Vancouver is the capital of the province of British Columbia, it is the 3rd most populated city in Canada, and it is the most diverse society in terms of national and racial characteristics in Canada, the city is more than 2.4 million people, 53% of the locals are foreigners who say in any language other than English.
When you meet or meet for the first time in Vancouver, people tell each other, not how you are doing, but where you came from. Locals are liberated people and very sociable, everyone is smiling.
Living Standards in Vancouver
Frankly, Vancouver is traditionally in the shadow of cities such as Toronto and Montreal, this also applies to the ranking of the best cities for life, since Toronto and Montreal are constantly in the top ten cities in the world, but Vancouver is in flight, but honestly, this is unfair, the standard of living in Vancouver is no different from Toronto and Montreal. Nevertheless, here, as in any other city in Canada, you can find homeless people and beggars on the streets, they are interesting in that they ask for money for specific needs, that is, they immediately provide reports, saying – I ask for money for food or other needs. Vancouver is Canada’s most expensive city; local prices are even higher than in Toronto.
Since 2015, Canada has been suffering from a fall in oil prices, the Canadian dollar has fallen by half against the US currency, if more recently the Canadian and American dollars at the exchange rate differed literally by a couple of cents, now to buy the American dollar you need to give 1 dollar Canadian and another 50 cents. This fact greatly influenced the standard of living, respectively, salaries fell by half, and this is very painful and very unusual for a developed Western country, and indeed a shameful thing that Canadians are not used to.
The advantages and disadvantages of living in Vancouver, the pros and cons
In Vancouver, it has always been customary to live on a minimum wage; such a Canadian social assistance system is built on the European model and is the exact opposite of the American one. If your family does not have enough money for something, then the state will give this money, but if you start to earn money normally, the state will actively begin to take this money in the form of a progressive tax rate with which you will share with a poorer population, or rather, the money will go to attract even more homeless people from other regions of Canada and even from the USA.
Vancouver has a very low crime rate, excellent transport infrastructure, the city is ideal for car owners, those who love urban transport. Given the fall of the Canadian dollar, life, as it were, became cheaper.
In Vancouver, like other cities in Canada, the perfect environment. Representatives of many cultures and religions live in Vancouver, the society is very tolerant, while Canada accepts the largest number of refugees from all countries of the world, including from Syria, but at the same time there are no such attacks by refugees in relation to local ones, there are no attacks on women and the like, the point may be that population density is extremely low, which does not allow passions to heat up. The people around are polite and have a sense of tact, no one goes into private life, doesn’t teach, does not judge, you can walk in the street in any clothes and with any color of hair.
How people live in Vancouver
In Vancouver, there are no ghettos or disadvantaged areas, such as in Paris, London, New York and similar places, however, the situation is similar in all cities of Canada, migrants are settled evenly in all areas.
Vancouver, for all its merits, also receives a share of the disadvantages, since here is the best life, it attracts many people and not the best. Lovers of free love Vancouver, since here is the most liberal government in the world, the highest social assistance, free medical care and generally all the things that are condemned in the USA. Parasites, vagabonds, drug addicts, hippies, alcoholics and other people who do not want to work flock to Vancouver from all over Canada and the United States. Vancouver has a very warm climate by the standards of Canada, so in summer you can live on the street, and in winter the state provides a social overnight stay, homeless people are fed and treated here for free. The number of homeless people on the streets is off the charts. Canadian society is trained in compassion and sensitivity to human grief. Officially, in Vancouver it is forbidden to spend the night on the street and build tents, unlike Toronto.
Vancouver has the longest life expectancy among other cities, this may be due to the unique local climate that combines the ocean and mountains, but the city is dirty, it seems that all residents smoke and drink alcohol without ceasing, however, buying cigarettes and alcohol is expensive and nowhere , only a few specialized stores sell such goods.
Unlike Montreal and Toronto, Vancouver has ghettos and unsightly sleeping areas, which by Canadian standards can even be called favelas, which the local government wants to demolish and build something modern on this site. Vancouver with its residential infrastructure will appeal only to those who have not been to Toronto and Montreal.
Vancouver is closer than other cities in Canada to Asia, I won’t surprise anyone if I say that half of the population are Asians, in the form of Chinese attractions in Vancouver, the Sun Yatsen Chinese Garden can be noted.
There is no economic city in Vancouver, the local downtown with skyscrapers is occupied by residential apartments, not offices, commercial firms are scattered throughout the city and especially around the port.
The center of pride can be considered the port, which is the largest in Canada, the city of Vancouver can be compared with the Ukrainian Odessa, for this reason Vancouver competes with Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa for the prices of living.
Vancouver Shopping
The crisis has affected prices in stores, especially foodstuffs, which are mostly imported from the neighboring USA, fruits and vegetables from California, which is still suffering from drought. For example, apples in Canadian stores do not cost 2 Canadian dollars as before, but already 10. At the same time, prices in stores are written without tax, the final purchase amount can be found only at the box office, in the face of such a sharp increase in prices, this tradition can be reviewed, so as not all people will have enough money without looking back.
Restaurants in Vancouver are extremely diverse, there are ethnic institutions from all over the world. The cost of lunch is relatively not high.
Fun and relaxation in Vancouver
Vancouver is a city of multiculturalism and diversity, but it’s hard to get used to it by people who grew up in a monocultural society, this applies to immigrants from Ukraine. A person faces a huge ethnic diversity in music, art, entertainment, food, exhibitions, but this increases the opportunities for cultural recreation and distinctions.
Vancouver can be considered a green city with a stretch, all the major cities of Canada are the same, there are very few trees in the cities themselves, you need to go outside the city, where you will be met by national parks that are carefully guarded.
Vancouver Nature
Unlike other major cities in Canada, Vancouver is surrounded on all sides by mountains with snow caps and an ocean with whales, the nature of British Columbia is simply stunning, for example, what is the lake Capilano Lake, which can be accessed by city bus. Grouse Mountain rises above Vancouver itself, with stunning views of the city and the ocean, the neighboring Baker Mountain is mistaken for the Paramount Pictures screensaver, and Banff National Park is nearby in the Rockies.
Transportation in Vancouver
You can learn more about Vancouver’s transport on the city page, but here we are talking about life, since Vancouver is a bicycle city, in this regard it is the most advanced in Canada, the streets are intersected by green, dedicated paths for cyclists, and you can ride anywhere on the bike with comfort while in Toronto the bike paths are simply separated by a curb from the carriageway or by markings, then in Vancouver, as in Montreal, there are separately laid paths. Vancouver Metro boasts separate wagons for cyclists. One inconvenience, in Vancouver there are no such large automated bicycle rental stations as in Toronto and Montreal, you can rent a bicycle at the bike shop. Vancouver has the world’s largest water airport, a spectacular sight. A trolley bus runs in Vancouver, a rare occurrence for ecological Canada; a monthly pass costs less than in Toronto. Vancouver’s subway and ground transportation rides empty; a maximum of a couple people can be counted in a subway car.
Jobs and Salaries in Vancouver
Vancouver is a little smaller city than Toronto and Montreal, for this reason there is less market and labor and it may be harder to find work.
Vancouver has a higher income tax but a lower sales tax than Canada as a whole. The average salary in Vancouver is slightly lower than in Toronto and Montreal, reaching $ 3,000 per month after tax. Due to the fact that today there is a big difference between Canadian and American dollars, it is worth noting that the account goes to Canadian dollars, so the locals will receive only 2,000 US dollars, which is relatively small.
Which city of Canada to immigrate to
If you want stunning nature, hiking opportunities, winter downhill skiing, then it is better to choose Vancouver, who loves modern apartment buildings, more luxurious living conditions, then choose Toronto and Montreal.
Apartments and Housing in Vancouver, rental and purchase
Renting an apartment in Vancouver is much cheaper than in Toronto or Montreal, the reason is in some provincialism and, of course, in the housing stock, which is very outdated. These can be high-rise buildings with a very modest charm, you can recommend choosing apartments on the upper floors with wonderful views, while the fog spreads very low in the morning and it seems that you are above the clouds with only 10 floors. Very beautiful.