7 things you need to know before moving to Vancouver 

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why did I watch a whole tour of my own city...?

1. Weather, it rains ALOT here...most of the year is overcast, rainy or just unpredictable with weather...you better invest in a good rain jacket, waterproof shoes and maybe an umbrella. The seasonal affective disorder is real here thanks to the amount of cloudy, rainy, and generally grey days here. Summer is much cooler than other places and really in terms of "seasons", we get two instead of four which is a combo of fall/winter and prolonged spring followed by a brief and sometimes intense summer for about 2-3 months tops before the weather drops back to rain by the end of August on the dot with a sprinkling of good days between then and October if you're lucky. That being said for Canada Vancouver and BC generally usually get the better weather overall since it doesn't snow here very much and generally never gets too cold. 2. Housing and expense, it is EXPENSIVE to live here period, not just Canada but the world overall...rent is high compared to income for most people and unless your income bracket is on par with the national household average it's not a very comfortable life, good rents are hard to come by and even harder if you have a pet as most places don't want to deal with cats/dogs. If you have roommates or a partner it does become easier and more manageable but even then if you're looking to snag a rental somewhere in the Vancouver area be prepared to pay close to $2,000+ for a two-bedroom for an older, poorer condition building and anywhere from 1600-2000 for a one-bedroom for something a little more modern, the sizes are quite small and you'd be looking at 400-600sqf for the 1BR. Food is expensive here and your options are more limited as a consumer if you're coming from the US or similar you can expect your dairy and alcohol prices to be a lot more than other places. We have several taxes on top of things too, so for example a can of beer 500ml beer might cost $1.99 but you'll end up paying almost an additional 20-40 cents thanks to taxes. Gasoline is also one of the most expensive in all of Canada, even currently with crude being at something like 30$/barrel you can see prices linger in the $1.20-30/Litre regularly. 3. Transit, If you do live in the 'burbs then prepare to have a longer commute into the city where "most" of the jobs are located depending on your career or profession. Parking is a nightmare since there is limited spots in the city, if you do end up paying by meter it is quite costly and if you pay for the day it also isn't that cheap, the city does a good job to try and make people not use their cars which leaves public transit, which while can you most places is also quite expensive given the range. A single ticket that covers all transit "zones" (around 60km~) is $5.75 one way, which isn't too bad. Vancouver downtown is tiny though compared to other major cities, honestly, you can walk from one end to the other in about an hour. The system of transit is overall pretty good and most things are easy enough to access, however, the train is usually full most of the time thanks to the fact that most people all go into downtown (either for work or for fun as most things are located there) and while trains come often you can expect to be standing in a mostly crowded train. Buses tend to be better in some ways. One thing to note is that if for whatever reason the train system is offline or knocked out, it becomes much, much harder to actually get further into the 'burbs from downtown and vice versa, there is some buses but few and far between to accommodate most people if they needed them. 4. Jobs, this is incredibly subjective because it highly depends on your career and education. There is a good amount of work to be found in the city but the major areas that seem to be in constant demand are health services (although they are underfunded) nurses/doctors, plumbers/electricians/engineers/etc, construction and so on. There is a huge demand for tech but historically Vancouver has paid lower wages compared to cities like Toronto...that is course-correcting recently but the wages are still not equal to say something like the US for a similar role or location (Seattle) TV/Film/Animation is a big part of the city as well but keeping in mind that Vancouver and Canada don't tend to produce a lot of its own content and we end of being more of a service work type industry (we get work farmed out because we pay less but our quality is pretty good and we're located close enough to Hollywood etc) not to mention the large tax benefits large companies get for coming here. Most head offices for companies are STILL not located here and are usually on the East Coast in Toronto or Montreal. 5. Education, We have a lot of good schools but if you are an international student get ready to get screwed over with paying nearly double what a Canadian student would pay, in Vancouver though because of the large number of Asian students with well to do parents often have no issues with this. It would do well for someone to really research into which school they are going to avoid giving money to a for-profit private school. Douglas College, Emily Carr, UBC, Capilano U, SFU, and BCIT are all great schools to attend for example. 6. Fitness, I guess we are but comparing Vancouver to the rest of Canada doesn't say much...when most of the country is slogged with rain and snow it's easy to see why we would be. In the early 2000s, there was a trend of seen as being "fit" was like a status symbol, and to some degree that still holds true but you do see a fair bit of people running, jogging, or hiking. We have some trails and paths in most of the city and 'burbs but it does leave something to be desired if you're coming from another city or country so this is subjective. The major tourist and popular spots like Stanley Park, Grouse, Kits beach, and others are usually very crowded and full of people though..so best to find spots for yourself. 7. Culture, We are diverse for sure but again there is a good reason why which is that most people would rather move to either of the coasts rather the in the middle of the country which doesn't have anything to offer other than cheaper housing and food but lacks the jobs, higher income, forms of entertainment and more. In terms of an actual race, I would say it is around a solid 35-40% of Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc) people, 30-40% White (Canadian, Irish, German, Russian, Polish, etc) and the remainder would be southeast Asian in Vancouver (not metro but overall) it varies by the district/city and in some like Richmond the actual stats would be much higher for certain ethnicities over others in different cities. Some cities have neighborhoods that are more heavily influenced by certain ethnic groups with an overabundance of restaurants that cater to that taste and with newer luxury apartments being built by pretty much every major shopping area (Brentwood, Metrotown, Lougheed, and Oakridge) you see the demographics changing faster. It is a fact that we have a LOT of Asian restaurants in Vancouver and in other cities within the lower mainland, it is not uncommon to see 3 bubble tea shops literally side by side on some stores or various Ramen shops/stores in other streets, I personally feel there is too many and the city would benefit from a truly multicultural aspect by having more that are not just Asian themed similar to cities like Toronto which in my opinion seems much more balanced. Last, to note about restaurants and eating out, a lot of them are owned by the same 3-5 families or large businesses and operate as a big chain, Vancouver has few truly good single independent locations that make the places a must to visit or see and even when visiting most pubs, bars or similar and thinking they are different they are in fact owned mostly by the same families. These are just some highlights thoughts and observations as someone who's lived here for 15+ years since the early 00s and seeing the city develop and change, it's not a bad place to live, and depending on your perspective it can either be a true marvel or a slight bore. Experiences will vary.

If you’re thinking about it I recommend visiting first and see how you feel. That goes for any city, you shouldn’t make a decision from a video. I fell in love with Vancouver the first time I visited and I moved here a few years later. No regrets. I’m not saying I’ll live here forever but I know it was the right move for me. That being said changing your geography won’t solve all of your problems no matter where you go. Happiness comes from within not from where you’re located :)

I get SO BUMMED about the negativity that Vancouver gets! I don't have much money and living in this city has changed my life. I did a lot of research and found an incredible home and live with friends. I don't have 3 jobs. I have one. No, my parents don't pay any bills. No, I don't have a car. I use a bike, city transit, and walk. It's an INCREDIBLE city if you let it be. Put a bit of work and research into it and you can live here sustainably. Stop whining. People get so down instead of trying to do something about it.

As as a long-time Vancouverite, also note these things: 1) We get a lot less sunshine than most parts of North America. The months from October to March can be particularly brutal for sun-lovers. 2) Not only are rents expensive, but finding decent accommodation can be tough - currently occupancy rates are at or near zero (for Vancouver proper that is) 3) It's one of the tougher places to meet people and make friends - people are generally nice, but fairly standoffish (and flakey, like the rest of the west coast) 4) If none of these caveats scare you off...then welcome!

Moved back to Vancouver after 23 years. 10 years in Venezuela and 13 years in Ottawa. Thank God, I am back home.

I was born and raised in the flatlands of Winnipeg Manitoba...I now call a suburb of Vancouver BC home...been here 20 years...no plans on leaving anytime soon.

I think I want to start a new chapter of my life in Vancouver. I'm planning on studying in UBC for my MBA. I am actually hyped

BC stand for Bring Cash.. so yeah. That’s all you need to know

Sky train goes from downtown Vancouver to the outer cites ( Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Moody,Coquitlam,Surrey) and the Canada Line goes from downtown Vancouver to the Vancouver International Airport and the city of Richmond. And there is also the West Coast Express which is a commuter train that takes you from downtown Vancouver to Mission via Coquitlam and Port Moody!

What a brilliant video. Have seen so many "need to know before you move" videos. But this one stands out by a mile. Thank you for coming up with this. Can't wait for move to Vancouver.

Thanks so much for this! I’m a Canadian citizen who’s been living & working in the US for the past 25 years as an RN. I’ve just begun researching the beautiful province of BC as it is my intention to endorse to the nursing board there and move home to my native Canada, only this time instead of Ontario where I was born & raised, instead, I intend live and work in beautiful British Columbia. Thanks again for this wonderful video! John.

Great video! A nice overview of Vancouver without the pros and cons (because these are always different depending on the person). It is a beautiful, diverse city with a lot to offer.

Just watched your entire tour about my city, thanks for the tour!!🖐🏼

can't tell you how much i enjoyed this video. great job!

Thanks guy for your information and learning us about the beautiful city of Vancouver i will be there soon hopefully.

Vancouver is beautiful thanks for sharing this video, very informative thumbs up.

This was really well done. Thanks for posting it.

Thanks, Dan! Great content, as always!

Home sweet home! I noticed a lot of people are being quite negative in the comments and it's saddening. Yes it's expensive and there are downsides, but we really are blessed. Especially with all the new worldly perspective we can gain right now, there's a lot to be appreciative for. Thank you for making this! Hopefully you enjoyed your visit. :)

Lived there two years. I wouldn’t saw weather is great it just isn’t cold very often. Not only does it rain a lot, it can be overcast for weeks at a time. The transit system is good thorough and BC is beautiful. It is expensive, especially for housing which then drivers up other costs. A lot has been said about diversity and yes there is a variety of ethnicity and cultures, but they don’t really mix. It’s very cliquey so you don’t really get to experience it.. Overall a great place to visit, but not a great place to live.

I'm an American who just graduated college, applying to law school for the next year. I am so tempted to move to Canada I'm just so tired of USA. UBC is one of the schools I'm applying to, I've heard so many great things about Vancouver

I'm from Vancouver. Grew up here. Beautiful city

Nice video, short and simple, great work!

BTW, the transit zone system only applies when travelling - across zones, eg, from Z1 to Z2 (ie, 2 zones), or Z3 to Z1 (ie, 3 zones); - on the sky train or sea bus (ie, ordinary busses are always single-zone price); and - before 6:30pm, Mon to Fri (ie, weekends or evenings are all single-zone prices).

If you're living rough in January it's a damn sight easier living in Vancouver under an overpass or a park then in a sleeping bag over a heating vent in any downtown Toronto intersection.

great stuff..I'm the living witness as a resident of Vancouver..thank you for sharing

Some good pieces of information. Thanks!

Bang on review! Moved here 7 years ago from Edmonton. Any city can be home. It is your own decisions. No it does not always rain here. I ride my motorcycle year round. We live in the west end 2 bed heritage walk up beautiful, 1925 month. A block away newly reno'd walk up studios 320 sq ft 2400 to 3400 month. You have to look around. Thanks again for a great review!

I'm in love with Vancouver.

Wow good sharing friend, really enjoy the tour with you. Have a nice day and stay safe!

Great information about Vancouver! Good to know. Especially about finances required.

I lived in Vancouver before and decided to go back to my own country Indonesia because I could not find a suitable job for my qualification. I graduated with engineering degree in western country and lot of years experience just ended up working in a restaurant.

*Who wants to be Vancouver roommates and save on rent?* 🗣🗣 Like actually though. We are all here watching and wanting to go, why not make it happen? As someone who prefers biking to driving, film making, and community activities, Vancouver sounds wonderful. I'm set on living here and if any of you fine people are serious about it too let's get in touch!

Great video. I live here and still find it informative!

Thank you for sharing you experience.

Thank you! To rent an apartment in Vancouver really costs a lot

Moved here 40 years ago. Shovel snow 3 times a year.

Great video man!! Thank you!!

Great information thank you

I thought there was something wrong with me, I'm so happy to see how everyone is commenting on how clique and flakey Vancouverites are.

Born and raised here in Vancouver BC. Buy the way the BC after Vancouver stands for BRING CASH or BRING CREDIT! I even tell all the tourists visiting here that!

Really enjoyed the video. Keep going ahead.

Omg what a great video!!!!!!!! Thank u!!

Thanks for that Brother. Am considering moving with my Wife,

I live in Vancouver, and I recommend the following. 1) Never rent a condo, it's not cost effective. Rent a basement suite instead, as you can find a two bedroom for only $1300. My family rents the upper floor of one of our houses for only $2800, which includes 4 rooms. This is $700 per person, and is market rate. 2) Food is relatively cheap here, I would say sushi is half the price of that in Saskatoon. 3) You don't need a car, public transit is cheap, and is sufficient enough to get you anywhere in the city. 4) If you're willing to pay in cash, you will be able to buy food and rent at a cheaper price. Asians, like myself will give significant discounts to those who are willing to deal in cash. 5) Make friends with locals who can give you advice on good deals.

Thank you for the video 💙🙏🏼

Thank you for positive vibe 😄

Everything costs everywhere you go. You just gotta know how to save and invest.

I would like to add the following, Vancouver in the winter time does get snow, don't stay long and plenty of rain year round. I would have mentioned you will see many people wearing Gore Tex and layers. If you wearing the same thing when raining, you would be wet and cold. Transit has Seabus linking Vancouver & North Van, Skytrain to Surrey or Coquitlam and links to the Evergreen Line, Canada Line was built for the Olympics and ends either at our Airport or in Richmond. As for fare and if you don't want to buy a monthly pass or multiple fares, you can purchase an all day bus pass for $10.50, good for all modes of transit. Vancouver is big on Tourism/hospitality, movie industry as we're dubbed as "Hollywood North" and forestry. Our city is known for tech industry as well. the province of BC stands Brings Cash and living here has increased since we hosted the 2010 winter Olympics. Filming took place in January and was downloaded in April, All of the World, including Canada is dealing with Covid-19 and maybe in the Summer go back to some of the restaurants (Denman) to see if they're still operating.

Great video thanks ❤️

As a person born and raised in Vancouver. Moving to Vancouver is probably the worst financial decision any person can make. Aside from the nice views, that’s really where the perks end. Be ready to pay the the worlds 3rd most expensive housing prices in conjunction with North America’s highest insurance rates. Drivers 25 and under pay $4500+ annually. Not to mention food and especially gas is probably one of the most expensive in North America.

also if you want to get into the film industry it is the best place for people starting out. You'll have way more luck getting film work and labour here than LA or New York.

Ohhh I love Vancouver! The weather may be rainy but personally I love it. It’s so refreshing and the springtime is beautiful. the trees fill up with cherry blossoms! The winter is not very cold, and the summers are just perfect!😁😁😁 I was gonna go there last summer but covid shut down travel which sucks.

Me in Czech Republic: I want move to Vancouver❤️ It look like so good😊

After living in Vancouver for almost two years now, my partner and I are heading back to Toronto. It seems like no one here talks about the homeless/drug crisis. East Hastings Street and Oppenheimer Park were deal breakers for me. Vancouver is aesthetically beautiful, but there is a real dark side here that the locals seem to push under the rug.

VERY USEFUL INFORMATION THANKS A MILLION PLZ PROVIDE SOME MORE INFO

Vancouver is amazing, I enjoyed so much.

I loved your video. I live in the suburbs of Vancouver and, during the current period of self-isolation, it made me really miss going to the city. Aside from the easy access to nature, my favourite part of living here is the cultural diversity. Thank you for such a great video. I'm going to send a link to my relatives in Denmark!

i'm looking to move out of london uk, for everyone complaining about costs this is so cheap! i'd be balling

Your efforts are nice.. informative

Thank you for sharing

2k a month is expensive?!! *Laughs in Los Angeles” ✈️Vancouver here I come!

Nice city I really liked it when I visited couple years ago.

Amazing video - I should have been moving to Vancouver next week if it wasn't for COVID19. Praying for a speedy & healthy resolution for this disaster soon!

Amazing...Thanks information..👍🙏

Lived in the 'Couv' for 3 years in my 20's and it was great. That said it's not an easy place to get permanently setup primarily due to housing prices compared to wages. Lots of transient young people so long term friendships are hard to maintain but its easy to make a ton of acquaintances. Commute times are better in recent years with the Skytrain but be strategic where you live as +2.0 hours on public transit or stuck in traffic jams every days can be a drag especially in the endless winter rain. North Van never sees the sun outside of a short window in the summer; people there are almost translucent white like characters out of Twilight. Tons of pot smokers. In the 25 years since I lived in Kitsalano there has been a massive amount of new construction which has made it almost unrecognisable in places, this is typical for most of Vancouver. Enjoy your stay.

Very good video ! I’m a 20 yo french girl that want to move ont Vancouver and that really helps me ! Thanks a lot

Love the energy of the host ! Awesome vid

Excellent video !!

That's funny: I've been to this sushi place and was sitting at this exact spot :)

As a side note on the food: There is a metric ton of restaurants. In fact there are more restaurants than the city can actually support. So you will see restaurants that last 2-3 years, then change into an entirely different restaurant because the old one went under. So, if you are hoping to open your dream restaurant Vancouver is not the place for you. On the flip side, if you are experienced in working in one, you're almost guaranteed employment. Of course the industry is corrupt as hell so don't expect breaks, or for the hours you work to actually be only what is scheduled and free-timing is pretty much required. And the minimum wage for working in the restaurant industry is lower than the minimum wage for everywhere else. And the owner takes a cut of your tips, the kitchen staff takes a cut of your tips, the manager gets a cut of your tips, the poor homeless guy out back gets a cut of your tips... yeah, don't work in the restaurant industry.

It helped me alot! ☺️

Thank you for the cool video

You're so dreamy! *.*

I moved to Vancouver (not Canada) some 20 years ago. After 2 years in bliss, the company I worked for closed their Vancouver office and moved me to Toronto where I live today. I have it good in Toronto so I'm not going to moan about Toronto. . I have gone back to Van on holiday on a regular basis, went there a few months back (June of 2021). To see electric cars as common as coffee shops, was quite the sight. The artistic effort thrown into the bike paths (painted concrete barricades, etc) was super cool. Van is still the most progressive city in Canada. . I spent time in the druggy area - (Hastings street) and I do like the effort to uplift the area (although still way too many druggies). I took the skytrain to various areas where there was no Skytrain before. And I like the Canada line, etc. . It's a pity that Vancouver does not have any power industries. In essence Vancouver is a retirement city, a city for the well-to-do to send their kids to study and a city for Asians to buy property as a means to have a foot in 2 countries (for when the CCP finally implodes China). All of this makes Van a sort of false economy subsidised by foreign money yet too expensive for the locals. . I sometimes wish I could move back to Vancouver. When Torontonians say, "But it rains so much" my response is, "Hey at least you don't have to shovel it." . BC is markedly different to the rest of Canada. The Tim Hortons culture is something so new to BC that Quebec in all its Frenchness is more into Tim Hortons than Vancouverites. . Interestingly BC has 2 extreme cultures living happily side by-side: the left-wing-ganola-kids and the right-wing-cowboy-hicksters. Simply drive down to the Cloverdale Rodeo and you will see what I mean. BC'ers seems to get on better with Albertans than say with Ontarians.... go figure (and kind of cool). . As a suggestion to all you foreigners (both from the rest of Canada and from the rest of the world). Take up sailing and you will meet wonderful people from all over the place. You are confined to a small boat and have no choice but to get to know one another. Turned out to be the best thing I ever did to make friends in Van. Locals in Van have (in my mind) good reason not to get too close to foreigners - they simply grew up together and have a history together - why chance it with foreigners who you don't fully know (this is common all over the world). . I think in one phrase, "Vancouver is prohibitively beautiful"

I’ve been considering starting the process to move to Vancouver from the US. I love the weather and nature!

loved Vancouver! cant wait to go back! look hes pointing to north Vancouver! home of my great guitar teacher! and ex family uncle Jeff Coleman. years of eating sushi since then para site in fact shunssss.

I have lived here for 55 years and LOVE IT!! I drove cab during Expo 86 and love how the Olympics really highlighted the city! Every detail you hit upon is bang on and I tell anyone reading this comment that he ain't whistling dixie when it comes to everything he says! Thank you for the video!

Before I moved to Vancouver finding a decent place to live was the hardest part. Once I did everything else fell into place. I found a decent basement / garden suite for a good price with all utilities included.

Thank you for your video

Thinking of going there as a student for a working holiday during the summer

You forgot to mention that it's really hard if not impossible to find rentals in or around Vancouver. I live in Pitt Meadows which is about 50 km east of the city and it is impossible to find rental.

The rents are outrageously high in Vancouver. I used to live in a two bedroom apartment in North Vancouver and pay $900/month about 17 years ago. Then I moved to Montreal. I would love to move back because I'm fed up with the Québec's long and cold winters but the high cost of accommodations scares the hell of out me!

I like how you said warrior one while doing warrior two.

This is an amazing video

Just to let people who are considering moving here - move to surrey. Surrey is very accessible to Vancouver. Our transit system is pretty good. It would take you about an hour to get to there through the Skytrain with lots of options of busses. My family pays $1200 rent for a four bedroom townhouse. If you’re attending a big university like SFU or UBC we have busses that will take you straight there literally named either SFU or UBC.

VANCOUVER is the most EXPENSIVE city in CANADA. It can be friendly but people DO NOT build long term meaningful friends here as it is very transient due to cost of living and immigration. It is the capital in Canada for mental health and drug addiction for social housing and Downtown Eastside is infested with mental health issues. Medical is NOT absolutely FREE as many immigrants think. Only when you are inside a hospital or basic medical visit at a office or on low income for some things.

Thanks alot..my family is planning to shift from India to Canada..this video helped a lot

There's 7 things you need to know and a bonus which is my favorite, Japanese sushi place! 'enjoyed your video, cheers!

This city looks absolutely gorgeous, I'm definitely considering moving to study and live there. Also the food looks incredible!

This is an interesting artifact. Filmed in January 2020 just before Cov2 closed down the border and sent everyone home.

Hi Dane! I love this guy!

I miss my hometown and the fresh air :)

It rains like crazy, everytime when I feel depressed because of school, job, family or friends. Most of the time it's raining and I feel like I'm in one of those movies. Like everytime something bad happens it RAINS. One or two times are fine, but almost everytime, I get more depressed man.

Welcome to Vancouver! 😊

this yoga pose called warrior 2 hahah many thanks for this explanation

He totally skipped over the wonderful Oppenheimer park in downtown Vancouver LMAO 🤣

Love to see that enthusiasm for newbies for my own town. Truth is, it's nice, but people are not consistently friendly, and can be generally standoffish and often rude. Yes it's multicultural but people from other cultures don't often mix well which creates a climate of intolerance. For example, people bring their random driving habits, need to drop garbage on the ground, not being considerate in line ups etc, which tends to infuriate people. Lots of snobs of every kind. Yes you can meet people you can get along with but it's difficult. Lots of junkies and break and enter plus bike theft crime is off the hook. Lived here for 20 years, still love it, but anyone who has been here for any time does not paint it as the paradise you see in travel vids. I've seen gang fights, discovered a dead body in Stanley Park, plenty of reckless driving, hate crimes etc. Just sayin'.