Small Towns vs. the Big City

As a small town girl living in the big city, I can attest to the fact that there are a lot of differences between the two. There’s a huge lifestyle change that can take a while to get used to. Listed below are some of the biggest changes when comparing small towns vs. the big city.

Parking is expensive

You may be used to taking your car everywhere back home. This might not be the best idea when you’re in the big city. Back in your small town, there was tons of space and you could likely find a spot to leave your car for free. If not, parking would be a dollar here or there. This is not the case in the city, especially if you’re downtown. You might end up paying upwards of $4/hour for parking. Perhaps it’s time to look into public transit! This will save you a ton of money that would be spent on renting a spot to simply park your vehicle.

Let’s talk about rent prices.

This is a big consideration when deciding between small towns vs. the big city. Before my move to the big city, I lived in a three-bedroom house. Though it was nothing fancy, it had lots of space, a full-size kitchen with a dishwasher, a four piece bathroom and a quaint little backyard. Monthly rent for this place; $900. I now live in a small one bedroom basement suite. There is very little kitchen space, no tub and a shower that leaks all over the bathroom floor, and way too many safety violations to count. (Fire detector, what’s that?) All this can be yours too, for the low price of $1200.

Commuting takes a lot longer.

You’re likely used to being able to get from one side of the city to another in 15 minutes. Being stuck in morning traffic for upwards of an hour may seem less than appealing. This does take some time to get used to, but, as above, looking into public transit may help with this as well. If your new city has transportation such as subways or skytrains, it may help you bypass the traffic and get around a little faster.

People who have been saying they will come visit you, actually will.

You finally live in a place where people actually want to be! Your friends from back home will most certainly come to visit, as it’s actually a place people want to go for a vacation.

There is always something to do.

Back in your small town you most likely defaulted to a quick drink at the pub 9 times out of 10. That’s not the case now. You will have a multitude of events to choose from. From concerts to free yoga in the park and everything in between, hit up as many events as you desire.

There is a huge variety of restaurants. 

You can go out for supper every single day and you still won’t run out of places to try. Back in my small town, our options consisted of Boston Pizza, Houston Pizza, and Pizza Hut. In the big city, you have a variety of food options to choose from. If you want to try a food from a different country, it is guaranteed you will have at least a few different options from each.

Career advancement opportunities are unlimited.

Since most companies have their headquarters in the big city, there are plenty of opportunities available. You can start working in the head office and move up rather quickly. If you stop enjoying your current position, there are plenty of opportunities to cross over to.

When you go out in public, You won’t run into everyone you know.

Back in your hometown, you couldn’t leave the house without running into several people you knew. However, now you can run out for snacks in sweats and a messy bun because no one you know is going to see you anyway!

Small Towns vs. the Big City; What’s the verdict?

This one is really up to you. There are pros and cons to both. Really what it comes down to is who you are and what you are looking to get out of the place you live. If cheap living is what you are after then consider a small town. But if you enjoy the hustle and love having tons of opportunities at every turn then consider a big city. The choice is ultimately up to you.