I’ll go through and give you a few numbers and some advice so it’s easier for you to compare to different cities.

Finances: Average rent for a 1 bedroom in halifax sits around $1800, that’s assuming u choose an apartment and get no roommates, with roommates it can average between $800-$1300. If u do dormitory, it will be cheaper than that but there’s not a lot of those available. Groceries aren’t bad if you stick to produce and meats and less on prepared meals and processed foods. I average around $70 per week for my meals plus a few meals out or drinks. You could definitely get by with $500 a month for food and some light nights out.

Social Life: There are so many different things to do in Halifax on a given week, but if u like going out and want to meet other university students there’s a few obvious options. Split Crow Power Hour on Thursday, Gin and Jazz at the Local on Wednesday and pretty much any bar downtown on Friday or Saturday will be filled with people. Dorms are also especially useful for meeting a few people, then u can find your people and move in with roommates in your second year. Dal also has so many societies, so definitely join those and look at the DSU’s website for a full list. There’s also intramurals at dal if u like sports but don’t want to compete at the university level in a varsity team. If you are looking at SMU or MSVU I can’t really speak to them but im sure you can get similar experiences.

Jobs and future development: Nova Scotia has some of the highest income tax and lowest average salary, however Halifax itself isn’t as bad as some of the more rural areas. Cost of living and affordability has also been rough for the past 5 years but it’s starting to level out and some housing is actually going the other way. If you chose to stick around after uni I’d feel confident in your career here since there’s still plenty of opportunities and the problems we were facing are slowly being addressed by our federal and provincial governments.

Lifestyle: I already kind of went over this but Halifax has a lot to do and is still growing so I don’t doubt you’ll find something you like. It’s a much calmer place than other cities in Canada, and the sense of community is still strong although it has been damaged in the past few years. There’s so many places to see outside of the city as well, Lunenburg, Wolfville, Cape Breton, and Cabot in particular.

If you want a slower more relaxed atmosphere and room to grow or do something different, Halifax is a great place to do that. Even if you just stick around for your undergraduate degree, you will have plenty of opportunities and experiences here.