Vancouver BC Living cost

Since you both know very well the areas, what about Greater Victoria - Victoria? I felt in love with the place during that rainy fall when I was there in BC, but then my landlords and some others told me about the lack of job opportunities, low salaries and others. There are very good universities too, and the idea of living in that garden city was part of my dreams for some time. But again, I would like to start buying a small apartment first to live while I study. Then explore well the environment to know if the reality of the jobs market or the opportunities to have a small business match with the dreams. IŽll appreciate your opinión.

Hi yinyu,

The cost of living in Victoria will probably be almost exactly the same as in Vancouver or the rest of the Lower Mainland. The city is beautiful, but there is one disadvantage of living there and that is its isolation from the Lower Mainland. The added costs of using the BC Ferries system if you need to travel to the mainland frequently can be extremely high.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

My friend and his family moved from Lower Mainland to Victoria and said too bad they didn't do it many years ago. The cost of living is slightly cheaper but the pace is much slower and they love it. With a job - it might be a bit harder, but again they found a job no problem. SO it's all depending what you are looking for. If you want to study there, go ahead
Denise

I am looking for peace and nature, culture, and of course, a resource to have a good income. I have an NGO here that maybe could match with some others that I have seen that exist in the island. We could try to do projects together in Latin America eventually.
When I was in the place I felt in love with it. If I am able to have a small business with my husband, or find good jobs, have a nice house sorounded by vagetation, then there wonŽt be nothing to do frequently in Vancouver, except to take a an airplane to go somewhere else.
I am doing a research about small studio apartments now as a first property while I study and explore the area.
Thanks for your opinions.

Well, if you're looking for peace and to be surrounded by nature then Victoria is certainly the place to be. The city itself is large enough that you will find everything you need without ever having to look elsewhere so if you don't need to go back over to the mainland for much other than infrequent flights out then you'll be just fine.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Hi there,
we live in Maple Ridge!

Like the info, may I add a bit more?

Much cheaper for anything, houses and if you drive to Mission your petrol is much cheaper (up to 20 c even)too.

We started buying our groceries in USA, much cheaper than here in the local supermarkets (stay away from Thrifty's).
Real Canadian Superstore is ok priced.

Great shop for clothes is Value Village./ It might take time to look through all their stuff but you will definitely find something you fancy.

Vancouver is sooo over priced! If you take the time however to explore the different shops, you will live well, even here!

The problem might be to travel from Maple Ridge all the way to UBC or SFU every day :)Otherwise Mission or Maple Ridge is a great place to live

Oh yes, you are so right!
The last Westcoast Express train leaves at 7.40 am and returns at 3.50pm the earliest!!!
Help, you are stuck downtown!!!

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Maple Ridge and Mission do have their benefits, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Victoria over the two, simply because the weather is moderately better (less rainy) and Victoria offers a truly comfortable and slow paced way of life that I've never found on the mainland. There are downsides, as the temperatures are usually lower than those inland of Vancouver, it's windier, as you're exposed to the open ocean and it has a kind of small town mentality, but that is why the pace is slower.  At this point in time, it's only slightly less expensive than Vancouver, but we loved living there. It was a good life.