufferin. “We came because we wanted the experience,” says Ophélie. “We’re not ready to settle down.”) Utilities: $80. Car insurance and gas: $360. (Ophélie drives to work in Woodbridge. Loïc bikes or takes transit.) Cellphone For Loïc: $60. (Ophélie’s is covered by her work.) Internet and cable: $40. Groceries: $200. Netflix: $10.

What they bought in a week: Wine: $35. Cheese for a dinner party: $15. (“We ate cheese every day in France, but we can’t do that here because it’s five times the price.”) Costumes for a themed party: $25. Clothes from American Eagle for family in France: $240. (“It’s such a typical North American brand. We don’t have it back home.”) Tickets for Allied, with Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard: $15. (“It was half-price Tuesday.”) Takeout burgers and fries from Kitson and Co.: $31. (“In France, taxes are included in the price, and we don’t leave tips. We had to get used to paying $15 for a $10 burger.”)

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