Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Hi

Considering a move from UK to Vancouver. However, reading some threads on this forum, and internet research, it seems as if we may be worse off as the cost of living in Vancouver is high. I have listed below our monthly outgoings. Can anyone advise if we would be about the same, or worse off. We would be looking to have kids in the next couple of years so would need to add full time child care to this too for one! Thanks in advance for your help.:)

Mortgage/Rent £859 £156,000 Mortage
Council Tax £156
Elec £40
Gas £40
Phone Line Rental £11
Cable/Broadband £46
Food £325
TV License £12
Life Insurance £48
Mobile Phone £25
Car Payments £160
Home Insurance £25
Savings £300
Bus/Train Fares £40
Mobile Phone £25
Car Maintence/Car Insurance £60
Work Money £80
Fuel £120
Spending Money £635

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

If you converted into CDN dollars I could help you. Am lazy. ;)

For fulltime decent childcare, esp. below 4-5years (gets cheaper once kid is in school) you'll be looking at around 800-1,000 bucks a month.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

[QUOTE=samb29;9292263]Hi

Considering a move from UK to Vancouver. However, reading some threads on this forum, and internet research, it seems as if we may be worse off as the cost of living in Vancouver is high. I have listed below our monthly outgoings. Can anyone advise if we would be about the same, or worse off. We would be looking to have kids in the next couple of years so would need to add full time child care to this too for one! Thanks in advance for your help.:)

Mortgage/Rent $1344 $242200 Mortage
Council Tax £244
Elec $62
Gas $62
Phone Line Rental $17
Cable/Broadband $72
Food $508
TV License $18
Life Insurance $75
Mobile Phone $39
Car Payments $250
Home Insurance $39
Savings $469
Bus/Train Fares $62
Mobile Phone $39
Car Maintence/Car Insurance $93
Work Money $125
Fuel $187
Spending Money $939

That's it now in Canadian Dollars:)

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

You can triple that for a mortgage.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

yeah but it depends on how much they have to put down

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Hi

Thanks for the replies. Is that triple the monthly payment or triple for the full mortgage amount.

We would be looking for a 3 bed. As we are still young would probably looking at a townhouse to start with. Prob have about $55k to put down.

I also hope that by moving my partner and I would increase our monthly salary by about $782 combined.

Thanks again for the advice :)

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Mortgage/Rent $1344 $242200 Mortage
Council Tax £244
Elec $62 Seems low would budget on at least double
Gas $62 Seems low would budget on at least double
Phone Line Rental $17 I pay 160pm for phone/broadband/digital TV
Cable/Broadband $72
Food $508
TV License $18 Doesn't apply
Life Insurance $75
Mobile Phone $39 Could cover low useage for 2 PAYG phones
Car Payments $250 Roughly 10k loan over 3 years is 300pm
Home Insurance $39 Seems low for buildings and contents?
Savings $469
Bus/Train Fares $62
Mobile Phone $39 Repeat?
Car Maintence/Car Insurance $93 This would probably be the cheapest you'd get for insurance alone.
Work Money $125
Fuel $187
Spending Money $939

Add medical insurance premiums plus allow for treatment costs not covered.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

i only pay $50/ month for phone/cable/broadband (20mb) why is your so high?

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Don't get too hung up on coverting everything from 1 pound to $1.60. What is important is what do you currently get paid in pounds and what/where do you spend it. Equally what are you going to earn in $ and what/where will you spend it.

It's sounds expensive here now, due to the exchange rate, but it's spending power that counts. If you come here on holiday and a pint is $6, you'll convert it to about 3.75 pounds, but if you here earning $ you look at it as a proportion of your earnings.

As a rule, I find food/alcohol, housing, internet/TV/mobile more expensive here than UK. Eating out is decent value, rent seems to be reasonable (ish) and things like petrol are obviously cheaper. Also new cars used to be cheaper, but used ones more expensive. Don't know if that still holds true mind. In my experience, things are about 20-30% cheaper in the US.

You get different expenses here too, i.e. no TV licence fee, but might have to pay MSP premiums.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

I'm intending to look at other options. Its Shaw digital TV with the high speed broadband basic phone and a small number of extra channels including Santanta. Why is yours so low?

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

It's down to what's available locally, isn't it? I have to pay $90 p/mth just for internet. TV is $ 120, and no option to bundle with the phone, which averages at an additional $60 p/mth.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Yeah this is a very good point and we have both said this that once we are there we cant keep coverting.

You are paid in $ and you spend in $

I am just trying to get an idea of how far my cash would go in Canada per month

Thanks

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Might be a good idea if you can tell people roughly what you and your wife expect to earn, and what kind of lifestyle you want for that money (i.e. how many cars, skiing every weekend or not, area of Vancouver etc) and then they can let you know if that would be enough, rather than trying to convert £ in to $.

:)

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

Hi,

Me and my Husband would hope to bring in a joint income of $94k (Gross) to start with. (1 Car to start with, fairly average social lifestyle, as for area we would be looking at 30-40km outside Vancouver....although we would be renting to start with closer to Vancouver) and also a kid in the next 2-3 years

I listed my UK outgoing to try and gage an idea of prices in Vancouver and its suburbs, as research is starting to make us think twice.

Re: Cost of Living UK v Vancouver
 

I think someone mentioned this already but you need to add MSP, which is provincial health insurance, around $100 per month. Then add any prescriptions and dental care unless it's covered by your job's health plan.