Canadian man settled in India with his wife and children: The cost of living is much lower than in Toronto, and he lost 14 pounds in 5 months

A Canadian man shares his experience moving permanently to Bangalore, India, with his wife, and how his first five months in the country were both frustrating and rewarding. Five months later, the man still has not been able to open a bank account. Since he is a foreigner, he goes to the bank frequently and now he needs an Aadhaar card and Indian PAN. The man said international cards were not accepted and no one brought cash, so his wife paid for everything.“I went to a bank to open an account. The lady at the counter told me that they don’t open accounts for foreigners. This is not true. I came back a few days later and was told that I needed to register with the FRRO. This meant a lot of back and forth on the government portal and having my marriage certificate apostilled by my parents in Canada. Get FRRO, go back to bank, now they need Aadhaar and PAN. Aadhaar requires 182 days in the country. 5 months later, I still can’t pay. International cards aren’t really accepted outside of delivery apps, and cash doesn’t work as no one gives change. My wife pays for everything when we go out,” he wrote on Reddit.The Canadian man was also unhappy with the products offered in India, saying there were a lot of lies and knockoffs. He often faced language barriers and had no real friends in India, but he said he and his wife both quit their jobs before moving to India and now organize walks in Cubbon Park, rock climbing groups and other activities.

“Still the right choice…”

The Canadian man said that despite the shortcomings, he believes they made the right decision. The cost of living is much lower than in Toronto, and Bangalore has a startup energy that he always liked. “Still, I think we made the right decision. The cost of living is much lower than in Toronto, so we have a longer runway here. Having a maid saves a lot of time. South Indian food is incredible. Real ingredients and very cheap. I could eat ghee pudi masala dosa every day. I have lost 14 pounds since I got here. Almost everyone I meet here is building something. So many founders. This is the energy I want,” he wrote.“It took me 5 months to finally get into a good rhythm and start doing things that excite me. No commute. No committees saying no to every idea. No panic attacks like when I used to work at a bank. I can go to the gym at noon, take an afternoon break, work late, whatever I want. The bad things are mostly one-time annoyances. The good thing is doing what I want on my own schedule every day. It’s the right place for us now. Whether it’s forever, who knows. Air quality and traffic are real concerns, especially for children,” he added.