tmwnn

Hey all.

I currently live with my wife and 3 children (10, 8 and 1) in the Netherlands but I have received a job offer in Vancouver.

The offer comes with an annual salary of around $120k CAD, is this sort of salary enough to comfortably support a family of 5? Are there any kind of family tax benefits or deductions fir families given that my wife would probably not work for at least a couple of years?

Aviator

After you file your first tax return there are Child Tax Benefits, you get an allowance on your tax for a non working spouse. On your salary, some could manage, others could not, depends on your lifestyle, where you want to live, what capital you bring with you. Someone with no mortgage or rent to pay could do just fine on $120k. If you want to live outside of Vancouver proper and commute, property is cheaper.

tmwnn

Cheers for the reply, my lifestyle expectations aren't too extravagant. Renting a decent 3br home, good schools for my kids, preferably just 1 car.

I was hoping to keep rent to around $2000 per month, $2500 at most. I'd like to be able to commute to central Vancouver in under an hour.

Aviator

That should be doable. Look up the Skytrain route and West Coast Express, both would save you driving.

Lychee

Don't aim for a commuting lifestyle in Vancouver if you can help it. The closer you can live to where you'll be working, the better. Good schools will be your local public school, wherever you end up.

Aviator

Why not? Commuting to save a few hundred thousand on property and/or live in a more rural area would be worth it in my view. I Commuted to YVR, 90 mins each way for many years, it was no bother. There was no way I could have a property like I had in Vancouver and I did not particularly like city life.

Jumping on Skytrain or the WCE is a breeze if you live close to the line or drive to the station.

ExKiwilass

I wouldn't want a commuting lifestyle in Van either - not unless you're prepared to put up with regular gridlock and accidents.

Londonuck

Never a truer word spoken.

Rosanna

http://www.ey.com/CA/en/Services/Tax...3-Personal-Tax

$120k with wife and 3 kids won't get you a 3 bed detatched house in Vancouver unfortunately. You are going to have to look at suburbs east of vAncouver that are on commuter routes such as Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. There are some great new housing under construction in the upper 700s in these areas and Vancouver under 1 hour drive.

Average homes in Vancover top over a million dollars and they are often old and need of repair. 2million would get you a renovated detached property!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...ticle12436288/

Good luck with your decision.

PM me if you have any other questions

scrubbedexpat091

I would never ever commute into the city again, try and live as close to work as you can. On paper commutes might look doable, but in reality the highway system sucks, and what may appear to be a 45-60 minute commute can in reality be closer to 2 hours, add in snow, a traffic accident etc and it gets worse.

The only way a commute into the city is decent and not a royal pain in the ass, is if you can utilize the West Coast Express, but its not cheap.

scrubbedexpat091

I did that commute 5 days a week from Abbotsford and lasted 6 months, its was miserable.

Aviator

I did it for years from Abbotsford and had no issue with it, way better than living in a big city. A neighbour had been commuting to downtown for 20+ years. Now the new bridge is in place it may get easier.

scrubbedexpat091

But costlier with the toll in place.

Each their own, I just found too much wasted time sitting in traffic that could be used more productively.

With the commute I was gone 16 hours a day from home, and it just wasn't worth it, basically paying rent to just sleep since there wasn't enough time to do anything else 5 days a week.

Plus with gas prices only going one direction it was financially a stupid idea...lol

Aviator

I have found it cheaper with the better traffic flow, less time in line ups and idling.

tmwnn

I'm not really looking to buy a house at this point so the crazy prices don't affect me too much, also I'm an Australian so I'm well used to stupid house prices

Looking online I see a fair few places in the 2-2.5k a month ballpark that I think would be acceptable to me.

As for commuting I'm pretty reluctant to do it by car I don't mind sitting on a bus or train but driving in peak hour is not a relaxing way to start your day.

How is North Vancouver for getting a bus into the CBD?