If you want to come to Canada and live in the city with the most checkmarks in the country, welcome to Vancouver! Here, nature will leave you speechless, the urban planning looks like it comes from the future, and the population is so multicultural that after living in Vancouver, you’ll feel like you’ve lived in many other places.
The concepts of quality of life and big cities usually don’t go hand in hand… until Vancouver appears on your radar, the most modern city on the Pacific Coast. One of the characteristics that makes Vancouver so special is that it was built inside a forest, making it so that the 600,000 inhabitants of the city and its over 2 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area live very connected to nature, engaging in many outdoor leisure and sports activities.
In addition, Vancouver is a pioneer in the use of innovative technologies and renewable energies, and the use of electric cars is encouraged in the city. This has a positive impact on the quality of life you’ll enjoy living in the city: less pollution and much less noise, which helps foster feelings of peace and calm, even in the city center.
Want to know more about the city of Vancouver? Then keep reading or fill out our contact form to receive personalized advice from a Dingoos Guide.
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Vancouver is one of the most desired cities to live in Canada, although that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. And even though there are many advantages to living in Vancouver, there’s always room for improvement. Let’s take a look!
Vancouver, always so modern and dynamic, has accommodation for all tastes and budgets. Are you more into living downtown, in the Asian neighborhood, the trendy neighborhood, or on the outskirts? Let’s see which are the best neighborhoods to live in Vancouver!
Only suitable for people with a big budget and a lot of perseverance. Downtown has the most expensive rentals, although price doesn’t always go hand in hand with quality. Finding something decent, even if you’re paying, can be a tough job.
The good thing is that it’s one of the most convenient areas, as you’ll be right where everything happens. Theatres, cinemas, restaurants of all kinds, cafes, and bars are concentrated here.
Very close to Downtown and Gastown. It’s famous for its large number of residents of Asian origin, and therefore for its Asian restaurants and grocery stores. Although in recent years the number of homeless people on its streets has increased, for lovers of this side of the world’s culture it’s a good option.
If you’re looking for a quieter life, but still with some buzz, you’ll find your spot in the West End. Despite being quite populated, it has many parks and beach access where a sense of calm prevails.
Yaletown is ideal for those who want to live in the trendy neighborhood and have the best restaurants, the latest cafes, and plenty of nightlife plans right on their doorstep.
This is the historical center of Vancouver and every day hundreds of tourists walk through its streets full of history and dotted with souvenir shops and restaurants for all tastes.
Moreover, the Dingoos office in Vancouver is located in this neighborhood. Don’t forget to visit us if you come by!
Called The Drive by locals, this is the commercial area that brings together the most alternative shops. It’s full of cool stores and the latest restaurants, and the neighborhood’s nightlife is very lively—so if you like to party, be sure to place it on your map.
Famous for its hippie beginnings, Kitsilano is now a lively residential neighborhood and ideal for sea lovers since it’s next to the beach. Although rent is a bit high, living in Kitsilano means living very close to downtown in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Vancouver.
One of the most popular neighborhoods among international students, as it’s close to downtown and many educational centers. It has many leisure options, as well as restaurants, cafes, and pubs where you can grab something with your friends at the end of the day.
This is a part of the city where there are quite a few tourist attractions such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge or Grouse Mountain, which is open all year. In winter, you can go skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, etc. And in summer you’ll have options like hiking, zip lining, seeing Grizzly Bears, and the Lumberjack Show, for example.
If you want to know more about the different neighborhoods you can live in in Vancouver, don’t miss the following video!
If you’re not a big fan of extreme weather and you get along well with the rain, you’ll feel right at home in Vancouver. It’s true that it rains a lot—it’s affectionately known as Rainy City—but that makes its landscape especially lush and captivating. Let’s take a closer look at the climate and the seasons in Vancouver.
From September to December, the temperature is quite moderate, raround 15°C. The cloudy days invite you to put on some good rain boots and a light coat to walk through the beautiful parks dressed in orange, red, and yellow. It’s an emblem of the season, and in Vancouver you’ll enjoy it a lot since nature is perfectly integrated into the city. If the rain gets heavier, there’s nothing better than meeting up with friends in a café to watch the rain fall through the window.
Winter arrives and so do the first snows. By the end of October, Vancouver dresses in white to welcome its residents with. It’s time to practice some winter sports!
Although the sky will remain covered with clouds in various shades of gray during these months, the truth is that Vancouver enjoys very mild temperatures, averaging around 7°C—perfect for those who like the cold, but not too much.
It’s time to enjoy nature waking up. From February to April, temperatures start to rise, reaching up to 18°C. It’s still the rainy season, so we recommend you take your umbrella and your camera for a walk and visit one of the parks. The tree branches begin to fill with leaves again… and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Very Instagram approved!
Staying in line with moderation, summers in Vancouver are mild. The always pleasant temperatures never exceed 27°C or drop below 18°C.
During this time, warm Pacific winds blow in, which means there’s more humidity, and you can feel it on your skin.
From June to September, Vancouver hits the streets to enjoy the longer days and the wonderful nature of the city and surrounding areas, where people go kayaking, cycling, and the more adventurous even take a dip in the ocean.
Ready to see what budget you’ll need to live in Vancouver? To help you get a clearer idea, we’ve put together this list of fixed expenses that you’ll definitely have when starting your adventure in Canada. Keep in mind that some expenses are very personal and depending on your lifestyle or how indulgent you are, your average monthly spending can go up or down.
On average, a student in Vancouver spends around $400 CAD per month on groceries. In general, groceries will take up a good chunk of your monthly budget. And although it’s true that shopping in Vancouver is a bit more expensive than in other countries, if you plan well and put your research skills to use, you’ll be able to fill your shopping cart at a better price.
The key is to go to big supermarkets, where promotions and discounts are the norm.
If you like to exercise and save money while going to work or class, you’ll be able to do that in Vancouver, as it has a very efficient bike lane network that covers almost the entire city.
For those days when you’re feeling lazy or don’t want to arrive all sweaty at your destination, you can take public transport.
Vancouver has Translink, the transportation network that includes buses, streetcars, SkyTrain (metro), trains, and SeaBus (ferry).
These transportation options are distributed throughout the city and connect all the urban maze of Vancouver and its metropolitan area wonderfully.
With just one pass, you can use all means of transportation, and the price will vary depending on the zone your monthly pass is valid for. The city is divided into zones 1, 2, and 3, and the prices for a monthly pass are $93 CAD, $126 CAD, and $172 CAD respectively.
Living in Vancouver is quite expensive in general. The solution? Look for shared housing and consider areas outside the city. As we’ve already seen, everything is very well connected and you’ll notice the difference in your wallet at the end of the month.
Renting a room in a shared apartment in Vancouver City costs about $750 CAD, while if you decide to move to the outskirts, you can find a nice room for around $500 CAD.
And if you’re looking for an entire place just for you, it’s the same story. In Vancouver city, prices for a studio start at around $1000 CAD.
If you decide to settle in the suburbs, the price drops to about $800 CAD, which represents significant savings.
Something cool about housing in Canada is that the rent usually includes utilities like building maintenance fees, water, and gas. Fewer things to pay for!
It’s not all about working to pay for groceries… you also need to have some fun, right?
The leisure budget can vary greatly. There are tons of things you can do to have fun without spending money, especially in Vancouver where outdoor leisure is highly encouraged.
But here we’re looking at the cost of things you can actually buy, right?
So let’s take a quick look at what typical weekend plans cost in Vancouver.
In general, a student with an average social life spends around $240 CAD per month on leisure.
For example, a beer at a local pub might cost around $7 CAD. A movie ticket, about $14 CAD, and a theater ticket around $60 CAD, depending on the show you want to see.
If you then feel like going out to dinner, the bill will be about $25 CAD per person. And if you want to treat yourself and dine at a good restaurant, the price will easily double to around $50 CAD.
By the way, if you’re looking for things to do in Vancouver, we recommend checking out Facebook groups. You’ll fill your calendar with great plans!
In Vancouver, you can get a phone line and home internet with one of the major Canadian telecommunications companies starting from $50 CAD. It’s best to compare prices between Bell, Rogers, Fido, Freedom, and Telus to see which one suits you best.
As for electricity and utility bills, the average cost in an apartment is around $70 CAD, to be divided among the occupants.
If you're thinking about living abroad for a while to improve your English, deepen your studies, and maybe perfect or learn a skill while living an experience outside your comfort zone, we have the perfect destination for you: Canada!
Canada enjoys a very prosperous economy and a growing labor market that have made it the perfect country to go work for a while, whether you want to grow professionally or just look for a job to cover your expenses while studying.
Canada is one of the countries with the best quality of life in the world. Its landscapes will leave you speechless and the friendliness of its people, known worldwide, will bring a smile to your face that will be hard to wipe away during your stay in the country. Ready to live the Canadian dream?
There are many visas that allow you to stay in Canada, and at Dingoos, we know them all. That’s why we’d love to advise you so you can choose the visa that best suits your needs. And also, we help you with all the visa procedures for free so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Vancouver is one of the Canadian cities that receives the most international students every year. The quality educational offerings and the job opportunities it provides are part of this city’s appeal.
If you already have a sufficient level of English, you can study a vocational course and combine studies and work in Canada to cover your stay in the country while enjoying a unique experience.
You can also study English, French, or even attend university. The choice is yours!
Another advantage of studying in Canada is that, by choosing the right course and school, you may be eligible for the Post Graduation Work Permit at the end of your studies to continue your stay in Canada working full-time. Sounds good, right?
Write to us and a Dingoos Guide will contact you to personally advise you on your best options to study in Vancouver.
As we’ve already mentioned, combining studies and work in Canada is possible if you come to study a vocational course with a student visa. You can choose a course with Co-Op, in which you can work part-time (20 hours per week) during the theoretical part and full-time (40 hours per week) during the practical part and on holidays. If you enroll in a vocational course without Co-Op, you can only work part-time while the course lasts and full-time during vacation periods. Any option is a good one!
If you come to study only a language course, you won’t be allowed to work.
If you’re coming to make money, it won’t be too hard in Vancouver. The minimum wage is $16.75 CAD per hour.
The base salary will depend a lot on the job you do and, like almost everywhere, the more specialized you are, the more you’ll earn. The base salary for someone working full-time is around $2,600 CAD. And if you work as a waiter, get your piggy bank ready for tips! Here they are mandatory and range from 15% to 20% of the bill.
Students who come to Vancouver have many job opportunities to combine a part-time job with their studies. Let’s take a look at the most in-demand jobs for international students:
We hope you come with time and a good raincoat because you’ll need them to discover all the wonders of Vancouver. Here, all imaginable plans are perfectly combined, from the most active and nature-filled to the most cosmopolitan ones.
How about starting your visit at the largest Urban National Park in the world? Two concepts that may seem contradictory, but in Vancouver, nature is perfectly integrated into the city. It has its own seawall and is ideal to explore by bike with must-stop visits to the Vancouver Aquarium and the First Nations totems.
If you like nature, hiking, and adventure, you’ll enjoy discovering this park, which also hides an incredible suspension bridge.
Speaking of suspension bridges, here’s another one to check off your list and let the adrenaline rise. Located in the North District of Vancouver, it’s 140 meters long and suspended 70 meters high over a river.
Continuing with Vancouver’s natural side, these mountains are just 15 minutes from downtown and offer spectacular views. You can reach the top by chairlift, or if you’re fit enough, you can hike up as your Saturday morning workout. And if you like skiing or snowboarding, don’t miss it in winter, when it turns into a ski slope enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
If you like culture and especially Asian cuisine, Richmond will be the neighborhood where you’ll taste the most diverse delicacies. Here you’ll find the best Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese restaurants in the city.
Vancouver’s old town is a must-stop to learn a bit more about the city’s history. It’s very touristy, so we recommend you bring your selfie stick and your best smile to blend in with the crowd while you take pictures in front of its beautiful old buildings.
If you like history and want to learn more about the history of the First Nations, that is, the story of Canada’s first settlers, this museum is the place to do it. Its collection includes more than 10,000 unique pieces of great cultural and historical value.
For those of you who love collecting fun facts and then dropping them at just the right time, here are a few fun facts about Vancouver:
If you’re thinking about living in Vancouver for a while, take a look at the following video and discover what it would be like to do so in 2025. Because the time is now—or too late. We’re waiting for you!
Toronto is the largest city in Canada, its financial capital, and the fifth-largest city in all of North America.
Surrounded by rivers, islands, and with a charming architectural harmony, Montreal has become Canada’s university city par excellence.
This small town in British Columbia is just an hour and a half from Vancouver and welcomes over 3 million tourists from around the world every year.
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Virginia Periotti, Visa Expert at Dingoos, explains what the visa application process involves and why good advice can make all the difference.
