My Experience Moving to Vancouver from Toronto

Beautiful autumn leaves Infront of hotel downtown

Now that the weather has warmed and the rain has (mostly) ended, I’m reminded that it’s almost been a full year since I moved to Vancouver. The experience has been amazing – if anyone ever tells you Vancouver is the best city in Canada, let me assure you they are most definitely correct.

So in this post, I’m going to reflect on the last 10 months and hopefully offer some guidance to anyone else who is thinking of moving to Vancouver from Toronto (or anywhere else).

In this post I’ll go over:

  • Reasons for Moving to Vancouver
  • Important Things to Know (neighbourhoods, transit, norms)
  • FAQs (weather, money, making friends)
  • Logistics (moving, finding an apartment / job)

Moving to Vancouver from Abroad? I believe this post will still be helpful if you’re moving here from outside Canada, however, I can’t speak to the process of applying for visas, residency and citizenship. This post is more focused on what it is like to move and live here.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support is much appreciated! You can learn more by reading my full disclosure.


Reasons for Moving to Vancouver

Why did we leave Toronto and move to Vancouver?

As the outdoorsy, nature-loving tree-hugger that I am, most people expect me to say that I moved to Vancouver because I wanted to be by the oceans and the mountains – and that was totally a factor!

But the main reason that we moved here – in the middle of the pandemic – is that my boyfriend has a severe allergy to a few certain kinds of mould found around the Great Lakes. He was in a lot of discomfort and constantly needing antibiotics to keep his reactions under control. Eventually, his doctor recommended he leave the Great Lakes area and go somewhere that doesn’t have this variety of mould.

So we chose Vancouver.

To be honest, I was actually really reluctant and postponed moving from Toronto to Vancouver three times. I was anxious about moving during the pandemic and generally oppose abrupt changes (unbeknownst to most people, I’m a creature of comfort).

But in August we finally made the move and I’m so glad we did. For years I’ve been told I have a “West Coast Vibe” and in university I was repeatedly asked if I was from Vancouver. I now get it. This is my kind of place!

Why do most people move to Vancouver?

Obviously, our reason isn’t a typical one. Most people move to Vancouver for the outdoor lifestyle and (surprisingly) the weather. Oh and job changes, that too.

Outdoors Lifestyle

Is Vancouver’s outdoor lifestyle for you? Well, are you interested in any of the following activities:

  • Hiking / Backpacking
  • Skiing / Snowboarding
  • Cycling
  • Rock Climbing
  • Surfing
  • Sailing
  • Kayaking
  • Walking in Nature
  • Sitting on Beaches

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then Vancouver is the best city for you in Canada. Hands down. No questions asked. I’ve lived in, worked in and visited a lot of major cities in Canada (almost all of them, actually) and nowhere else can you get off work at 5 pm, take public transit to a mountain, do an ~incredible~ hike and be back home for an early bedtime.

Likewise, I don’t know of another city where you have so many destinations within a short drive (one weekend you can go skiing in Whistler, the next weekend you can go surfing in Tofino). It’s insane how much there is here.

Vancouver is also way more chill than Toronto. I don’t know if it’s because Vancouver isn’t the financial hub of Canada, or if it’s just hard to be stressed when you can see mountains everyday, but there is a definite difference in attitude here.

Read More: 10 INCREDIBLE Easy Hikes in Vancouver: Chill Trails with Amazing Views

Weather

The weather in Vancouver is… interesting.

On the one hand, Vancouver itself gets very little snow. This winter we had less than 5 cm in West Vancouver; downtown didn’t get any snow at all. My mom lived here in the ’70s and ’80s and never owned a winter coat. Similarly, it never gets that cold either. If you’re used to Toronto or Calgary winters, where the temperature can drop to -20 C and below, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Vancouver rarely dips below freezing.

That said, Vancouver has rain. Lots and lots of rain. In the winter, you can expect light-to-moderate rain and overcast skies pretty much every day. Seriously, you can go up to four months and seldom see the sun (more on that below).

But if you’re like me and you don’t like snow outside of skiing, Vancouver is perfect.

Girl standing in front of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver

Important Things to Know About Life in Vancouver

The Neighbourhoods of Vancouver

Where you live in Vancouver will largely depend on your employment, life stage and finances. Because you’ll likely have a different set of circumstances to me, I can’t recommend a neighbourhood to you. However, I can tell you what I considered and why I chose what I did.

About Me: I’m a young professional with a remote job and I don’t have any dependents (kids or pets). We wanted to be in close proximity to downtown, the water and be somewhere very walkable (since we don’t have a car). For this reason, we chose Yaletown.

Yaletown

Yaletown is part of the downtown peninsula, near False Creek. I like how this area is incredibly walkable: everything we need is within a 15 minute walk, and fun areas (like Granville Island and Davie Village) are within 25 minutes. There are tons of parks and the seawall is nearby. The downside is that the area gets very little natural light (so many tall condo buildings).

Kitsilano

We also considered Kitsilano (and later considered moving from Yaletown to Kitslano) because the area is just so nice. Kits Beach is amazing – it’s one of the best beaches in Vancouver – and 4th Street runs right through the centre of Kits and has tons of fun restaurants and shopping. Plus, there are no condo buildings so there is tons of light! But because there are no condo buildings, there is very limited housing (especially rental housing). Kits is also the most expensive neighbourhood in Vancouver. So ultimately, we stayed in Yaletown.

Coal Harbour

We briefly looked at Coal Harbour and the surrounding area, which is like the Vancouver equivalent to Toronto’s financial district and waterfront. Most of the condo buildings are modern and glass (and very pretty). One thing I love about Coal Harbour is its proximity to Vancouver Harbour and Stanely Park. The drawback is that the area is quite expensive. If you are super wealthy, there are some amazing apartments with incredible balconies and rooftop patios. But if you are working with a smaller budget, we found the apartments to be really tiny here.

West End

The West End (and nearby Davie Village) is a really fun neighbourhood in the downtown core. It’s very close to English Bay and False Creek (yay, water!) and has tons of great restaurants and stores. The buildings are older here than they are in Coal Harbour, but the rent is more affordable. We didn’t consider the West End since the buildings are older and we didn’t want to risk aggravating my boyfriend’s mould allergy.

North Vancouver / West Vancouver

These are the neighbourhoods on the North Shore and, according to who you ask, are separate to Vancouver itself. There is tons of housing here – both detached and condos. The big upside to living on the North Shore is that you are super close to the mountains (yay, hiking, biking and skiing!).

The downside is that traffic is a nightmare. The only way to get a car from the North Shore to downtown is with the Lion’s Gate Bridge and driving through Stanley Park, which is a three-way road and can get extremely slow. It’s also important to have a car if you’re living on the North Shore because the bus system isn’t the best.

Read More: 15 Best Viewpoints in Vancouver: Skyline, Mountains, Beaches & More

Mt Pleasant / Commercial Drive / Vancouver South

This is basically just the rest of Vancouver. It isn’t near downtown, although there are decent transit options to get you downtown. We didn’t consider these areas because they’re further away (and likely would require a car) and aren’t near the water. To my knowledge, these areas are better for families who want a semi-detached or detached house that want something more affordable than what Kits or Point Grey can offer.

Transit & Getting Around Vancouver

There are a few methods for getting around Vancouver:

Public Transit

  • BusesBus routes go all over the city and are the easiest (though not speediest) way to get around North and West Vancouver without a car. When you’re downtown, it’s way faster to walk than bus.
  • SeaBus – This is a pedestrian ferry that goes from Waterfront Station (downtown) to Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver). If you’re on foot or biking, it’s often the fastest way to go between downtown and North Van.
  • Aquabus & False Creek Ferries – These are smaller ferries that cross False Creek. They’re a super convenient way to go between Yaletown and Granville Island & Kitsilano.
  • Sky Train – The Sky Train connects Vancouver proper with the suburbs around Vancouver (i.e. Burnaby, Richmond, Langely, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey). If you need to go a far distance in the Lower Mainland, you’ll probably end up taking the Sky Train (see below).

Uber / Evo

If you don’t have a car, you can also use Uber and Evo. Uber is well-known and worldwide, but Evo is more specific to Vancouver. It’s basically car sharing. You create an account and then you can ‘borrow’ Evo cars that are parked throughout the city. You’re charged for the time and distance you use the car for.

Norms and Tips for Living in Vancouver (like a Local)

Invest in a good rain jacket – As I’ve said a few times, Vancouver gets a lot of rain in the winter so ensure you have a good rain jacket. This is the one I use.

And a good umbrella – While you’re at it, also get a good umbrella. Tip – A lot of shops and restaurants have bins at the entrance where you can put your umbrella while you’re inside. This is to prevent the umbrella from leaving rain droplets all over the inside of the restaurant / shop.

Beware of bikers – The people of Vancouver are extremely friendly and cheerful… until you step into the bike lane. There are tons of bike lanes here and the easiest way to piss off bikers is to casually step on the bike lane without looking, walk on the bike lane as a pedestrian or stand in the middle of the bike lane taking pictures. Stay on the sidewalk.

Skip Starbucks – I have long been a dedicated Starbucks drinker and Vancouver has dozens (hundreds?) of locations. But there are even more independent cafes that are most definitely better. While most Vancouverites won’t think less of you for choosing Starbucks, they’ll probably recommend their favourite cafe to you and (strongly) encourage you to try it.

Get out of the city – There are a ton of great places to explore outside of Vancouver. Right up the Sea to Sky Highway, you’ll find Whistler and Squamish. Take the ferry to Vancouver Island and explore the capital city, Victoria, or the popular surf town, Tofino.


FAQs about Moving to Vancouver

Is Vancouver really that expensive?

Yes… and no. Housing in Vancouver is really that expensive. Unless you’re moving here from Toronto (or London, San Francisco or New York), you’re going to find it pricier. Here are some typical rent costs for reference:

Average Price for One Bedroom Apartment (source):

  • Vancouver (overall): $1950
  • Downtown: $2150
  • Kitsilano: $1875
  • Mt Pleasant: $2030

But honestly, other than housing, I don’t find it more expensive than Toronto or Mississauga, and I only find it marginally more expensive than London, Ontario. Groceries and restaurant meals are pretty similar. Gas and utilities are a bit more expensive. You can see a cost of living comparison of Toronto vs Vancouver and London ON vs Vancouver.

Is it easy to make friends in Vancouver?

So I can’t answer this from personal experience since I moved here during a pandemic and “making friends” wasn’t exactly following Health Guidelines. But I’ve spoken about this with a few of my existing friends who have lived in Vancouver for a while.

Overall, Vancouver is a difficult place to make friends. This is especially true if you didn’t grow up here or go to the University of British Columbia. Many people are already part of a natural friend group – either from their high school or from UBC. In that sense, Vancouver is unlike Toronto; lots of people move to Toronto after university and are all looking for friends. Meanwhile, many people from Vancouver stay in Vancouver.

According to my friends, the best way of making friends is by joining clubs and activities (for example, joining a climbing gym or yoga studio, or by participating in a hiking challenge). Also, it helps to work in a place with people of a similar age and life stage to you.

The final piece of information I got about making friends in Vancouver is that it can be easier for international expats, especially those from community-oriented places like India. Vancouver is a very multicultural city and it’s easy to find welcoming communities of people with a similar background.

How bad is the rain?

I don’t think it’s the rain itself that drives people crazy in the winter, but rather the persistent lack of sunshine.

The rain is never very heavy – it’s mostly a light-moderate drizzle with periodic days of overcast (without rain) and periodic days of heavy rain. But there are very few blue-sky days. It’s like the weather equivalent to Chinese water torture: a few drops are insignificant, but after a while, the relentlessness of the drops can drive you mad (or a little depressed, in my case).

That said, I would still rather have the long stretches of rain than the heavy snowfall of southwestern Ontario or the extreme cold of the Prairies.

I think it’s also important that you find activities that get you outside in all types of weather. I still went hiking throughout the winter and I would regularly see mountain bikers and cyclists as well. That helped a lot with my mood.

How is the job market in Vancouver?

Hmm, this is a tricky topic and it really comes down to what you’re comparing Vancouver to. There are plenty of job-hunting websites that can tell you the statistics, so here I’ll provide you with a few anecdotes.

I have friends who have been trying to move here for nursing and teaching, and they’ve told me that aren’t many openings. When there have been openings, the salary is similar to what they are currently making, but the cost of living in Vancouver is so much higher that it doesn’t make financial sense.

For anyone working in business, there are significantly fewer openings because Vancouver isn’t home to many head offices. This was something I faced in university when I was applying to jobs out here. There’s Lululemon, Telus and BC Hydro, but besides that, there isn’t much. There aren’t many consultancies, banks or financial firms either. However, those positions that are open tend to pay quite well.

On the other hand, Vancouver can be a really attractive place to work if you’re in something related to forestry, mining, environmental consulting or construction. This is because there are so many natural resources firms here.

Read More: 13 Outdoor Activities in Vancouver… That Aren’t Hiking or Skiing


Logistics of Moving to Vancouver

So I’ll be the first to admit that I had a very privileged experience in moving to Vancouver that a lot of people couldn’t replicate. I didn’t need to find a new job. I didn’t have to move furniture. And my boyfriend and I had a relatively easy time finding a place to live (which isn’t most people’s experience).

I’ll still go over what we did / experienced and suggest a few resources to help you with your move, but I probably won’t be the most helpful resource here.

Moving your stuff to Vancouver

What we did (aka what we didn’t do)

We were really fortunate in that we didn’t have to move our furniture to Vancouver. This is due to the fact that my boyfriend and I have a somewhat transient lifestyle – we both move around quite a bit and never know how long we’ll stay somewhere when we arrive.

I moved out of my Toronto apartment in July, but instead of moving my furniture to Vancouver, I moved it to my parents’ house in London, Ontario. To make things easier, we chose to stay at a furnished apartment in Vancouver. Now, this is obviously more expensive than staying in an unfurnished apartment, but it is perfect for temporary accommodation while you get yourself settled in Vancouver.

What you can do

There are tons of moving companies that can support you with moving your stuff to Vancouver. Here are a few pieces of advice I’ve picked up over the last few years of moving:

Do not move IKEA furniture – It’s so cheap that it’s honestly not worth the hassle of moving. Plus, it isn’t exactly the most sturdy stuff so you may end up breaking it during the move (RIP Malm desk).

Be realistic about the amount of stuff you need – Unless you’re coming from Toronto, you’ll likely find yourself in a smaller apartment / house than you previously had. Housing is expensive (more on that below) so most people end up downsizing. That means you need significantly less stuff.

Finding housing in Vancouver

Finding an apartment or house in Vancouver could be an Olympic sport. With vacancy rates less than 1%, it can be very difficult to find a place (and even harder to secure it).

When we first arrived, we stayed in a furnished apartment on a month-to-month basis while we got familiar with the city and looked for other places. But due to low occupancy rates associated with the pandemic, we scored an excellent rate and stayed. If you don’t have that option, here are some resources:

Facebook Groups – I’m a part of the group Housing and Sublets in Vancouver, which honestly isn’t that helpful. There are so many posts per day (definitely turn off notifications) and only a fraction of them are relevant to you. If you need to find a place with roommates, however, Facebook Groups are probably your best bet.

Kijiji and Craiglist – These pages are good for finding apartments if you don’t need a roommate or already have someone you can live with. The sites are more helpful if you have a larger budget.

PadMapper / Zumper – These websites are helpful for getting in touch with property managers at condo buildings, though the vacancy you see online isn’t always accurate. But once you have the contact information, you call the buildings to set up viewings and be notified if there are vacancies.

Real Estate Agent – When in doubt, get professional help. I was at my favourite cafe recently and overheard a pair talking about the real estate market in Vancouver – I learned they both were real estate agents – and it actually gave me a sense of relief. The older one knew everything about housing in the city (perhaps I was eavesdropping a little too much…) and I would totally trust him to find a place for me. If you’re looking at houses or purchasing a condo / apartment, definitely go with an agent.

Finding a job in Vancouver

There are tons of resources online for finding a job, so I recommended doing a little research on that specifically. LinkedIn is a good place to start, as are traditional job hunting sites like Indeed. If you have any friends already here, reach out to them. Networking is huge in Vancouver (as it is in Toronto too).

I kept my remote job when I came out here, so I didn’t need to find a new job and can’t offer much more advice.


Moving to Vancouver – Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve found this post helpful and have a better idea of what to expect when moving to Vancouver. Although the move itself can be cumbersome and inconvenient, it’ll be totally worth it once you get settled in and start seeing the ocean and mountains every day. If you have any questions about life in Vancouver, leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram!

MY FAVOURITE GEAR

sportswear cardigan

Fleece Sweater

Maroon Arcteryx cerium LT for women

Down Jacket

Hiking boots of Merrell Moab vent

Hiking Boots

icebreaker tech lite women shirt

Hiking Shirt

deuter hiking bag

Back Pack

Hiking pants of the The north face

Hiking Pants

14 thoughts on “My Experience Moving to Vancouver from Toronto


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  2. Cody Littlefield says:

    I’m interested to know what type of mold your partner was allergic to. Since moving to Toronto from Monterey (California), my childhood asthma has returned and I’m constantly stuffed up. We spent last summer in Calgary and Kelowna, and I had no problems!

    I would say there are worse places to move to. Congrats on the move! My partner and I are both “west coast vibe” people and would love to make it out there one day.

    • Mikaela says:

      Thanks! We really like it in Vancouver! Off the top of my head I can’t remember what type of mould it is, though I believe it’s two different kinds. The great lakes are really bad for mold and pollen, so I can understand why your asthma came back!

  3. Jessie says:

    Hey! I really liked this article! I had a few questions though, and it would be really helpful if you can support me! So I am 27 and a social worker here in Toronto living with my partner who is 30 and works in construction. We are both honestly sick and tired of living in this city, with its rising costs and very little to do in regards to nature. So, we have decided to move out to Van next year in March(ish). We are both saving a lot and will have around 20K saved by then to act as a cushion, but I am really nervous about a couple of things.

    1) While I am looking for remote work, it is likely I will not have a job already when I go out there, and my partner will not either. Will this really hurt our chances of finding an apartment? Or should we be able to find something okay since we will have about 6 months of living expenses saved up?

    2) What is your approx. monthly spending look like? We were hoping to do west end or English bay region, and our goal was about $1800 for a 1 bedroom if possible. So I am assuming our monthly expenses for food and all that will be around $2500 total – does that sound about right to you?

    3) Is apartment hunting comparable to Toronto? I know in T.O. it takes about 2 months or so of applying to places to find a good enough spot for an okay price, and I am nervous about this. Do you think I could start applying in February before we are even out there – or would that not really make a difference?

    4) Is there anything else I should be really wary of or prepare for before we go? I am a bit worried that there will be an influx of transplants to Van when the pandemic is up, since all I hear is about people from T.O. wanting to move out west. This makes me really worried about competition and issues in finding our footing which will lead to us completely using all of our money and falling flat on our faces. I have wanted to live out west since I was a teen, and my partner is from Rio so he loves beaches and mountains, but now that we are taking the jump I am TERRIFIED it will not go well. I am not sure if this is just overthinking and anxiety, or if it really is as difficult and unpleasant to settle there as some people make it seem online.

    Thank you SO much!! All the help and advice is honestly really appreciated and welcomed!

    • Mikaela says:

      Hi Jessie! I’ll do my best to answer your questions –

      1) I don’t know about that for sure. When I was looking at apartments, I provided a credit score and proof of savings. Technically it shouldn’t matter (since I believe tenant laws only require proof of savings / income, not proof of employment). I’d double check that though!

      2) I think that is on the low end. I think it’s reasonable to find an apartment for $1800, however, I’d guess your monthly expenses will come to more than $700 for two people. Especially if you want to do any hiking, activities and local travel. I’d budget more.

      3) I can’t really compare them as we moved during the pandemic when very few people were moving. I found apartment hunting in Toronto to be like “See the apartment, make an offer that day, move in ASAP.” I don’t know if that’s the status of Vancouver right now since I’m not apartment hunting right now.

      4) I think you just need to go for it! Though I’d recommend to start looking for a job before you get out here. From what I’ve heard from my friends, the job market isn’t great here. You want to give yourself time to find something here, or be comfortable taking something short term while you find a full time position. However, it’ll definitely depend on the job field you’re in.

      Best of luck with the move! I’m sure you’ll love it here!

  4. Laura says:

    Lol. I’m originally from Vancouver and moved to Thornhill, Markham as of Sept 1, 2021. I stumbled onto your site because I looked up, “Vancouverites in Toronto”; I have been here for just shy of 11 months and really miss most of Vancouver.

    Honestly, I moved to be with and checkout other communities in my faith (tons more people here). I’m constantly told I’m full of surprises (I love being social, I end up having conversations that cover many topics…); I have been told many times over, “you’re like fresh air” – which I take as a total compliment.

    It’s been hard to make true friends here but part of the reason is thanks to Covid.

    I have some friends who I know from Vancouver who moved to Toronto over the years. What I miss most is the happy, super friendly, positive, bubbly, unique, outdoorsy and the true bonding of friendships.

    • Mikaela says:

      That’s an interesting opinion to have of Vancouverites! I hear a lot about people from outside Vancouver finding its residents cold, impersonal and cliquey (though I haven’t found that to be the case in my year here).

      I hope things turn up for you in Toronto! I found TO to be very lonely and feel claustrophobic, my friends who have strong ties to their communities still really love it. Best of luck!

  5. Mane D. says:

    I lived in Vancouver for more than a decade before moving south of the border. Yes, the natural beauty is breathtaking and the food scene is quite good but, beyond that, I wound Vancouver to be a shallow, superficial place. Jobs exist but it’s a rather stagnant place in the sense that job mobility is not that great and incomes are just out of proportion (in a negative way) with the crazy cost of living. I friend of mine put it best when he told me that Vancouver is a nice place to live if one is wealthy otherwise, nope. I met too many easterners who moved to Vancouver and either moved back or stayed mostly because they didn’t want to face the embarrassment of having spent so much money and time on a fantasy. As for the “best city in Canada” per-se, I’d give that title to Montreal without a doubt. Montreal, unlike Vancouver, has class, culture, history, Vancouver is just a Disneyland type of city or more like an overgrown town pretending to be a city. I lived there, I went to university there, I owned my condo and the two best bookshelf days I remember from Vancouver are the day I arrived and the day I moved out with the only other day being the day I married my Vancouver-born Wife who also dislikes what Vancouver has become.

    • Mikaela says:

      That’s an interesting perspective. I think it comes down to what you value in a city – for me, proximity to the outdoors is one of the most important things – so Vancouver is (in my opinion) the best city in Canada. But if someone was more into the culture, art or history I can see why they’d prefer Montreal.

      And the cost of living thing is crazy – I totally agree about that! I hope the city does something to address it (I don’t know what policy you would need to raise incomes and lower rent, but something is definitely needed).

  6. Wendy says:

    Wow you included lots of great info on moving to Vancouver. Could you share the furnished rental place you had when you first arrived to Vancouver. I find it really difficult to find short term accomodation in Vancouver. thanks

    • Mikaela says:

      It’s called Level Furnished Living! It’s quite pricey now (they had an incredible discount going on last year) but it’s a really nice place with flexible bookings!

  7. Carrie says:

    Thank you for your information Mikaeka! I have been contemplating a move West for a long time and like you, I have employment ability that makes it easier to relocate. You have helped to refresh my enthusiasm and motivation toward action! Cheers.

  8. Mackenzie says:

    Thanks for this post Mikaela! I’m going to be moving West from Ontario and am deciding between Calgary and Vancouver…three of the main things that are worrying me about Vancouver are things you mentioned in the article: the supposed coldness/unfriendliness of the people, the lack of sun, and the high cost of living. Now that you’ve been there for some time, do you have any further comments about those things (especially your experience of meeting new people)?
    Thanks so much!

    • Mikaela says:

      Hey Mackenzie! I think if you can handle the cold and don’t need the ocean, Calgary is a better option. You’ll be able to save WAY more money, it’s the sunniest city in Canada and the mountains are an hour away. I still LOVE Vancouver, but there has been just a single moment of sunshine for the last three weeks and it’s hard to save money. As for people, I don’t spend as much time here now so I haven’t made friends (I just moved to San Francisco) though my boyfriend still lives here and he has been much better at making friends. I hope that helps!

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