During a visit to Ontario, a New Yorker – who claims to be used to paying exorbitant prices in the city – was amazed at Canada's cost of living.
“What the hell is going on in Canada right now?” said the TikToker, known on the app as garrettfromgoldies.
His video, posted earlier this week, has since received nearly two million views and thousands of comments on the social media platform.
In the clip, he explains that he is on vacation visiting his parents, who live in Newmarket, Ontario.
“I live in the West Village of New York City. The yuppie area with the highest cost of living in the entire history of the United States,” he says.
The West Village is considered the most expensive neighborhood in NYC. The city's most expensive properties average $2,366 per square foot.
Accustomed to the high costs of his New York neighborhood, the TikToker explains that “nothing fazes him” when it comes to prices other than what he experienced in Canada.
“Tell me why I come home… to the suburbs of Toronto and I'll be shocked at the cost of living here.”
“How do Canadians make it work?” he asks, before jokingly suggesting that “everyone in the Canadian economy needs to be laid off immediately.”
“There is something sinister going on in Canada and I am determined to get to the bottom of it,” he says.
@garrettfromgoldies ♬ Original sound – Garrett from 💛GOLDIES💛
The video was flooded with comments from people admitting that they are barely making ends meet due to the difficult economic situation.
“My husband and I make over $200,000 but we can't afford to buy a house,” one commenter said.
One person said they felt like Canadians were simply “clinging on to survive.”
Another commenter said the answer to surviving in the country meant giving up “hobbies, dreams of future homes and retirement.”
“Focus on working, affording groceries, and trying to find small joys every day.”
“I'm not going anywhere or doing anything now. I don't go to the gym anymore either. So sad. I can’t afford hobbies anymore,” one person said.
Another commenter said they were “honestly not doing well.”
“I don’t even want to leave the house because it costs $100 every time,” they added.
The high cost of living has pushed many Canadians to the brink, with many drowning in household debt.
Some Canadians need to move to other parts of the country or world to find cheaper housing options.
Other Canadians report that they can't leave their relationships because they can't afford to live alone.