Do you know about Vancouver? It has a good and bad reputation as a city. So, should you move to Vancouver? The question must be joggling up your mind. Well, the best way to find out the answer to this question is to find out information about Vancouver. After comparing the pros and cons of living in Vancouver, it will be easier for you to decide if you should move to Vancouver city.

In order to help you out, I have brought you some points about Vancouver city. The positives and negatives of Vancouver are sorted out in this article. So, you can easily compare and make a decision.

About Vancouver

Vancouver is the seaport city in Canada. Over the years it has gained a reputation as one of the best cities to live in. Why? It has beautiful views, natural sites, good job opportunities, decent lifestyle. The reputation brings about many foreigners to settle in Vancouver.

The city has many aspects that attract foreigners there. However, even though it has a very good reputation that does not be it does not have issues. There are some problems that you need to know before moving to Vancouver for living. You will find out about the advantages, and disadvantages of life in Vancouver in the following paragraphs.

When you are looking forward to living in a new city, you need to know that there are benefits and drawbacks to the city. Before you apply as an immigrant it is best to find out as much as you can about the city.

After this, you should conclude if you want to live permanently there or not. Some problems can be easily dealt with while others could change your mind. Here are some benefits of living in the city of Vancouver.

Well planned City

Vancouver is an ideal city. The planning of the city is done to achieve enough green space, along with reaching the population density goal. The green spaces are nicely distributed among the high rise and low-rise buildings. Although there is a high population density in the city the distribution deals with the problems that could come up with the surroundings. Many students decide to visit Vancouver to study the division of space.

Since the city has well-defined space, it means when you will be walking around the city, everything will be found in a short distance. This includes green space to relax the eyes and surroundings.

Nature

When you are living in Vancouver, you will find wonderful views everywhere around the city. The city is touching the pacific ocean, and the entire landscape of Vancouver is on rocky mountains. Whenever you are out of the house you are bound to see the open sky and mountains on every angle.

If you decide to live in Vancouver, you will realize that you are in for a real treat. The surroundings view invigorates you from the everyday rush from time to time.

Climate

Vancouver has the warmest weather in Canada during the cold months. Although shivering cold befalls upon all the cities of Canada, Vancouver is naturally protected from it. The city is located near the sea and surrounded by mountains. The cold arctic breeze gets blocked out by the mountains of Vancouver.

• Snowfall: There is little snowfall comparing to the other cities of Canada. You will find snow for 10 days in Vancouver with depths over 1 cm. Yes, that is almost no snowfall at all.
• Rainfall: Even though snow does not cause many problems in the city, the rain has some effects there. It is one of the foggiest cities there is. There is a lot of rain in the city. Sometimes it seems like rain would never stop.
• Summer: Summer in Vancouver is enjoyable and sunny days are delightful. However, don’t expective to have a hot summer like Toronto. During the summer, people can enjoy their time on the beach and do any kind of outdoor activities.

Skytrain

One of the amazing things you get to see in Vancouver is the Skytrain. The entire passage is elevated, which lets you see the city while you are traveling. If you have a short time and want to take a look at the view of the city, this is the best way to get your wish fulfilled.

In order to do this, you will need to catch a Skytrain. The cost of traveling on one zone is $2.50, for two zones it is $3.75 and for three is $5. You will get a map at the Skytrain stations. So, you can understand the route you are traveling to the station and decide which regions you want to see.

Immigration

If you are willing to move to Vancouver, you will need Visa. For moving to Vancouver there are three processes. You will find out about all three processes here, so it will be easier for you to compare application processes and find out which one is the easiest for you.

Study Visa

The education system of Vancouver is famous across the world. Many students tend to request the student Visa and complete graduation in Vancouver. After this, the become eligible for the British Columbia provincial nominee program.

After graduation, they are also able to apply for a work permit. Both of which can help them to stay in Vancouver and continue their lifestyle.

Working Visa

To work in Canada, your first bet is to check if you are eligible for a work holiday visa. If not, you can try to find a company willing to sponsor you through an LMIA process. You also need to make sure to meet the requirements for language, work experience, education, and financial factors.

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program

The program searches to accept two types of immigrants application. One is the immigrants with working skills that are needed by the city. Other is the entrepreneurs who are looking forward to starting their business in Canada.

People who will be able to satisfy the requirements of the program will be able to get permission to become permanent residents in Vancouver.

For skilled workers application, they need any of the two qualifications. Either they have to complete graduation from one of the schools of British Columbia or they need a job request from an employer at British Columbia.

If you are looking forward to applying for the entrepreneur visa, then you must show you have CAD $100,000 to start your business in the city. After this, you can start packing your bags to live in Vancouver for good.

Education

Vancouver has the best education options in Canada. Education is the responsibility of the province. There are different schooling options to choose from for children.

Public school

The public school of Vancouver is popular around the world. They have a good education system that helps the students to perform well in their academics.

The public school is different from one another. There may be schools that focus on art while others focus on technology. When you have selected the place you are going to live in, you can easily find out about the public school nearby your place.

Most public schools are free for residents and people who are living there with a work visa. In any case, before you enroll your children in a school find out about the subjects they focus on.

Private school

Private schools are common among the expat’s community of Vancouver. Since private schools are operated in English most foreigners choose them as a better option. Of course, there are French schools are well.

There are very few private schools available in Vancouver. Most are found in areas where many foreigners tend to live. Private schools can cost as much as 2000 CAD to 55,000 CAD per year. Before you enroll your child in a private school, it is best to see if the school is registered with the Ministry of Education of British Columbia.

Childcare

There are many childcare centers as well as home childcare opportunities available in Vancouver. You will have to pay 50 CAD each day to keep your child there. Mothers who stay at home tend to care for working mothers children at home. This is quite common in Canada.

If a mother takes care of more than two children at a time, she will have to take an official license for caring. Hence, check the license before you keep your children in someone’s care.

How much can you earn in Vancouver?

For living in Vancouver you need money, and for that, you need to get a job. There are plenty of job opportunities in Vancouver. The average salary of Vancouver is C$57.523 per year. The amount varies depending on the jobs and posts. The highest-earning job is the software engineers with a pay scale of C$69.092 to C$76.173.

Now if you compare that with the living cost of Vancouver then you can find out how to get around living in Vancouver.

Enjoyable outdoor time

As you already know that Vancouver has some amazing landscapes and views. The arrangements in Vancouver have made it possible to enjoy nature and landscapes at its fullest. There are mountains for hiking, skiing, surfing. There is plenty of adventure waiting for you in Vancouver. You have the best possible options to get close to nature and enjoy as much as you can.

There are many parks in Vancouver that preserve nature as well as avail many activities. You can visit museums Gastown, Chinatown, parks, and many more places to visit. Chinatown itself consists of beautiful gardens where you will want to spend as much time as you can.

You can also go for kayaking in the Deep cove. Go hiking in the Lyn canon and visit Botanical gardens. There are so many places to connect with nature, that the list could go on and on.

So far you have learned about the benefits of living in Vancouver. Now let us focus on the negatives of Vancouver. Of course, Vancouver has a lot to offer, but will you be able to deal with the problem that we are listing below?

Cost of living

Although Vancouver has many benefits, all good things come with a price. Vancouver is no different than that. It is one of the costly cities in Canada. The living costs are so high that many young people tend to share their room to lower the cost.

If you are living in an average home, you can expect to pay $1900 to $3000 a month. For better homes with two rooms that cost can be higher. Anyone who is living in Vancouver has to think about the living cost first. It is the biggest part of the budget. It is something you should think about before moving into the city.

People of the city

When you are planning to live abroad you need to know about the surroundings of the place and also the people who live in the place. It is important that you feel welcomed in a new city to live a good life there.

Although Vancouver has a good reputation, many foreigners think that people in the city are not friendly enough.

Most people tend to mind their own business rather than attending to a foreigner who does not know anything about the city. So, watch out for the people of Vancouver in case you need them. You might be lucky enough to find someone who is friendly, but it is best to be prepared for the worst situations.

Crime rate

It is one of the densely populated cities of Canada. The crime rate is moderately low, so you can say that the city is a safe place to live in. However, the people of Vancouver believe in personal safety rather than depending on defensive forces.

So, if you are planning to live in Vancouver you need to know how to look after yourself and your belongings. Keep your eyes peeled when you are in Vancouver to stay safe.

In Vancouver, stabbing, mugging, shooting is rarely seen. However, the most common types of crimes here are related to property. Your property is not safe in Vancouver if you are not attending it often.  Putting security cameras in your property can prevent any major issue.

Other than the outdoor life Vancouver can be boring

One huge problem with Vancouver city is that it is completely outdoor-oriented. Most of the fun activities are outside, on the top of the mountains, or floating on the sea. If you are an indoor person, then Vancouver has less to offer you.

In any case, you could try visiting the museums, Gastown, China town, bars and restaurants for fun. But in Vancouver, they are not as highlighted as the activities with nature outings. One more thing that you should know about Vancouver is that it has strict rules about the cities nightlife. So, if you are not a nature person, you might miss out a lot in Vancouver which you can get in the other cities.

There are chances of natural disaster in Vancouver

Yes, Vancouver is likely to face huge natural disasters. It could be an earthquake or a tsunami, but whatever it is it will be a big one. The rocky landscapes and the mountain are unstable. There are often some earthquakes in the area frequently.

There are predictions that a magnitude 9 earthquake could take place in Vancouver. Another important fact is that most of the buildings of Vancouver are old fashioned which are don’t have the strength to withstand such an earthquake.

Hence consider this fact, before moving on to Vancouver permanently.

Should you move to Vancouver for a living?

There are many benefits in Vancouver, the salary and surroundings give you a pretty good lifestyle. Although the living cost in Vancouver is one of the highest in Canada, you can earn enough to pay off the rent. But there is still one problem with Vancouver that doesn’t seem to have a solution.

The premature rocky landscapes and mountains which make it likely for a huge natural disaster. It is something you cannot avoid at any cost. Apart from that, most of the buildings in Vancouver are not designed to withstand the force from the earthquake. Do you think that the benefits that you get from living in Vancouver is worth the risk?

I have brought all the negative and positive points of living in Vancouver. You can decide what you want to do. If you want to live in Vancouver or not. Vancouver is rated as one of the best cities to live in around the world. So, deciding not to shift there could be a loss as well. If you want to know more about the Province, you can get more information reading the Pros and Cons of Living in British Columbia.