Re: Salary expectations BC
 

Mostly by people who don't live here.

Other than buying real estate I don't think there is much difference in the cost of living compared to other parts of Canada. Even real estate is only expensive in the popular parts of the province: the Southern Island, the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan.

In the Lower Mainland (the area around Vancouver) prices are comparable to London and south east England. Realistically, to get on the housing ladder from scratch is very difficult on less than $100k family income. However, if you a) have equity to bring with you or b) are not looking to buy then things are different.

Whether $60-$70k is enough depends on your circumstances and spending habits. Even renting, if you have a couple of kids and want to be a stay at home parent it will be tough. People manage but it is not an aspirational lifestyle. No kids and you can look for work then you could have a very good life.

I have said this before, but I prefer hiking up mountains (free) rather than sliding down them (expensive) so I can have an equally content life as my neighbor on a lower income. This is the problem with the "is $x enough" questions. It all depends.

Re: Salary expectations BC
 

I'm currently on $56k working as a marketing exec for a travel agency which gets me by comfortably..

Admittedly my cousin who also lives in BC works for Deloitte as a starting consultant, earns $30k - so it can vary massively.

Re: Salary expectations BC
 

My husband earns a little bit more than that in the Vancouver area, working in IT. When they asked him about salary expectations at his interview, he said plainly what he was earning in the UK and they still offered him significantly more than he expected, so not all companies are unscrupulous. Another company called him after he had left and offered him a job with a salary $20K lower, so it is true that it varies hugely what you might be offered.
Since being in B.C alone for several months and having to rent a flat, buy furniture, crockery and suchlike to get started, he has actually managed to save quite a lot of money and that is with me still paying all our household bills and mortgage in the UK (so no financial input from me) and paying for three round trip flights to/from the UK since September, including the expensive Christmas period.
So, I would agree with Alan2005 and the others on this one - you do not need $100K plus in B.C. to live comfortably. 60K and upwards is quite comfortable in the Greater Vancouver area if you rent and have no children.

Re: Salary expectations BC
 

yes, rent is a lot cheaper than buying in most cases.

Re: Salary expectations BC
 

Surely it all depends on lifestyle / accommodation / location expectations post move.

$60k per year will be fine living downtown in an ok 1 or 2 bed place. Top that off with snow sports / eating out / boating / hobbies, etc then things become more difficult i think.

$60k further afield will be fine renting an ok house or apartment. Top that off with the cost of running a car or two in order to do any of the above hobbies, then things become more difficult.

All depends on what you want with your move and life, what you have at the moment, and what the potential is both in Canada and the UK.

For info, the IT managers at my place earn less than they do in the UK. Here in Canada they're on ~$65-100k depending on the definition of "IT Manager".