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The cost-of-living crunch has become a persistent pressure point in the U.S., with housing affordability weighing heavily on many households. But according to one TikTok creator who “fled” the country for Canada, the financial strain hasn’t eased north of the border — far from it.
Nope Brigade (@nopebrigade0), a TikTok creator with more than 140,000 followers, recently posted a video explaining their situation.
“I’m a scholar of the far right who has fled the United States to Canada and I need help,” they said (1). While they declined to reveal their name or academic institution, their YouTube channel description states that they are a Ph.D. candidate in sociology (2).
In the video, Brigade described the situation in Canada as “absolutely dire,” pointing specifically to housing costs as the biggest challenge.
“For Americans who don’t know, the housing crisis here is worse than in the United States. I lived in LA for six years and I have not faced rent as bad as here,” they said.
To be sure, the region they chose is among the most expensive in the country.
“When my partner, our cat and our dog fled the United States, we headed north, with the goal of being close to where our families are located, which is on the West Coast. So we are now in British Columbia. More specifically, we are in the Sea-to-Sky Highway in the Greater Vancouver area,” they explained.
Vancouver is widely regarded as one of the most expensive cities in Canada — and among the priciest in the world in terms of housing and overall cost of living (3).
Their financial situation is further complicated by their immigration status. Brigade said they and their partner are in Canada on visitor visas, which do not allow them to work.
“So we are currently surviving off of what savings we could get together before we fled the United States and that’s not terribly much,” they said.
Brigade also made a direct appeal for assistance from viewers.
“Because there are two adults, a cat and a dog, we are looking for more than a room, but one bedroom, two bedroom for free or below market rates,” they said, adding “If we can’t find housing, we’re going to have to leave and I don’t know where we’ll go.”
The video seems to have struck a chord, garnering more than 6,600 likes and over 3,900 comments as of the time of writing. Some commenters noted that Greater Vancouver is among the most expensive housing markets in Canada.
“You are in one of the most expensive areas of Canada. I make pretty decent money and I can’t even afford to live there. I am in Alberta!” one top comment reads.
Others questioned the decision to relocate without assessing the housing situation first.
“I would think a PHD Candidate would have been smart enough to look into these issues before going thru with moving up there,” another commenter wrote.
So just how strained is the housing situation north of the border and how does it compare with those in Los Angeles, where Brigade lived for six years?
Vancouver’s housing market has cooled somewhat recently, but prices remain far from what most would consider affordable.
In January 2026, the MLS Home Price Index composite benchmark for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver stood at CA$1,101,900 (4). Meanwhile, average rent in the city was roughly CA$2,650 per month, according to Rentals.ca (5).
Those figures rank among the highest in Canada. But here is how they stack up with Los Angeles: Zillow data shows the average home value in Los Angeles currently sits at US$933,111 (6), with average rent near US$2,700 per month (7).
Of course, affordability isn’t just about sticker prices — it also depends heavily on income. Estimates from ZipRecruiter put the average annual salary in Vancouver at CA$69,513 (8) — or about $5,793 monthly, compared with about US$69,838 — or about $5,820 per month in Los Angeles (9).
In practical terms, that means homeownership in either city is out of reach for many average earners, with rent alone consuming nearly half of the monthly income in both places.
However, in Brigade’s case, the financial pressure is even more acute.
They said they are currently unable to work due to their visitor visa status and are relying on savings, which makes living in any major city challenging — let alone one consistently ranked among the most expensive housing markets in the world.
While Brigade’s situation is unique, the underlying pressure is not. Across high-cost cities like Vancouver and Los Angeles, many households are navigating the same affordability squeeze — where rent, essentials and fixed costs leave little room for financial flexibility.
As a result, building financial resilience — whether through disciplined budgeting or maintaining a healthy savings buffer — has become increasingly important.
If you want to improve your finances, a key step is understanding where your money actually goes each month. Track all expenses for 30 days and sort them into two categories: essentials — like rent, groceries, utilities and healthcare — and discretionary spending, such as dining out, entertainment, shopping and hobbies.
A quick daily check-in of your accounts can show you exactly where your money is going.
An app like Rocket Money can easily flag recurring subscriptions, upcoming bills and unusual charges by pulling in transactions from all your linked accounts.
This can help you cut unnecessary costs, and then you can manually redirect savings straight into your retirement fund. No spreadsheets, no guesswork, no stress. Small habits like this can make a big difference over time.
Rocket Money’s intuitive app offers a variety of free and premium tools. Free features include subscription tracking, bill reminders and budgeting basics, while premium features — like automated savings, net worth tracking, customizable dashboards, and more — make it easier to stay on top of your retirement contributions and overall financial goals.
When living costs are high, having a financial cushion becomes more than just a good habit — it can be a critical buffer against sudden shocks.
An emergency fund provides breathing room when the unexpected happens, helping prevent short-term setbacks from turning into longer-term financial hardship. Whether it’s a medical bill, a major car repair or an abrupt loss of income, that cushion can help you stay afloat while you figure out the next step.
So how big should that safety net be?
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey suggests having an emergency fund that can cover three to six months worth of living expenses. What matters most, though, is consistency — adding a little at a time until your safety net starts to take shape.
To get started, a high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account, can be a great place to grow your emergency funds, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your cash when you need it.
A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base variable APY of 3.30% and new clients can get a 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total APY of 4.05%. That’s 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s January report.
With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks.
In high-cost environments, investing for the future can feel especially challenging, as a large share of income is already going toward essentials like rent, groceries and utilities. For many households, the issue isn’t a lack of awareness, but a lack of leftover cash at the end of the month.
That’s where small, automated investing strategies can play a role. Instead of waiting until you have large sums to set aside, platforms like Acorns allow users to invest spare change from everyday purchases, gradually turning small amounts into a growing portfolio over time.
When you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns automatically rounds up the price to the nearest dollar and invests the difference — the coins that would wind up in your pocket if you were paying cash — into a diversified portfolio of ETFs.
Buying a coffee for $3.40? The app rounds it up to $4 and invests the extra $0.60. Over time, those small amounts can add up — especially if you’re consistently spending and saving.
It’s a simple, set-it-and-forget-it way to build wealth from money you might not even miss — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.
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Admiral Markets AS reported a sharp reversal in 2025,
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