High value of dwelling: Student commutes to school by airplane as a result of it’s cheaper than his hire | EUROtoday

As of: 1:14 p.m | Reading time: 3 minutes

TIm Chen is learning economics on the University of British Columbia (UBC). His college is in Vancouver, the Canadian metropolis with over one million inhabitants within the southwest of the nation. He shares the UBC campus with 55,000 fellow college students in one of the livable cities on the earth.

Until final December, Chen additionally lived within the vibrant metropolis not removed from the USA. But then he acquired a discover a few co-increase – and located a inventive resolution: He moved again to his dad and mom and has been commuting to lectures commonly ever since – by airplane. “It's like taking a bus,” he mentioned in an interview with Canadian TV station CTV News Vancouver.

Shock after hire improve

Vancouver is taken into account the Canadian metropolis with the best housing prices – a one-room condo prices a median of three,000 Canadian {dollars} (2,037 euros). The emptiness charge is 0.9 p.c. For comparability: In Germany, Munich was lengthy thought of the most costly metropolis for college kids. With an condo emptiness charge of 0.2 p.c, the rental costs, heat, had been 695 euros for a 30 sq. meter condo. The new entrance runner since final 12 months has been Frankfurt am Main. The comparability condo there prices one euro extra.

additionally learn

Prizes Chen can solely dream of. After a visit lasting a number of months, he was shocked on the finish of 2023: his landlord immediately demanded 2,500 Canadian {dollars}, the equal of round 1,700 euros, for Chen's room in a shared condo. Before the holiday, the hire was $900 much less. It was clear to Chen that he couldn't afford it. However, giving up his research was out of the query, in spite of everything, he was within the closing levels of his grasp's diploma.

additionally learn

Advertorial Property valuation

So Chen moved again to his dad and mom in Calgary, virtually 1,000 kilometers away. He saves a lot that he can commute to school – by airplane, as he stories within the Internet discussion board “reddit”.

That's what the acute pendulum prices

Each flight lasts round one and a half hours, defined Chen, who describes himself as a “super commuter”, which suggests one thing like “super commuter”, however is supposed extra within the sense of maximum commuter. It takes him about two hours to get from the entrance door to the lecture corridor.

Then he has three hours of lectures, will get on the bus and again to the airport, is how the younger man describes his on a regular basis life to the tv station CTV News. Footage exhibits him checking in on the airport. His dad and mom or associates would later choose him up from the airport in Calgary, his dwelling was solely ten minutes away.

This is feasible as a result of the Covid pandemic has digitalized college operations worldwide and seminars and lectures may be adopted on laptops. But Chen has to journey to Vancouver for 5 to seven lectures a month as a result of attendance is necessary.

Chen can solely afford this as a result of he works for a global administration guide alongside his college. So the younger man can deal with numbers. A return flight from Calgary would value him not more than 180 Canadian {dollars}, round 122 euros. Commuting prices round 1,200 Canadian {dollars} per thirty days, so renting an condo or room doesn't make sense, Chen mentioned in an interview.

In his dad and mom' home, he solely has to contribute to the extra prices, explains Chen.