Vancouver BC Living cost

trianil Active member

31POSTS

16 years ago

trianil wrote:
Hello,

I live in Richmond, close to Vancouver International Airport with my family (we are both professionals in our 40's)and 2 children. Just thought I would post and let everyone know what it costs to live in Vancouver (voted best place to live on earth).

Real estate is really very expensive in Vancouver, especially west coast, you will need lot of money to purchase a family home that is ready to live in. The same home would rent for approx 1400-2000/mo. Downtown renting a 1BR flat may cost 1200-1400PM in a trendy area of downtown. If you go north which is mountainous and lot of snow and pictures view the cost will be slightly less, if you prefer to move east (not very good and may be homeless and druggies around it will be less expensive, if you move south close to US border side then again it is good locality and much cheaper (say a 1 hour commute), prices can be lower but you have to be careful what area to choose as some can be not very nice. To get a nice family home condo in a nice area 1 hour from downtown you will need to spend approx 400-700K in this recession time, otherwise it is more.

Public transportation is really great in Greater Vancouver especially after inauguration of new Sky train line from Downtown to the Airport & Richmond which will help a lot. I believe is cost approx $4 each way to commute in rush hour.

Living costs are much more in compare to other province; groceries for small family may cost 800-1000Pm again depending on eating habits. This does not include restaurant meals. I know if you shop smarter (Canadian Superstore) one could get this down a little bit and in Vancouver life people eat a lot outside, there are numerous places all the streets and corners are filled with all country specialties food items.

Health insurance you will need to buy for an individual you spend $65 and for a family $108 Basic BC Health Insurance, everyone needs to buy and cover themselves. Dental is usually covered by ones employer if not then it is expensive.

Education is free and for the most part very good, your children will get admission to close school, and school areas are set by Vancouver school board. Private schools are expensive, approx 10-15K/year per child plus extras. But govt schools are equally good.

Energy prices seem reasonable to me. Electricity for our apartment is only 20 dollars/month. In a family home it would be about 150/mo, depending on how you heat your home. Overall in a home I would expect to pay about 300/mo for electricity and gas.

Internet is usually $50/mo, Phone around $30/mo, full digital cable is about $100/mo and cell phone plans are usually $50 for about 1000 mins. Bundle all these and you get it down to $200 a month.

Dinner out in a nice restaurant for 2 with wine, etc. will run about $100. There are lot of places and lot of options; you may eat with drinks (Beer) for that amount.

Beer in a pub is about $7. Coffee about $3 for a latte at Starbucks.

If anyone has questions about moving to Vancouver, I would be happy to help. For any further assistance you can always reach us.

If you are thinking of booking airline ticket to Vancouver from UAE, it will be much cheaper to fly to Seattle and take a bus from Tacoma airport to Vancouver, a return ticket valid for 1 year will cost close to $ 100 (for the bus not for the flight). You may try Sales@quickcoach.com

There are numerous things to do in Vancouver, BC
Have Fun,

1 member reacted to this post

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Andreja Member

2POSTS

16 years ago

Tnx, trianil,

I believe you've helped a lot. what most interest me are babysitting prices (Per hour/per month).

Further, what is the after_giving_birth system like in Canada? What period after giving birth is mother allowed ar obligated to stay home with child? I come from Croatia and here we have 6 months responsibility to stay home with child and receive full month salary each month. After 6 months we can stay home with child till child is one yr old and we have right to get a common ammount per month (in CRO it is approx. 550 C$). What is it like in Canada? And are there available nurseries and kindergartens? What are the expenses for that?

Julien Founder

53176POSTS

16 years ago

Wonderful post trianil, thanks

thaiaunty New member

8POSTS

16 years ago

Great information, thanks.

L.I.A.T.J. Member

1POSTS

16 years ago

I was wondering what it would be for a bachelor apartment and what it is like for finding work there.

shinsy Member

2POSTS

16 years ago

Hi there

What a terrific post. Myself and my husband are thinking of moving to Vancouver from Galway, Ireland. We will need to get visias but we need to get sponsorship first to get there. Is it hard to get work before we move there? Or is it worth taking the chanc moving over with no work. Would love to know what you think?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Sinead

trianil Active member

31POSTS

16 years ago

Sorry Guys for such a late reply:
Andreja: Babysitting prices, one of my sister-in-laws pays 12-18CAD an hour, but I am not sure it depends on so many factors.

I suppose total leave is 1 year which can be divided among spouse in any proportions.
There are plenty of nurseries and kindergartens and expenses are not much plus you get assistance from Canada Revenue.

Julian: Thanks mate.

Thaiaunty: Happy to know that some of the information is useful to you, Appreciate your feed back, thanks.

LIATJ: Depends, sharing accomodation are cheap, you may search in local area search, CL (Craigslist) is very useful in Vancouver. typical in down town 800-1000CAD, however East vancouver might be much cheaper. For finding job you need to be physically present until any specialised job.

Shinsy: I am not sure I understood your question correctly, to work you need to a resident or have work visa?

Cheers,

rhapsody3 Member

3POSTS

16 years ago

Thank you. This was very helpful. I would like to move to Vancouver next year. I live in West Palm Beach, Florida. I'm a freelance writer but writing jobs are scarce here and don't pay a lot. I would consider teaching as well. If you hear about anything, please post it. Thank you again and I hope you have a great day. Sincerely, Kyoto.

thomast New member

9POSTS

16 years ago

i everyone
i just came back from 4 months in Victoria BC that was awesome the weather wonderful, the wild life fascinating people are great and very friendly. the single problem i noticed is the price of meat and other food that are higher than in europe...

rhapsody3 Member

3POSTS

16 years ago

#10

Please post any writing jobs (newspapers or magazines) and teaching jobs you might hear of in Vancouver. Would like to move there from West Palm Beach, Florida in the near future. Thanks so much, Kyoto.

janicewong_ang Member

2POSTS

16 years ago

#11

Hi! How about in toronto?
Can you make up a draft expenses for the cost of living?
especially near University of Toronto.
Thanks.

gavsiburcin Member

1POSTS

16 years ago

#12

Hi everyone; me, my wife and my 7 months baby will move to Vancouver. We want to live in nice and secure enviroment.

And I will start my second life. ( I'm 46 ) At the same time I'll start to study something. ( cinematography, antropology etc.)

So ;
What is your suggestion for us... Place to live, study to school, etc...( in vancouver )

(we like nature but we are living in and as you know İstanbul a crazy city ...)

EArcher Member

20POSTS

16 years ago

#13

Hi there,

Could you tell us a bit more about the type of neighbourhood you'd like to live in?
Generally speaking, other than the downtown Eastside, Vancouver is a very safe and nice place to live - so your choice will mostly depend on your personal preferences and the lifestyle you want: quiet or active, fast-paced or more laid-back, house or apartment, etc.

There are lots of schooling options, from adult continuing education through community colleges to advanced degrees at a university like UBC or SFU. Are you looking for general interest courses, or do you want to study towards a degree and a new career?

Give us a few details, and I'm sure we can give you plenty of suggestions!

PS: Re-reading the excellent first post in this thread, I wanted to clarify that East Vancouver in general, while less upscale than other parts of the city, is safe - it is the downtown Eastside that is a troubled area.
Mount Pleasant, Main Street and Commercial Drive in East Vancouver are all very sought after, especially by younger people who are looking for a more creative and eclectic environment.

aledm Member

1POSTS

16 years ago

#14

Hello Trianil, enjoyed reading your post. Thanks for the info.
My wife and I will be visiting Vancouver from mid-May to mid-August, 2010. We are thinking that your area, Richmond, might be a good place for us to find a furnished apartment. A little away from the main tourist areas and yet pretty easy to get to downtown with the Sky Train (It is finished, is it not?). Also, I believe the rents should be lower than downtown by a pretty significant amount. What do you think? I have only just started looking for apartments in Vancouver but I really have not found anything in Richmond. Can you suggest some good sources?
Thanks for your help and we'll buy you a drink when we get there.
Dimitri

Goldy2 Member

3POSTS

16 years ago

#15

Hi Trianil, thanks for this information.
My husband has an arranged employment, so we will move from Paris France to Vancouver, next summer.
You already answered to a lot of questions, but I still have others left.
Can you please let me know about income taxes, and also payroll charges. What percentage of your gross salary is deduced?
I think that my children will study in the French school, so we will have to rent a house or flat close to it, in North Vancouver. Is it a good place to live? And do you know some goo websites to find a house for rent?
Thanks in advance for your help!

trianil Active member

31POSTS

16 years ago

#16

Hi Dimitri,
Pleased to know that you liked the post,
Yes Canada Line (New Sky Train) is already operational, object was to start before 2010 Olympic, and we achieved it well within the schedule, Great work Canada.
Richmond is like a Delta, perfect flat and below the sea level, there is dyke all around and its great fun biking or walking on the dyke. YVR is also in Richmond and we have Steveston Village in Richmond a must place to wonder in the evening during summer when you have daylight till 10 PM.
You may try C/L craigslist Vancouver, it is very popular in Vancouver, lot of people put post for vocational rental and I think thats what you are looking for? Rent would be definitely less than D/T.
Thanks for offering drink,It will be my pleasure buying drinks for you guys.
Take care & Cheers..

Hi Goldy2, Salut
Income tax is directly deducted from source, you will need to apply and get a SIN (Social Insurance Number), everyone pay federal & provincial taxes, you may visit CRA website for details.
There are lots of French Immersion schools in Vancouver, almost all area will have one and your children will need not to travel much. I am not sure about North Van schools but there is one in Richmond and it really having very good credentials, you may visit VSB (Van School Board website) for all information. North Van is great place to live very picturesque, its mountain and it snows more plus you will need snow tires in winter. Since you are coming from France you must have seen lot of snow, so if you want to avoid snow better head towards south Vancouver? Try C/L as referred above?
Take care & have fun..

rhapsody3 Member

3POSTS

16 years ago

#17

How would I go about applying for a newspaper or magazine writing position is Vancouver? Who would I contact? I don't speak French,would this be a prerequisite? Please send as much information as you can. I would like to relocate to Vancouver some time this year. I live in Florida. Thank you so much. I hope you have a wonderful day. Sincerely, Kyoto.

priya2010 New member

8POSTS

16 years ago

#18

hi trianil,

How about special education in Vancouver? we are moving to Canada next summer, but my child needs a special needs school. DO they have many special needs schools (public schools) or is it difficult to find one. Also what would be the rent of a one bedroom apartment in a decent locality?

trianil Active member

31POSTS

16 years ago

#19

Hello Priya,
Canada might be one of the best place for special needs children, there are plenty of schools with plenty of programs to bring a special need child to main stream.
Rent depends on which City and which part of city would you like to live. My one cent advice will be to first locate a good school and then rent a place in the same locality, because in Canada schools have their boundaries and are pretty strict with crossing boundaries.
Welcome to Canada,
Take care,

priya2010 New member

8POSTS

16 years ago

#20

Thanks Trianil,
Great advice, i didnt think on that matter. Well, i am open to any place, but i chose vancouver over toronto seeing the extreme weather conditions in toronto. What do u advise, vancouver or toronto, in the first place. Because school is my main priority, everything else comes after.

Thanks again.

nelnog Member

1POSTS

15 years ago

#21

trianil. Your info is very valuable.

By any chance could you give some hints in how to select o good school for our 8 and 10 year old kids; and from there select our rental.

Your help will be appreciatted.

thanks

mik Member

1POSTS

15 years ago

#22

I am considering moving abroad to live and work. I am from England. I wanted to ask someone who used to live in UK but now moved to Canada and ask how its been since moving across. My wife and I are both professionals in our late 30's, got 2 kids. I have a brother who lives in Vancouver, so im considering moving near to where he lives. But somehow im still very reluctant and very cautious because moving houses can be very stressful and If you don't like the place where you are moving to then its another move again.
If anyone in this forum knows someone who used to live in UK maybe you can help me put an end to my concerns, but the forums have been very helpful so far. Thanks for your contribution guys.

FeeAcer ViP

6172POSTS

15 years ago

#23

mik wrote:
I am considering moving abroad to live and work. I am from England. ... Thanks for your contribution guys.

Hi Mik,
Could you please start a new topic with this, as you are a bit off-topic here!
Thks
Arlette

Moniek Member

1POSTS

15 years ago

#24

Hello,

I am Moniek and I am originally from Amsterdam. I have been living in Vancouver for about 3 years now. The city is wonderful but the real estate is definetly expensive. Housing in Vancouver is one of the most expensive in Canada. Rent for a one bedroom downtown ranges from $1000 up to $1500 / month.

Food, electronics, utilities etc are about the same compare to a city like amsterdam.

Enjoy the city!

Here are a few sites that might be helpful when you first arrive in Vancouver:

craigslist.com
2vancouverbc.com
relocation2bc.com

Cheers,

Moniek

Audre & Dimitri New member

2POSTS

15 years ago

#25

Greetings to everyone thinking of living around Vancouver,

We just spent 2 1/2 months living in a fully furnished and equipped rental apartment in Coal Harbour ($1850/mo for a 1 BR plus alcove and balcony) and eating everywhere, but mostly in the West End. We've written our 2010 Vancouver Restaurant Reviews by ALEDM and they are posted on our blog:

travelingloveaffair.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-vancouver-area-restaurant-reviews.html

(at the bottom of that blog post, if you click on "Newer Post" you can read more about our Vancouver accommodations.)

Enjoy

Naori Member

18POSTS

15 years ago

#26

hey trianil,

don't be so ignorant like all the other people. East Side does not equal druggies and homeless.
I lived in the east side. But there is a difference in location.

I don't live in downtown east side.
And i lived here for over 20 years and as long as you avoid nigh walking (if going out at night drive) or walk on busy streets or walk with another person you'll be fine. And mind you this is the general rule of thumb for anywhere.

Not to mention my neighbourhood is quite peaceful. Don't hate cause you don't know.

CanadaGeek Member

1POSTS

15 years ago

#27

Trianil,

Thanks a ton for all valuable information. We are immigrating to Canada and will be looking at Vancouver/Toronto as destination. For Vancouver, can you update which areas are family friendly, good school, parks. I read your post and seems Richmond is one area which is good. Can you share some more such areas/neighbourhood information. I am ok with no or moderate night life if the area really good for families.

Hope to get a reply soon.

...Geek

john2011 Contributor

112POSTS

15 years ago

#28

Real estate in Vancouver is expensive until it will crash soon. How much of debts people can still bear there?Let's see on the Spring and the sales sign everywhere.
Otherwise, for me, Vancouver is not the best place on earth. It's ridiculous and only those who are haughty or have never traveled can think such a thing. Honestly, as a tourist, it's great to spend 2 months in Vancouver and hike on the summer. I spent one year and a half but I was very happy to leave. People are great, polite. And even I think the Canadians are maybe the best polite people in the world. But nevertheless, it's hard to make friends with Canadians and to have a great and exciting social life in Vancouver. That's why people called it also No fun city...People won't be happy with what I wrote. Sorry but it's an opinion. No drama.

Ad Vancouver New member

9POSTS

15 years ago

#29

Thanks John2011, I appreciate your honest point of view. I'm Canadian and have lived mostlt outside Canada and around 5 years in Montreal. You're right, not easy making friends among Canadians.

I just want you to clarify sthg to me, are you saying that Vancouver is a boring place? My wife and I have been traveling all around the world and we're thinking about moving to Vancouver because we are seeking a nice place, family friendly, peaceful, good for children... and where we can start our own small business. My wife is Russian and all our friends around the world are Russians. We expect to make Russian friends in Vancouver as well.

Do you think Vancouver would disapoint us?

jumapili Member

1POSTS

15 years ago

#30

so i need to go to study in vancouver

Armand ViP

24785POSTS

15 years ago

#31

Hi and welcome aboard jumapili

Maybe you should start a new topic on the Vancouver forum

Regards
Armand

northernlightsfinn New member

4POSTS

15 years ago

#32

My family and I are considering moving to Vancouver in about a year or so. We have 3 young children 10 and under. My husband has the possibility of earning 100000 CAD per year and we are wondering how much we will be paying in taxes and where we can find a good family friendly neighborhood within our means and decent schools? Help would be very appreciated, we are facing a very big decision and are torn on what to do.

Armand ViP

24785POSTS

15 years ago

#33

Hi and welcome on the forum northernlightsfinn!

I would suggest you to start a new thread on the Vancouver forum for better visibility and increasing your chances of obtaining replies.

Regards
Armand

sarmila Member

1POSTS

14 years ago

#34

loads of thanks Tranil,
we are moving to vancouver from australia very soon.your information really works for us.i just want to know about job opportunities over there.can u just tell me please what is the chances of getting job as a chef there and how much they will pay per houy?i am working in elderly care center as AIN (assistant in nursing) here.can i get same like job over there?waiting for ur response.
Thanks again for ur priceless information.

beautifulidea Member

3POSTS

14 years ago

#35

Sarmila, there is a reasonable chance of getting a chef job. Pay is about 45K per year. Eldercare worker makes $18-20 per hour. I was born & raised in Vancouver; my mother has lived here since 1937. I've been an expat in Hong Kong (as a dual citizen Brit/Canadian) and done grad school in Chicago; 13 years in Alberta too. If I check the forum, I'll watch for people's questions. One thing that just isn't true although the original author said a lot that is right: you do NOT need snow tires to live in N. Vancouver. That's a bit silly. The weather on the southern west coast of BC, summer and winter is the mildest in Canada; it's the one place you needn't fear bad weather. You just have to tolerate the gray rainy days for several weeks!

mickyboy Member

2POSTS

14 years ago

#36

hi to everyone,im a 47 year old man moving back to vancouver in may,could sombody give me a little insight into construction industry and work prospects,i have been a drywaller and ceiling fixer for over 25 years i also have basic carpentry,plumbing and tiling skills.i have a duel british and canadian citizenship so no problems there,am i making the right move at the right time.

James ViP

11272POSTS

12 years ago

#37

The two main universities in the Vancouver region are University of British Columbia UBC and Simon Fraser University SFU. They are both excellent institutions and have a reputation worldwide.

Richmond, like Vancouver has a very diverse ethnic makeup. You will find many Asians, Pakistanis, Europeans and people from Central and South American countries throughout the entire region. If you look hard enough you'll probably even find other Panamanians too, maybe even at one of the universities.

While you may not have been pleased with the winter weather which is rainy the spring and summer are much better and once you experience those seasons in the Lower Mainland you'll see that it's well worth tolerating the few months of rain. I think really what your problem was is that you didn't take into consideration that the season are opposite in the northern hemisphere and you travelled at a time of year when you had already had your fill of rain in Panama, only to arrive in Vancouver during their rainy season. Many who travel from north to south or vice versa make this mistake, they leave their own country when the climatic conditions are becoming most favorable only to find that they're least favorable in their destinations in the opposite hemisphere. I'm sure that if you really think back on your visit you'll probably agree that this indeed was the case.

http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/flag/t67118.gif

Cheers,

http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/flag/t67054.gif

William James Woodward Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

yinyu New member

8POSTS

12 years ago

#38

I have thought that buying a property in Richmond to begin with, is better than renting a place for the 1 year and a 3 months of the MA, then it could allow me to live half of the year there till we could make the residence. Or just keep our status like that. (according to the immigration rules the foreigners that have a property are allowed to live there 6 months of each year). What about simple lofts/studios in Richmond? they are available? I have only found a few options of them in the Real State Agencies of the internet.

James ViP

11272POSTS

12 years ago

#39

Actually, in most of the Vancouver area apartments are generally rental properties. There are some which one can purchase, but these are usually in very high-end, expensive condominium buildings.

Nowadays it is extremely difficult to find homes that sell for anything under $300,000.00 CAD. Most of the newer homes are in the 500 thousand to million dollar range. It is, after all, the single most expensive city in the whole country in which to live.

Cheers,

William James Woodward Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

demi56 Contributor

101POSTS

12 years ago

#40

Have to agree that Vancouver is the most expensive city to live at right now. Richmond area might be a bit cheaper (10 -20 thousand less lol) but I am not sure how is the condo market there. Richmond market used to be mostly family houses, not as many condos. Vancouver (Downtown, east Vancouver, Kitsilano etc.) is better for that, but the prices are pretty high.