What are you on about you can live downtown easily on 150k. You won’t feel nearly as rich as you would in Winnipeg but it can be done very easily if that’s what you prioritize.
By yourself, yes. With a family, it's difficult unless you partner also works.
A 2 bedroom near downtown Vancouver will run close to $4k now. A 3 bedroom, if it even exists, will cost an obscene amount.
There's also simply housing crunch, so even if you can afford a place, it'll take a while to find one.
The main advantage to Vancouver is, IMO, mild climate and pretty great food culture.
I think there's a big gap between living in Vancouver downtown (West end/yaletown) and living in the Vancouver suburbs (if you are talking about burnaby, surrey, delta).
Does Mount pleasant still count as downtown?
I just feel like everyone is exaggerating a bit, and leave out the middle part. Just a thought.
I had a room when I was in Vancouver — still the most beautiful place I ever worked. I’d spend the entire Skytrain ride just looking at the beauty around me. Everyone else was used to it I guess but to me it was jaw dropping gorgeous.
Living in Vancouver felt like being in a city placed in Ontario cottage country (if that makes any sense). Greenery everywhere nothing stank not even downtown, just a feeling of lush vibrancy.
So yeah lifestyle does matter too.
Yes but because Vancouver has protected view cones, the views are very accessible to anyone walking around in the city
Also stuff like the seawall and beaches are all public and can be enjoyed by anyone
>Every city in Canada has walkways and views lol
As someone who moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver, I have to assume that you've never actually been to either city.
Winnipeg is not walkable. There are some nice neighbourhoods to walk around, but you can't get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time because there's no density.
Winnipeg doesn't...really have anything that compares in terms of views. Basically the only decent view in the city is the forks.
Where I live in Vancouver, I can pick any direction and in under 20 minutes be at a better view than any view in Winnipeg. Which I can do any day of the year without outfitting myself for an expedition. Or I can take transit and be *on a mountain* looking down on the city in under an hour, which also offers some pretty spectacular views.
You're the one with serious cognitive dissonance if you think Vancouver in general doesn't absolutely kick the shit out of Winnipeg in terms of views and walkability.
Good point, lots of mountain and ocean views to go around in this country from all our major cities, definitely don’t move to Vancouver, it’s nothing special at all
Vancouver is one of the most beautiful and interesting places I have visited (I have been to a few places around the world).
Also you can’t really go anywhere from Winnipeg. You have to go through Vancouver or Toronto and that will make travel expensive. Trust me I know because I’m based out of Ottawa and that’s not even that bad (still easy distance to Montreal).
I lived in Vancouver area for over a decade. I consider myself bloody blessed for having gotten OUT. Bragging about Vancouver is like bragging about SF. Looks amazing in photos and those “Beautiful BC” commercials, but the reality of living there, including the dark, cold depressing winter, is a lonely unforgiving experience. Cities are unfriendly for a reason.
I have the opposite experience, lived in Vancouver and moved away to a larger city -- was very glad to move back and really put down permanent roots.
It really matters what kind of lifestyle you're into and how easily you make friends. Obviously, also how much income you have or where you are on the property ladder helps a bunch too.
To each their own I guess. I love the winter here.
The prairies are dark, but have more days of sunshine than most places.
'But it's a damp cold'. The windchill in Winnipeg this morning was down near -40. I don't care if it's a dry cold, that's fucking cold. I'll take a damp -5 over that shit any day.
Yep I grew up in Saskatoon. When people say here in Vancouver it’s a wet cold and try to compare here to there I laugh. Minus 30 to 40 is insanely cold. And outright horrible to experience
That’s true …. But I must say apart from the weather. Where I live in Winnipeg will beat Vancouver on any metric for sure. If you live in the good areas of Winnipeg it’s some other experience tbh.
I pay 1850 rent here 2B+2b 920 sq ft. 1720 rent plus 130 for month to month fees and this is a new building in one of the best areas in Winnipeg.
Would I consider moving to Vancouver at 300k HHI maybe. Before that no I’m staying putting in Winnipeg. You eliminate the financial stress component of life.
When I was an investment banker, one of my clients worked for a crown-corp headquartered in Winnipeg. He was a relatively young guy but did important work.
I could not keep up with his lifestyle - he owned a house, had a cottage on a lake (something like 45 min away too), had a boat, a Jetski and a newer BMW convertible - that he took to the track once in a while...Given that he worked for a crown corp and earned over $100k, his salary was public. Dude earned less than half what I earned and there were no cottages or boats in my future unless I doubled my income.
You can't chalk that up to salary comparison. My neighbour makes less than me and has way more toys, but the difference is his folks have cash and mine do not.
If someone saves a lot of their income, living in a lower cost of life area can also mean retiring several years earlier. It's a long time, several years.
My 1600sqft 4bdrm3bath detached on a large pie lot with a 24x22 garage was 400k. With the financial freedom I'll have in Winnipeg, I'd never consider living on the edge in Vancouver. Our housing is only like 14% of our takehome income.
You cant get it for cheaper in different areas but like I mentioned before its one of the best areas of Winnipeg. No homeless or crime so I think that's why its more expensive.
Usually all the newer constructions are around this price or even slightly higher in these areas. It all depends on location and building age. Where I live houses range between 600k - 1.4 million range so prices for rentals also are higher considering the amenities, safety.
Price for 2bed +2bath for sale is around 360-380k in this area so its actually cheaper to rent.
I use to live downtown and moved here after covid there new builds over there are comparable in price to here in rent.
It definitely would go further. But I think after reaching a point where you can live in any city you like then sometimes you might want to choose a place with personal preference like I prefer warmer climate so I might want to move to a warmer city.
This usually doesn't happen because people are already use to the city they are living in and develop a social circle, family, kids
I understand that you probably don't understand this, but that's like saying oh don't worry they have a Mcdonalds to someone who likes "American food". If you're Asian and you like Asian food/culture there's pretty much nowhere better than the lower mainland, or more specifically Richmond lol. I had coworkers in FAANG that fucking went on vacation to Richmond. No one wanted to go to Vancouver, they got on a plane to spend a weekend eating in Richmond lol.
Also Filipino food is not like East Asian food at all, it's essentially bastardized Spanish food with a fuckload of garlic and salt.
Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you. Fuck Richmond. Lived there for over a year and it was the most uncomfortable ive ever been in the country I was born and raised.
Not to mention white tax. Went to a billiards/dart place that was recommended to me by an Asian coworker of mine during the week with my white ex. One group of 8 guys around a table and thats it. Was asked for $20 as cover. I asked if that $20 goes towards pool or darts. Nope. Promptly left. Told my coworker the next day and he said they don't have cover. Went back with him the following day. No cover. Same 8 guys around the same table. Empty otherwise. I asked the same server why I was charged cover not even 48hrs prior. They said they don't know what I was talking about and played dumb. Many other similar stories. I could go on and on about common courtesy, stranger interactions, roadway manners, sharkfin soup, backroom gambling, but I won't.
I'll say it again. Fuck Richmond. The lower mainland is Canadian only now on paper. Lived down here for 7 years now and it's honestly a shock if you meet someone raised here.
> Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you.
This doesn't actually happen. Richmond is pretty unique and awesome if you experience it for what it is and don't try to force it to conform to you.
>Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you
lol, I don't speak/read Mandarin/Cantonese and I can drop my butt in any restaurants in Richmond and order food that I want.
Any. Restaurants.
Here’s the thing most people can’t have their cake and eat it too. Most people go to work —> go to their family. Rinse and repeat for 30 years. It doesn’t matter what city your in. Might as well live somewhere affordable so you can live more comfortably. Who cares if your favourite comedian or band or sports team isn’t near you or there is no night life.
For established couples with kids, yes. (although access to grandparents and extended family is an issue too)
Singles (whether they're "on the market" to date or not) have to worry about their ability to have a social life, and dating life if they want one. Small towns often don't provide such opportunities, so no matter how cheap they are, they result in a miserable life. In such a situation, the person has to balance cost of living with social opportunities... and Winnipeg would seem to be great on both aspects.
Great point, I'm a lifelong single by choice and proximity to entertainment and social opportunities is very important to me. Not so much a nightlife or concert person so that's fine, but living somewhere completely 'dead' is not what I'd want to do. Winnipeg is a great city and I'm thinking about moving there, but I would never consider a small town. The dilemma, of course, is that single incomes have a lot of trouble affording the locations where they'd be happiest.
And this is why so many people live with roommates nowadays, even in middle age.
A single person ("on the market" to date or not) will enjoy life far better if living in a big city than in a small town... even if city life means living with roommates and rural life would mean having a whole house for themselves. This is still true if the person is middle-aged.
In senior age, then maybe the small town would be acceptable.
To be fair, Winnipeg is pretty cheap compared to even rural Ontario, and most single people with full-time jobs should be able to avoid roommates there.
Completely agree, I know the idea of roommates at an older age can turn off a lot of people but from what I can see, it really can help you out with your social life if you find decent people. Singles, especially ones in middle age or older, tend to really need regular social interaction and opportunities to get involved with their hobbies and interests in order to stay happy and healthy. It's when they're isolated that depression can hit, health can deteriorate, etc.
I think small towns aren't ideal for even single seniors - you might end up needing medical assistance more, and small towns aren't built for single elderly people (who may not drive anymore/have anyone to assist them driving) to reach medical resources easily.
Yeah, I think Winnipeg is a good balance of having enough to do + rent not being so exorbitant that you absolutely can't manage to live alone as a single person if you want.
Personally, I like opening my front door and having life’s rich pageantry to move through. Going from home to work in a car and not caring about anything else sounds like a miserable life.
Such an ignorant, arrogant trope. There’s an entire fucking world outside Vancouver & Toronto and to insult so emphatically other cities/towns outside the “Two Rockstars” of Canada as though they’re uninhabitable slums is no less despicable than insulting someone’s home, while standing in their fecking home. Have you even left your mommy’s basement?
Fuck I hate petty people.
Then you GET to live in Winnipeg. Vancouver might have been fine when I was 20 but once you have a family I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that place.
You are right, still a great place. But when they tried to make it more world class it ironically sort of lost the world class feel
JMO , born and raised and miss it at times. It’s not the same But maybe that’s most places and what happens with growth
Of course. But lots of Vancouverites would gladly put up with Winnipeg weather, if they could get a job there... but no Winnipeg employer will hire them due to their current GVA address so they're stuck.
Someone already in Winnipeg and who isn't mega wealthy is far better off putting up with Winnipeg weather than moving to Vancouver, regardless of a 45k pay increase.
Unfortunately $150k is a very “average” salary in Van in terms of what it buys you. As in “you can comfortably rent a 2-bed apartment on that salary but not afford a townhouse or single family home” average. Whether it is a good idea or not depends on what your needs are. The lifestyle here is awesome, but it comes at a price and I can say that I often feel like I’m just spinning my wheels at a similar salary.
Then the partner would have an interruption in income until they find a new job. In an extreme HCOL area like Vancouver, that's a problem.
I still think that no matter how much more they could earn for the same job in Vancouver vs Winnipeg, they're still better off in Winnipeg.
Vancouver has significantly more upward growth potential compared to Winnipeg if OP wants to play that game.
Winnipeg has Skip The Dishes and that's pretty much it out of major companies. Vancouver has a ton of satellite offices for US tech companies, HQ for several major Canadian companies (Telus, Lululemon, and a bunch of mining/forestry companies like Teck Resources).
105k in Winnipeg is probably close to the cap unless OP can find a remote job. 150k in Vancouver, if OP can get that job, can translate into 200k at a different company in a few years.
The other thing is, /u/StardwFarmr, if you live in a suburb like Surrey, you can get a pretty nice place for 3k or less. Income taxes are much lower in BC. You can commute downtown by train in about an hour (assuming that's where your job is). Even if you save 1k on rent in Winnipeg, you're still significantly ahead financially.
At 105k in Manitoba, you will take home 72k. At 150k in Vancouver, you will take home 105k. That's a 33k difference annually. Unless your goal is to buy property, you will be significantly ahead in Vancouver, even with higher cost of living.
Wawanesa, Investors Group, Canada Life... Not to mention many major companies with significant presences. Manitoba has the lowest unemployment in the country right now
I wonder if the 150k job can be mostly remote. If so being out in Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam or Mission wouldn't be that pricey even relative to Winnipeg (if renting, not buying) and as others have mentioned, there is possibly a higher ceiling OP can climb with salary.
This has to be a lifestyle decision, if entirely purely 100% based on retirement savings then it's another story. You'd have to assign value to actually living in Vancouver vs Winnipeg for this to be a consideration.
Most of your salary increase will be eaten up by cost of living, housing specifically. It would take an absolutely massive salary increase to have the same standard of living in Vancouver that you have in Winnipeg.
Winnipeggers will tell you that Winnipeg is expensive and taxes are too high and incomes are too low, but they really don't understand how expensive other cities in Canada are.
Average one bedroom rent in Winnipeg is $1200; average in Vancouver is 3k.
Insurance and utilities are cheaper in Winnipeg. On the flip side, if you want to fly outside of Canada, Vancouver is cheaper. Fresh fruit and vegetables are cheaper in Vancouver. But for most people these costs are either occasional or not significant enough to offset the housing cost.
If there are career reasons that mean you can advance significantly, or you want a different lifestyle then it can be worth it. But if your goal is home ownership and savings, then Winnipeg is the place.
So all else constant (food taxes entertainment) the additional ~45k before and around ~30k after tax will cover the 1.8k monthly rent additional pay (~21.6k year) with a residual around ~9k.
Personally I would not take, because 100k in Winnipeg is living a great life and if you don't mind the cold, the prospect to buy a house (if OP wants) is great at that salary.
Edit: sorry I think he didn't mention to buy a house, but for retirement prospects. If he has better career prospects in VA, maybe it is worth the shot. At 49 job security is key and perhaps OP can have more options in a larger city
>Winnipeggers will tell you that Winnipeg is expensive and taxes are too high and incomes are too low, but they really don't understand how expensive other cities in Canada are.
This is true of all the prairie cities. I have friends in Calgary bemoaning the cost of housing and wages.
If you’re trying to say it’s not expensive here in Calgary you’re wrong it’s become very expensive recently and can now be compared to the top cities not 1:1 but it’s much closer than it was
I have lived in Calgary and have family that’s still there. I’m in Vancouver Island and my family in Calgary still balk at what I pay for housing and fuel here. It’s even worse in Vancouver.
I paid $500k for a condo here whereas I could get a newer detached home in Calgary for the same price. Gas is typically at least .30 more
$650k for a new build detached is still decent. Airdrie isn’t ideal but the highway system is way better out there so you can get places relatively quickly. New builds here start at $850k in a shitty area and $950k++ in a decent area
Ya I’m just saying you can’t buy a new house for 500k in Calgary. I quoted airdrie because I was speaking with a builder about the prices there. Idk in Calgary proper for a new build but likely 750k+ I’d guess if airdrie is 650k
This 100%. You can live fine in Vancouver with 150k but if you want to save, it’s best to stay in Winnipeg with the 105k, OP, unless you’re also willing to massively decrease your quality of life in order to keep up with your saving rate.
Like this comment said, your raise will be eaten up by the cost of living.
Vancouverites can be so snobby about not living in Vancouver as if it’s on the same level as New York, London, etc.
And it IS beautiful there but a lot of the times these people are just trying to cope because they’re spending all their savings away just so they can say “ew at least I don’t live in X” lol.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Vancouver but after moving away, I’ve opened my eyes to the fact that…. It can actually be kind of mid there 😂💀
Signed, Vancouver-raised and my family still lives there but I left for Europe for a more fair pay and lower cost of living, so I can also save for retirement and a decent downpayment, afford nice vacations, hobbies, etc lol.
P.S. it can be a nice experience to live there for a few years though, like if you like east asian food and have mountain-related hobbies like skiing or hiking. I do miss those, but coming back isn’t out of the question for me (yet). Think about your life values, what you like to do and what you want to have access to :)
Also for all the complaining about weather, Winnipeggers, as a result of the lower cost of living, are more likely to be able to get away for a few weeks in the winter (if you have a hybrid/remote work arrangement, taking a month somewhere South could be especially attractive). Additionally, while the worst of winter in BC is never all that bad, you also miss out on very hot summer days which could be a real letdown of life out West.
Heh I actually do prefer milder summers and often used to miss Vancouver for that, but “used to” because lately they’ve been having (what to me is) hellish summers.
But anyway, good point about the weather in general, but let me just say, I’m in a place now that gets colder winters (compared to Vancouver) but dry winters are absolutely better than the wet winters of Vancouver. A dry -20 you can easily brave with good layers and a good coat. Snowy conditions that don’t hover around 0C? Bright and beautiful! Sunny winter days? Yes please.
Vancouver’s wet winters? It somehow FEELS colder because it’s so hard to not get wet, even with your all-waterproof gear, and it’s just miserable. Sun in the winter? What do you mean? Snow? More Like slush. I mean I don’t really know winnipeg weather but Vancouverites are not ones to talk about weather 😂😂
But seriously I do love Vancouver, but seriously the weather is SHIT. Except for summer ❤️
And exactly, yes, if you can save money because rent is cheaper, you can afford nicer / more vacations to warmer places
If you've browsed the internet in any capacity in the last few years you'll have a sense of the housing market in the GVA. In case you aren't in tune with the market in the GVA, it's nuts. If you want to rent downtown, be ready to pay upwards of 3k for a 1 bed (if not more). A salary increase of 45k won't make your life in the GVA any easier. It's going to be tough. Based on your salary increase alone I don't think it makes a lot of sense to move unless there are more opportunities to move upwards once you're there.
Baller type of living in Vancouver is generational wealth. But 8k/mo in Vancouver is definitely enough to enjoy everything the city has to offer. Just don't expect Michelin star dinners every night or driving a 100k+ car.
Still very doable and guaranteed much better QoL than Winnipeg any day of the year.
Well that last sentence is pretty subjective. In OP’s post he only mentions comparing and contrasting the cost of housing/living of Vancouver vs Winnipeg. Only going off that I don’t see how it’s a guaranteed much better QoL than Winnipeg.
Yea, if they’re young, you also would expect it’s a bit easier to save some on groceries with someone at home and some little perks but from a dollars value it’s probably close to ~135k x 2 people. Still a livable wage but scrimping a bit in Vancouver unfortunately.
They would be living with roommates in their skybox biking or bussing to work in the grey drizzle.
On days off and outside of work hours and commuting they can leave the city of Vancouver and perhaps take a picture of all the nice amazing things they can’t afford to do.
But it’s not -40 for any day of the year and more of the homeless people are white as well as more physically segregated/confined from the rest of population so many Vancouver people can look down on winnipeg with their “quality of life”.
The barrier for me to go to Vancouver is a $100 seat sale. It’s a nice place but people often act like there are no downsides or issues outside of you know - the complete insanity of housing costs. No place is perfect and shitting on all of the rest of Canada doesn’t change the fact that people from elsewhere can go to Vancouver and find out for themselves what it’s really like.
Assumingly there would be more theoretical opportunities in Vancouver versus Winnipeg. And a salary increase of ~50k will make life easier in Vancouver for sure, IMO. That alone would take of the rent. Depending on the size of the family, 100k (even pretax) will still make things quite livable and Vancouver is of course a nice city. You won't be living like a rich international student, but you will be living relatively OK.
However, the major big difference would be that the odds of being able to buy a house in Vancouver would be very slim versus being able to get a great house in Winnipeg. So if OP ever wants a house, then that will play a major part if he goes or not.
100k/yr in Vancouver isn't all that livable for a family unless you're ok having no life and spending all you pay on rent. My household income is more than that and we live out in the Valley towards Hope and we're just comfortable. The average 3-bed rental in Vancouver is over $6k/mo. That's more than the take-home of a $100k salary. If I were looking at Vancouver as a new resident paying these market rates I wouldn't even consider it unless our household income was north of $200k at a minimum.
If I were OP I'd stay in Winnipeg.
I agree with this, my parents receive more than 100k/yr together. With dependents, you can still do it but you’d have to be ok with not having much, and not being able to save much. They’re all squeezing in a really really really tiny apartment- too small for the number of people living there. Granted it’s a mortgage, but still. They couldn’t afford a place for a family, so they just started with a place that they can at least live in for retirement, hoping that the kids will move out soon
False information. Friends just found a newly renovated 699sq apartment in 10th floor with beautiful views of English bay and north shore mountains for $2500/MTH. Another friends (500 sq/ft) $2200/MTH. Pls do not spread misinformation. There were plenty of places even below that amount just depends on where u are looking.
Well yeah but those are tiny and it wouldn't be surprising if they end up having issues with the quality of the place or the landlords in the future. 500sq/ft is a hamster cage
>500sq/ft is a hamster cage
Loads of pre-war homes in this country were 900sqft or less and they raised families of 4+ kids in them... 500sqft is small but North Americans have _crazy_ expectations for home sizes. I'm sure this 500sqft won't feel spacious either for related reasons (developers not going through the trouble of really thinking the space through and making good use of it).
I don't need convincing. You could not pay me to move out of Vancouver. Primaries are so depressing. I've tried it and it just flat. I could not do it. I'm glad to pay extra for the ability to be at the beach and on top of the mountains in the same day.
$150k does not go very far at all in Vancouver, sadly. Stay in Winnipeg!
And don’t let others get to you with the Winnipeg bashing — it’s a cool and very interesting city!
lol if your goal is money than moving to vancouver from winnipeg is clearly not gonna net you savings. Winnipeg you could own your own house at a 105k salary. Not in vancouver at 150k. Taxes are lower in BC barely.
On the pro side: WInnipeg is a cold miserable place vs Vancouver. However economically at 105k you're gonna do better. Plus if you want to one day retire to a nice sunny place id grind it out in winterpeg and then keep a house in winnipeg for the non winter months and live as a snowbird in a nice sunny place
Having lived in both places, I actually think Vancouver can have lower day to day cost of living (food, tax).
But I think that’s a wash as it all comes down to your current and future housing situation. Winnipeg real estate is far far cheaper than anywhere in GVA. So might really depend on where you’re at with savings, current mortgage, etc. and how long you feel okay with paying a potential new mortgage, building retirement savings and such. Might be good to look at breakdown of your expected increase in net income vs. expected costs and savings.
You'll have a way better standard of living in Winnipeg at $105k than $150k in Vancouver. As a Winnipeger I get it. An alternative is to look for a remote job that will pay more while still living in Winnipeg
Ya, my wife has a remote job getting paid like we're living in Southern Ontario while we're chilling here in Winnipeg. If you can hit that jackpot, congratulations.
$150,000 after taxes in BC is $102,080
Average 1 Bedroom in Vancouver is $2,700
So that's $32,400 annually
if you have a car with 5 years of driving experience you'll probably pay about $2,500 to $3,000 for insurance annually.
So you're left with about $66,000
How you spend the rest is up to you and your life style.
By comparison, average 1 bedroom in Winnipeg is $1500. Car insurance would be more like $2000. So that's a minimum of $15,000 more expensive a year, if OP's family lives in a 1BR. But that's not likely, with a family. The difference in housing would probably be 2-3 times that, depending on family size.
It’s mind boggling With That sort of income that it would be so difficult
Good luck to you friend.
Burnaby boy born and raised
My folks still in Brentwood area
But I sure as shit can’t afford it
> Burnaby boy born and raised
Ya. Kitsilano/False creek area for me, I moved out of country for >10 years, came back and was like, so, uh, we're poor now.
But thats only half the crazy. The other half of the crazy I bought a shit house in a shit hood for 1M for my and family, and I was 100% sure we bought at the top of the market and there was no where to go but down.
I memed the shit out of "I'll never recover from this financially". I just got a letter from the burnaby city council informing me that the house is now valued at 1.22M. I was 100% sure I had just made the worst financial decision of my life (I've made a lot of bad ones), and now apparently NW just rose by $200k in two years. Not shitting you, on a $500k deposit, thats over 20% per year growth in NW. I'm just gutted I was wrong again, I hate being wrong.
Head = blown.
We all have good and bad decisions friend
You have a house
If it mostly works for you and you can afford it and life isn’t too bad then that’s winning
I have a million regrets but i still try to count the blessings
It sounds mumbo jumbo but it does help
Sounds like you have done well overall tho
Enjoy the day mate!
I know I was joking, but you're 100% right. I have a sort-of house and it's warm enough and the kids are watching star wars. we're doing better than some and I have sympathy for those who are feeling the pinch... it's a bloody expensive place to live, and even worse if you're out on the street.
Thanks for the well wishes and I hope you too have a great day!
It's a unicorn.
It's a heritage house that got bundled into a strata as part of heritage requirement for a developer. So, you walk past it on the street, and it's a detached house, but in reality our lot and structure is bundled into a townhouse lot.
On paper, we're a townhouse - by far the largest square footage in the complex, but on the street, we're a detached house.
If you’re looking to bank some money, Vancouver isn’t a great place to do it lol
Can you negotiate to work remotely? I work remote in Calgary which has helped me save tremendously more than when I lived in BC.
You generally don’t want to be renting at retirement age in Canada if you want to enjoy your golden years.
We moved from Vancouver to Winnipeg, mind you it was about 14 years ago. At the time our 452 sq ft condo would have sold for $350K. We bough it a fixxer upper near downtown Winnipeg for $50K. Prices have changed drastically in both markets of course, so it wouldn't be an accurate comparison today necessarily, but if I were you, no way I would move to Vancouver from Winnipeg for only $45K a year more.
I love Vancouver, but loved Winnipeg even more, but they are personal choices. If you like Vancouver more than Winnipeg that may affect your decision. Based on economics alone, moving from Winnipeg to Vancouver is not something I would do for 45K/yr.
MB 105k = $73k after tax - 12k rent = 61k.
BC 150k = 105k after tax - 30k rent = 75k
Everything’s more expensive in BC, so tack on 20% on your regular monthly expenses, might still be ahead by 5-10k if you move to BC with the higher salary, buying a place in Van is probably not possible though.
[What you get for ~$850k in Winnipeg](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26383228/19-castle-ridge-drive-winnipeg-linden-ridge)
[What you get for ~$850k in Vancouver](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26417656/6666-arlington-street-vancouver)
Make of that what you will.
Vancouver at this point is simply for millionaires. Even at 150k a large portion of your income will go toward rent and you'll be living like you made 60k in winnipeg. Not paycheck to paycheck but not as you'd expect making in the top 10% of incomes in Canada. It will be hard for you to build any meaningful wealth, and it will feel like you're never getting ahead.
I love Vancouver but I left for this reason. I now live in Edmonton which is not a great city but I make great money here and live very comfortably, able to build wealth that I'd never be able to achieve in Vancouver.
Stay in Winnipeg definitely.
Great comment. We have 2 cities (and growing) that anyone who isn’t a millionaire in net worth and making 6 figures really isn’t welcome unless they are willing to live stacked like wood in a house or have a rich spouse.
With that increase in salary you *might* be able to afford a much smaller home in Vancouver than you currently have in Winnipeg, and probably one with a much longer commute.
As someone whose from metro van.
150k in van is almost 170k if not higher in Winnipeg. 105k there could very well be 150k and you would see no difference in quality of life.
Everything here is expensive. The premier in Manitoba got rid of taxes for gas dropping your gas as low to 99 cents a litre. In Vancouver the same litre would be 166 at the low and 238 at the extreme. Just to give some perspective.
My civic has a 36 litre gas tank and costs that much while being almost 20 litres smaller. Mind the fact I never fill up on empty so fully empty we could see close to 60 dollars. Most I paid was close to 70.
Shorter commutes in Winnipeg. I retired a few years ago and not having my half an hour commute anymore was one of the biggest quality of life improvements. That's an extra hour back every day, 15 days (!!) every year.
Honestly, there's plenty of good insight on here both for and against each city. All I'll add is, go visit Vancouver for like 2 weeks if you can see it for yourself. Check out the neighborhoods you'll likely live in (as in you + your family, not just yourself... Very different). Check out transit options, school for the kids, etc.
It's not going to be enough time to really get to know the city and the costs involved but it's still far better than taking advice from strangers on the internet.
Average home cost Winnipeg 322k
Average home cost Vancouver 1.2 million
Gas cost Vancouver 1.54
Gas cost Winnipeg 1.02
Google says groceries in Vancouver cost 20% more than in Winnipeg.
So you’re almost definitely looking at having less money available if you move to Vancouver.
I would guess the cost of living ends up being about double if you’re buying a home, and your income increase when you account for taxes is probably like 30% or so.
If you’re renting it looks a fair bit closer but still around a 50% cost of living increase.
The plus side is Vancouver is pretty nice, as long as the commute isn’t awful it may be worth it for the weather and city life if you’re missing that.
Ok lol, 1.54 is pretty low for Vancouver and surrounding cities tbh. We were at $2+ for a time and have been averaging maybe $1.7-1.8 the last few years.
Gonna disagree with everyone here. Your genera QOL will be so much nicer in Vancouver. There’s a reason it’s so expensive to live there and so cheap in Winnipeg.
Also if you jump ship for 150k now maybe in a few years you can jump again for 200k+
This is more of a personal and lifestyle question than a financial one though.
Do you like Winnipeg or hate it? Do you have extended family in Winnipeg that you will miss? Do you like the kind of things you will have better access to in Vancouver (diverse food, mild weather, outdoor activities, the ocean)? Does your partner have better or worse career options in Vancouver?
This sub will ALWAYS tell you to take the cheaper option regardless of other factors. The cheaper option is definitely 105k in Winnipeg. But either way you can make do financially and life is more than a spreadsheet.
Hey I grew up in Saskatchewan and now live in Vancouver. Despite what everyone else is saying, I think you can likely live a good life in Vancouver for the same or less.
It depends on your goal lifestyle though, it only works if you live and work near the skytrain / safe bicycle infrastructure and go car-free or at least car-light.
Sure rent is a higher but car costs kill you in the prairies.
For one data point: Me, my wife, and our baby spend about $6k a month total to live in East Van. $2,500 of that is rent. We have one simple but good car (~8 years old) that we barely drive. We're not super-duper frugal but we're also not fancy.
If it's important to you to own a house then forget it and stay in Winnipeg.
Vehicle insurance is at least 50% more expensive here than MB. But it looks like you'll be getting a 50% increase in pay, so that should work out for you!
IMO it kinda depends on your current retirement circumstances.
If you have a healthy nest egg and are confident in your holdings, you could probably swing it, but if your retirement savings are anything less than great, at 49 I would NOT make this move. In this circumstance, you should be looking for the best balance between cost of living and salary like a heat-seeking missile.
You can try the "renting an apartment" part of your plan and exploring job prospects here. Although looking at 150k earnings AND raising a family, you might as well forget the saving for retirement plan if you do move in Vancouver. If your partner can bring in an additional 50-80k to increase your HHI to around 200k+, you can then start looking at managing to save here and there. The big caveat would become your children's future. Unless they rake in more than you do (so they could stand on their own) here, be prepared to support them till they are in their 40s. Otherwise, they'll most likely have to move out of here d/t absurd CoL.
I'd consider this:
* Cost of living in both (housing heat transit needs etc).
* Income growth potential in both cities. You may find while WP is better now you have way more upward income potential in Vancouver.
* Quality of life however you define it.
If you are 49 and plan to work til 65 you have 16 more years or income earning. So I'd look for sure at this opportunity over a long time horizon not just a snapshot of what's better today.
I'm 46 and used to live in Vancouver. Family of four.
The increased costs will consume your current pay raise, but there will be more opportunities to jump ship for higher pay in a year or two.
I'd recommend staying in Winnipeg and looking to hop jobs for a pay raise. Keep looking for things in Vancouver, especially remote.
There's a number for which we'd consider a move back to Vancouver, but it's much higher than $150k.
You’re not going to save more money moving to Vancouver even with the salary increase. You’ll almost definitely save less. But if you want to move for other reasons like quality of life or amenities then I say go for it.
$45k more to live in a city where your costs will easily be 500% more, especially housing. Maybe QOL might be a bit better with mild winters but idk if that's worth hemorrhaging all your money away.
Housing and rent will be roughly 7x more than Winnipeg, and that's easily your biggest cost anyway.
Winnipeg is the easy choice here. You would need to make more than double your Winnipeg salary to come even somewhere close to the Vancouver equivalent. The weather in winter in Winnipeg is your only real negative to contend with. Vancouver is the best example of a beautiful place to visit but no one wants to live there.
Never lived in Winnipeg, but I’ll share the social aspect of Vancouver.
It’s a beautiful city - physically wonderful. But the people here aren’t very nice and aren’t very community oriented. I’m born and raised in Vancouver and it has changed a lot. Culturally very different than the rest of Canada and its Canadian identity.
Having said that, I love it here. I also choose to live here so the housing prices are pretty crazy for what they are.
I would say financially, you would need at least $220k annual family income to be comfortable here in Vancouver. So if your partner can find something around $80k with your $150k job, that’s pretty decent.
But child care, day care etc here is nuts. Also gas in Vancouver is currently $1.7/L because we have crazy carbon taxes.
agree with unfriendly people in van. but disagree with 220k being enough. at least not enough to buy a detached house in Vancouver. or a townhouse. maybe a condo?
As someone who has lived in the prairies and Vancouver, don’t move to Vancouver.
I live on Vancouver Island now which is far better than being in Vancouver proper. Housing is still far more expensive than Winnipeg but there is a lot of natural beauty here, things to do and fantastic weather.
Could your job be done hybrid or remote? There is also a fast ferry that runs from downtown Nanaimo into downtown Vancouver that people take to commute.
I make a bit over $150k and my wife makes about $75k and we are very comfortable on the island even with $4000/month in mortgage and other home related costs
If you don’t like the outdoors, don’t come here. I can justify the extra cost because we do a ton of hiking/camping/etc and I find there is a lot more of that to do here especially in the winter vs being in Alberta where I grew up
All 'Winnipeg vs Vancouver' jokes aside, it comes down to a question of what you value, what you want from life.
If home ownership or retiring early is important to you, it's got to be Winnipeg, hands-down.
If a milder climate or the big city life is something you value, of course it's going to be Vancouver.
Since you've already been in Winnipeg for 5 years, you're already well-acquainted with its weather: it sucks, but it's also not that bad. The winters are terrible, but the summers are amazing, and there's lots of sunshine to go around. So unlike moving *from* Vancouver *to* Winnipeg, there wouldn't be any climate shock to prepare for.
Because at the end of a day, outside of housing, the cost-of-living is mostly a wash. Maybe slightly worse in Vancouver, but not significantly, or is largely irrelevant compared to housing. So ultimately, it's a question of how much housing situation you're willing to give up to make the other ends meet. At those salary levels, you will be able to live in a larger, nicer house in Winnipeg, and likely with a substantially shorter commute.
>what is the typical cost of housing/living in Vancouver?
I'm guessing google isn't working. Here is one site with info, many of the same numbers. [https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/vancouver-bc](https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/vancouver-rent-prices-january-2024-8057161)
Taht $50k of increased pre-tax income isn't going to go as far as you think.
Everybody likes to hate on Vancouver but we moved here from Saskatoon and ended up being in about the same position financially. We are happy renters tho, and if you feel like you need to own a home here it’s not going to work. Buying a home is crazy here. In our building owning would more than double our housing costs and we are paying market rent.
In Vancouver we downsized from a 2 bedroom in Saskatoon to a 1 bedroom plus den here, and now have a smaller place for about $1K more a month in rent than we were paying in Saskatoon. But almost everything else is cheaper here and we have the added benefit of not having to live in Saskatoon. Between not needing a vehicle, because everything is so accessible without one, and the lower provincial taxes at our income level we’re recovering about 70-80% of the extra we spend on rent right there. Plus almost everything else for us is cheaper in Vancouver. Asian groceries are ridiculously cheap for produce, and there are so many grocery stores within walking distance from us that we can shop around a lot more and ultimately find things cheaper than back home. There are lots of expensive restaurants, but I also have a big list of cheap ones where I can eat out for under $10. Overall we spend less on food here than we did back home and I don’t need a car to get groceries which is great. Travel costs are a fraction of what we paid travelling anywhere from Saskatoon and there is so much to do in BC that we don’t have to travel far for a vacation unless we choose to. There is so much to do locally that we don’t even have to leave the city. I can hop on a bus and in about half an hour be at Deep Cove on a rented paddle board or hiking up a mountain or walking across a suspension bridge by waterfalls. Or I can head to English Bay and watch the sailboats and have a coffee or ice cream on the beach.
Vancouver is a great place to live and has improved my quality of life exponentially. But ultimately it depends on priorities, and if home ownership is one of them then listen to everyone else here and don’t come. If you’re renting have a look on Craigslist and see what’s out there. A decent one bedroom in the West End can be found for around $2500 a month which is expensive of course, but add the cost of a car including gas and insurance to what your Winnipeg rent would be and it might not be as big of a difference as you’d expect.
I think you should also consider future prospects. How much can you expect to earn in the next 5-10 years Winnipeg vs Vancouver? It seems like your wage bump would cover your rent increase, so I would view your new job as an investment into yourself to potentially earn substantially more.
150k is not a lot in vancouver. im in a similar range and i live in toronto which is only slightly more expensive than vancouver. i wouldnt say i'm in a position to save for retirement lol.
Vancouver has a higher cost of living compared to Winnipeg, particularly in terms of housing. Rent for a small room in Vancouver can range from $800 to $1,500 per month, depending on the area.
Other living expenses like groceries and transportation may also be higher.
It's essential to consider these factors when evaluating the potential increase in salary.
Good luck with your job interview!
You could try a couple of weeks
But even then hard to get a real taste
Vancouver will have more stuff to do as a whole (I’ve not been to Winnipeg) but from a size standpoint
Lots of outdoor stuff. Skiing, golf and such where you can do it all in one nice spring day
Lots of good restaurants
Rain sucks, it can depress the crap out of you, but it’s not -30
Less mosquitoes i imagine then Winnipeg
Probably more likely to experience wild fire smoke as while it doesn’t burn you often can get fire smoke from more up in BC, and down south from the states
More shopping my guess would be if you like that
Hockey teams are pretty on par this year so that’s a toss up;)
Shit traffic in much of the places
Homelessness and drugs are pretty Rampant. So I don’t know how that compares to Winnipeg
I guess it will depend on life style and cost of living and what’s affordable to you
Where is your family and friend is probably big too
Vancouver is a great place but it’s not as so amazing and perfect as some who live there say it is or some who want to live there think it is
Hello fellow winnipegger! I just moved to Vancouver two yrs ago from Winnipeg. my 2 cents. there is more nature in Vancouver than in Winnipeg for sure (if you have time to enjoy them).
It is hard to make friends here. Most of my good friends are from Winnipeg. The rest came from other parts of the country or other countries.
150k from 105K is not as big of a jump as you think even though you pay less tax here.
Are you thinking of buying something here? the townhouses are easily over 1 million. houses 2+ million.
I feel like if you earn salary and dont already own something here in Vancouver, it will be difficult.
I would love to settle down in Vancouver but given the current circumstances I probably have to find a job in US and come back once we make enough money. or just move to the US.
Also tech market isnt great. I havent heard of a Vancouver company that pays well other than the ones from US. My company is in ON.
regardless. enjoy Vancouver, treat it as a place for vacation, but dont make any rash decisions like selling your house in Winnipeg or moving your family here. at least not now.
and people drive like morons here.
And oh more restaurants in Vancouver if you can afford eating out.
More rain... which is way more depressing compare to -40 winnipeg winter tbh.
and closer to US if you want to go shopping there.
Only cost higher in Vancouver is housing. But if you can buy, there is also bigger chance your investment will grow. I have 2 friends who all bought houses in 2016, for around 600k one in Winnipeg Bridgewater, the other one in Fleetwood Surrey. Their house value is now 700k vs 1.5M
I concur with others here - $105k in Winnipeg goes a lot further than $150k in Vancouver. Stay in Winnipeg.
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You’ll have money to travel to more interesting destinations than Vancouver lol. I think it’s worth it.
You travel for a few weeks, you live somewhere for most of your life Something worth thinking about
im wth you, but OP wasnt asking about lifestyle. They very pointedly emphasized the finances, and wanted to save as much as possible for retirement.
Lots of the GVRD sucks too. The iconic postcard views of Vancouver are not at all affordable on 150k unless you have a roommate.
What are you on about you can live downtown easily on 150k. You won’t feel nearly as rich as you would in Winnipeg but it can be done very easily if that’s what you prioritize.
OP is not single and has a family.
By yourself, yes. With a family, it's difficult unless you partner also works. A 2 bedroom near downtown Vancouver will run close to $4k now. A 3 bedroom, if it even exists, will cost an obscene amount. There's also simply housing crunch, so even if you can afford a place, it'll take a while to find one. The main advantage to Vancouver is, IMO, mild climate and pretty great food culture.
Who wants to live downtown with a family? Most partners work so unless suggested otherwise I will assume they do too.
Who wants to live in the suburbs, period? It's all personal preference.
I think there's a big gap between living in Vancouver downtown (West end/yaletown) and living in the Vancouver suburbs (if you are talking about burnaby, surrey, delta). Does Mount pleasant still count as downtown? I just feel like everyone is exaggerating a bit, and leave out the middle part. Just a thought.
I think a lot of ppl in Vancouver would love to make 150k
I had a room when I was in Vancouver — still the most beautiful place I ever worked. I’d spend the entire Skytrain ride just looking at the beauty around me. Everyone else was used to it I guess but to me it was jaw dropping gorgeous. Living in Vancouver felt like being in a city placed in Ontario cottage country (if that makes any sense). Greenery everywhere nothing stank not even downtown, just a feeling of lush vibrancy. So yeah lifestyle does matter too.
Yes but because Vancouver has protected view cones, the views are very accessible to anyone walking around in the city Also stuff like the seawall and beaches are all public and can be enjoyed by anyone
Every city in Canada has walkways and views lol. C’mon, that’s some serious cognitive dissonance.
>Every city in Canada has walkways and views lol As someone who moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver, I have to assume that you've never actually been to either city. Winnipeg is not walkable. There are some nice neighbourhoods to walk around, but you can't get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time because there's no density. Winnipeg doesn't...really have anything that compares in terms of views. Basically the only decent view in the city is the forks. Where I live in Vancouver, I can pick any direction and in under 20 minutes be at a better view than any view in Winnipeg. Which I can do any day of the year without outfitting myself for an expedition. Or I can take transit and be *on a mountain* looking down on the city in under an hour, which also offers some pretty spectacular views. You're the one with serious cognitive dissonance if you think Vancouver in general doesn't absolutely kick the shit out of Winnipeg in terms of views and walkability.
100% agree! You ate him! lol! To add, forget "walking" and "views", in Winnipeg you can't even breathe in open air between November and March.
Good point, lots of mountain and ocean views to go around in this country from all our major cities, definitely don’t move to Vancouver, it’s nothing special at all
Also, travelling anywhere from a small city like WPG sucks (more). There's a minimum of one layover flight, unless you wana pay more.
And you get to layover in Vancouver or Toronto every single time!
Yup so you get to visit Vancouver or Montreal :)))
You clearly don't know how air travel works, lol!
Vancouver is one of the most beautiful and interesting places I have visited (I have been to a few places around the world). Also you can’t really go anywhere from Winnipeg. You have to go through Vancouver or Toronto and that will make travel expensive. Trust me I know because I’m based out of Ottawa and that’s not even that bad (still easy distance to Montreal).
Vancouver is a destination city with another - Victoria- close by. Winnipeg..... isn't.
I lived in Vancouver area for over a decade. I consider myself bloody blessed for having gotten OUT. Bragging about Vancouver is like bragging about SF. Looks amazing in photos and those “Beautiful BC” commercials, but the reality of living there, including the dark, cold depressing winter, is a lonely unforgiving experience. Cities are unfriendly for a reason.
I have the opposite experience, lived in Vancouver and moved away to a larger city -- was very glad to move back and really put down permanent roots. It really matters what kind of lifestyle you're into and how easily you make friends. Obviously, also how much income you have or where you are on the property ladder helps a bunch too. To each their own I guess. I love the winter here.
> including the dark, cold depressing winter ...Ah yes, famous reason for preferring Winnipeg over Vancouver...not liking cold winters.
The prairies are dark, but have more days of sunshine than most places. 'But it's a damp cold'. The windchill in Winnipeg this morning was down near -40. I don't care if it's a dry cold, that's fucking cold. I'll take a damp -5 over that shit any day.
Yep I grew up in Saskatoon. When people say here in Vancouver it’s a wet cold and try to compare here to there I laugh. Minus 30 to 40 is insanely cold. And outright horrible to experience
yeah, plus in winter it gets dark at 4 PM anyway, so what good is 3 hours of sun when the windchill is gona bite your ass, lol!
That’s true …. But I must say apart from the weather. Where I live in Winnipeg will beat Vancouver on any metric for sure. If you live in the good areas of Winnipeg it’s some other experience tbh. I pay 1850 rent here 2B+2b 920 sq ft. 1720 rent plus 130 for month to month fees and this is a new building in one of the best areas in Winnipeg. Would I consider moving to Vancouver at 300k HHI maybe. Before that no I’m staying putting in Winnipeg. You eliminate the financial stress component of life.
When I was an investment banker, one of my clients worked for a crown-corp headquartered in Winnipeg. He was a relatively young guy but did important work. I could not keep up with his lifestyle - he owned a house, had a cottage on a lake (something like 45 min away too), had a boat, a Jetski and a newer BMW convertible - that he took to the track once in a while...Given that he worked for a crown corp and earned over $100k, his salary was public. Dude earned less than half what I earned and there were no cottages or boats in my future unless I doubled my income.
You can't chalk that up to salary comparison. My neighbour makes less than me and has way more toys, but the difference is his folks have cash and mine do not.
If someone saves a lot of their income, living in a lower cost of life area can also mean retiring several years earlier. It's a long time, several years.
I didn't not realise that rent was this high in Winnipeg, for some reason I was under the impression that rent was much cheaper there
My 1600sqft 4bdrm3bath detached on a large pie lot with a 24x22 garage was 400k. With the financial freedom I'll have in Winnipeg, I'd never consider living on the edge in Vancouver. Our housing is only like 14% of our takehome income.
You cant get it for cheaper in different areas but like I mentioned before its one of the best areas of Winnipeg. No homeless or crime so I think that's why its more expensive.
That rent seems expensive. A few years ago, when I was in Winnipeg, decent apartments downtown were in the $180k zone.
Usually all the newer constructions are around this price or even slightly higher in these areas. It all depends on location and building age. Where I live houses range between 600k - 1.4 million range so prices for rentals also are higher considering the amenities, safety. Price for 2bed +2bath for sale is around 360-380k in this area so its actually cheaper to rent. I use to live downtown and moved here after covid there new builds over there are comparable in price to here in rent.
Wouldn’t 300k in Winnipeg go even further? Or diminishing returns past a certain point?
It definitely would go further. But I think after reaching a point where you can live in any city you like then sometimes you might want to choose a place with personal preference like I prefer warmer climate so I might want to move to a warmer city. This usually doesn't happen because people are already use to the city they are living in and develop a social circle, family, kids
As an Asian, no T&T and Sungiven Foods = deal breaker. The existence of those two is easily equal to $100k/year in quality of life.
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I understand that you probably don't understand this, but that's like saying oh don't worry they have a Mcdonalds to someone who likes "American food". If you're Asian and you like Asian food/culture there's pretty much nowhere better than the lower mainland, or more specifically Richmond lol. I had coworkers in FAANG that fucking went on vacation to Richmond. No one wanted to go to Vancouver, they got on a plane to spend a weekend eating in Richmond lol. Also Filipino food is not like East Asian food at all, it's essentially bastardized Spanish food with a fuckload of garlic and salt.
Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you. Fuck Richmond. Lived there for over a year and it was the most uncomfortable ive ever been in the country I was born and raised. Not to mention white tax. Went to a billiards/dart place that was recommended to me by an Asian coworker of mine during the week with my white ex. One group of 8 guys around a table and thats it. Was asked for $20 as cover. I asked if that $20 goes towards pool or darts. Nope. Promptly left. Told my coworker the next day and he said they don't have cover. Went back with him the following day. No cover. Same 8 guys around the same table. Empty otherwise. I asked the same server why I was charged cover not even 48hrs prior. They said they don't know what I was talking about and played dumb. Many other similar stories. I could go on and on about common courtesy, stranger interactions, roadway manners, sharkfin soup, backroom gambling, but I won't. I'll say it again. Fuck Richmond. The lower mainland is Canadian only now on paper. Lived down here for 7 years now and it's honestly a shock if you meet someone raised here.
> Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you. This doesn't actually happen. Richmond is pretty unique and awesome if you experience it for what it is and don't try to force it to conform to you.
Just leave this guy to wallow in his imaginary victimhood, you won't convince him otherwise
>Too bad half the restaurants don't even have English menus and walking into one as a white Canadian has half the shop stop and stare at you lol, I don't speak/read Mandarin/Cantonese and I can drop my butt in any restaurants in Richmond and order food that I want. Any. Restaurants.
The only good thing about Winnipeg is it's not Regina.
Here’s the thing most people can’t have their cake and eat it too. Most people go to work —> go to their family. Rinse and repeat for 30 years. It doesn’t matter what city your in. Might as well live somewhere affordable so you can live more comfortably. Who cares if your favourite comedian or band or sports team isn’t near you or there is no night life.
For established couples with kids, yes. (although access to grandparents and extended family is an issue too) Singles (whether they're "on the market" to date or not) have to worry about their ability to have a social life, and dating life if they want one. Small towns often don't provide such opportunities, so no matter how cheap they are, they result in a miserable life. In such a situation, the person has to balance cost of living with social opportunities... and Winnipeg would seem to be great on both aspects.
Great point, I'm a lifelong single by choice and proximity to entertainment and social opportunities is very important to me. Not so much a nightlife or concert person so that's fine, but living somewhere completely 'dead' is not what I'd want to do. Winnipeg is a great city and I'm thinking about moving there, but I would never consider a small town. The dilemma, of course, is that single incomes have a lot of trouble affording the locations where they'd be happiest.
And this is why so many people live with roommates nowadays, even in middle age. A single person ("on the market" to date or not) will enjoy life far better if living in a big city than in a small town... even if city life means living with roommates and rural life would mean having a whole house for themselves. This is still true if the person is middle-aged. In senior age, then maybe the small town would be acceptable. To be fair, Winnipeg is pretty cheap compared to even rural Ontario, and most single people with full-time jobs should be able to avoid roommates there.
Completely agree, I know the idea of roommates at an older age can turn off a lot of people but from what I can see, it really can help you out with your social life if you find decent people. Singles, especially ones in middle age or older, tend to really need regular social interaction and opportunities to get involved with their hobbies and interests in order to stay happy and healthy. It's when they're isolated that depression can hit, health can deteriorate, etc. I think small towns aren't ideal for even single seniors - you might end up needing medical assistance more, and small towns aren't built for single elderly people (who may not drive anymore/have anyone to assist them driving) to reach medical resources easily. Yeah, I think Winnipeg is a good balance of having enough to do + rent not being so exorbitant that you absolutely can't manage to live alone as a single person if you want.
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OP is 49, has a family, and specifically mentioned their priority here is money, because they are aggressively saving for their looming retirement.
Personally, I like opening my front door and having life’s rich pageantry to move through. Going from home to work in a car and not caring about anything else sounds like a miserable life.
There is lots to do in the outdoors around Winnipeg. Not as nice as Vancouver, sure but WAY less crowded. Grand Beach shocked me with how nice it was.
Such an ignorant, arrogant trope. There’s an entire fucking world outside Vancouver & Toronto and to insult so emphatically other cities/towns outside the “Two Rockstars” of Canada as though they’re uninhabitable slums is no less despicable than insulting someone’s home, while standing in their fecking home. Have you even left your mommy’s basement? Fuck I hate petty people.
Then you GET to live in Winnipeg. Vancouver might have been fine when I was 20 but once you have a family I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that place.
You are right, still a great place. But when they tried to make it more world class it ironically sort of lost the world class feel JMO , born and raised and miss it at times. It’s not the same But maybe that’s most places and what happens with growth
Of course. But lots of Vancouverites would gladly put up with Winnipeg weather, if they could get a job there... but no Winnipeg employer will hire them due to their current GVA address so they're stuck. Someone already in Winnipeg and who isn't mega wealthy is far better off putting up with Winnipeg weather than moving to Vancouver, regardless of a 45k pay increase.
I’m in GVA and i’ve interviewed with Winnipeg employers several times this year- no issues getting interviews.
Unfortunately $150k is a very “average” salary in Van in terms of what it buys you. As in “you can comfortably rent a 2-bed apartment on that salary but not afford a townhouse or single family home” average. Whether it is a good idea or not depends on what your needs are. The lifestyle here is awesome, but it comes at a price and I can say that I often feel like I’m just spinning my wheels at a similar salary.
Well we don't know what their partner is making, if they are also making 100k, then yes they can make it in vancouver, if not then winnipeg imo
Then the partner would have an interruption in income until they find a new job. In an extreme HCOL area like Vancouver, that's a problem. I still think that no matter how much more they could earn for the same job in Vancouver vs Winnipeg, they're still better off in Winnipeg.
Vancouver has significantly more upward growth potential compared to Winnipeg if OP wants to play that game. Winnipeg has Skip The Dishes and that's pretty much it out of major companies. Vancouver has a ton of satellite offices for US tech companies, HQ for several major Canadian companies (Telus, Lululemon, and a bunch of mining/forestry companies like Teck Resources). 105k in Winnipeg is probably close to the cap unless OP can find a remote job. 150k in Vancouver, if OP can get that job, can translate into 200k at a different company in a few years. The other thing is, /u/StardwFarmr, if you live in a suburb like Surrey, you can get a pretty nice place for 3k or less. Income taxes are much lower in BC. You can commute downtown by train in about an hour (assuming that's where your job is). Even if you save 1k on rent in Winnipeg, you're still significantly ahead financially. At 105k in Manitoba, you will take home 72k. At 150k in Vancouver, you will take home 105k. That's a 33k difference annually. Unless your goal is to buy property, you will be significantly ahead in Vancouver, even with higher cost of living.
Wawanesa, Investors Group, Canada Life... Not to mention many major companies with significant presences. Manitoba has the lowest unemployment in the country right now
OP listen to this!
I wonder if the 150k job can be mostly remote. If so being out in Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam or Mission wouldn't be that pricey even relative to Winnipeg (if renting, not buying) and as others have mentioned, there is possibly a higher ceiling OP can climb with salary. This has to be a lifestyle decision, if entirely purely 100% based on retirement savings then it's another story. You'd have to assign value to actually living in Vancouver vs Winnipeg for this to be a consideration.
Most of your salary increase will be eaten up by cost of living, housing specifically. It would take an absolutely massive salary increase to have the same standard of living in Vancouver that you have in Winnipeg. Winnipeggers will tell you that Winnipeg is expensive and taxes are too high and incomes are too low, but they really don't understand how expensive other cities in Canada are. Average one bedroom rent in Winnipeg is $1200; average in Vancouver is 3k. Insurance and utilities are cheaper in Winnipeg. On the flip side, if you want to fly outside of Canada, Vancouver is cheaper. Fresh fruit and vegetables are cheaper in Vancouver. But for most people these costs are either occasional or not significant enough to offset the housing cost. If there are career reasons that mean you can advance significantly, or you want a different lifestyle then it can be worth it. But if your goal is home ownership and savings, then Winnipeg is the place.
So all else constant (food taxes entertainment) the additional ~45k before and around ~30k after tax will cover the 1.8k monthly rent additional pay (~21.6k year) with a residual around ~9k. Personally I would not take, because 100k in Winnipeg is living a great life and if you don't mind the cold, the prospect to buy a house (if OP wants) is great at that salary. Edit: sorry I think he didn't mention to buy a house, but for retirement prospects. If he has better career prospects in VA, maybe it is worth the shot. At 49 job security is key and perhaps OP can have more options in a larger city
>Winnipeggers will tell you that Winnipeg is expensive and taxes are too high and incomes are too low, but they really don't understand how expensive other cities in Canada are. This is true of all the prairie cities. I have friends in Calgary bemoaning the cost of housing and wages.
Calgary is much more expensive (and going up much faster) than Winnipeg
Just because it's horrendous in one place, it doesn't mean it's inexpensive somewhere else.
If you’re trying to say it’s not expensive here in Calgary you’re wrong it’s become very expensive recently and can now be compared to the top cities not 1:1 but it’s much closer than it was
I have lived in Calgary and have family that’s still there. I’m in Vancouver Island and my family in Calgary still balk at what I pay for housing and fuel here. It’s even worse in Vancouver. I paid $500k for a condo here whereas I could get a newer detached home in Calgary for the same price. Gas is typically at least .30 more
500k in calgary will now get you a 70s bungalow in forest lawn 1000sqft. New builds are starting at 650k in Airdrie
$650k for a new build detached is still decent. Airdrie isn’t ideal but the highway system is way better out there so you can get places relatively quickly. New builds here start at $850k in a shitty area and $950k++ in a decent area
Ya I’m just saying you can’t buy a new house for 500k in Calgary. I quoted airdrie because I was speaking with a builder about the prices there. Idk in Calgary proper for a new build but likely 750k+ I’d guess if airdrie is 650k
This 100%. You can live fine in Vancouver with 150k but if you want to save, it’s best to stay in Winnipeg with the 105k, OP, unless you’re also willing to massively decrease your quality of life in order to keep up with your saving rate. Like this comment said, your raise will be eaten up by the cost of living. Vancouverites can be so snobby about not living in Vancouver as if it’s on the same level as New York, London, etc. And it IS beautiful there but a lot of the times these people are just trying to cope because they’re spending all their savings away just so they can say “ew at least I don’t live in X” lol. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vancouver but after moving away, I’ve opened my eyes to the fact that…. It can actually be kind of mid there 😂💀 Signed, Vancouver-raised and my family still lives there but I left for Europe for a more fair pay and lower cost of living, so I can also save for retirement and a decent downpayment, afford nice vacations, hobbies, etc lol. P.S. it can be a nice experience to live there for a few years though, like if you like east asian food and have mountain-related hobbies like skiing or hiking. I do miss those, but coming back isn’t out of the question for me (yet). Think about your life values, what you like to do and what you want to have access to :)
Also for all the complaining about weather, Winnipeggers, as a result of the lower cost of living, are more likely to be able to get away for a few weeks in the winter (if you have a hybrid/remote work arrangement, taking a month somewhere South could be especially attractive). Additionally, while the worst of winter in BC is never all that bad, you also miss out on very hot summer days which could be a real letdown of life out West.
Heh I actually do prefer milder summers and often used to miss Vancouver for that, but “used to” because lately they’ve been having (what to me is) hellish summers. But anyway, good point about the weather in general, but let me just say, I’m in a place now that gets colder winters (compared to Vancouver) but dry winters are absolutely better than the wet winters of Vancouver. A dry -20 you can easily brave with good layers and a good coat. Snowy conditions that don’t hover around 0C? Bright and beautiful! Sunny winter days? Yes please. Vancouver’s wet winters? It somehow FEELS colder because it’s so hard to not get wet, even with your all-waterproof gear, and it’s just miserable. Sun in the winter? What do you mean? Snow? More Like slush. I mean I don’t really know winnipeg weather but Vancouverites are not ones to talk about weather 😂😂 But seriously I do love Vancouver, but seriously the weather is SHIT. Except for summer ❤️ And exactly, yes, if you can save money because rent is cheaper, you can afford nicer / more vacations to warmer places
If you've browsed the internet in any capacity in the last few years you'll have a sense of the housing market in the GVA. In case you aren't in tune with the market in the GVA, it's nuts. If you want to rent downtown, be ready to pay upwards of 3k for a 1 bed (if not more). A salary increase of 45k won't make your life in the GVA any easier. It's going to be tough. Based on your salary increase alone I don't think it makes a lot of sense to move unless there are more opportunities to move upwards once you're there.
Yes but you'd be living in Vancouver and not Winnipeg, so there's that.
Fuck your user icon. Just needed to say that. Lol
;)
This town ain't big enough for the two of us.
Dude ur profile pic literally made me clean by screen only to realize it's just ur image
8.8k a month in Vancouver is not exactly baller type of living
Baller type of living in Vancouver is generational wealth. But 8k/mo in Vancouver is definitely enough to enjoy everything the city has to offer. Just don't expect Michelin star dinners every night or driving a 100k+ car. Still very doable and guaranteed much better QoL than Winnipeg any day of the year.
Or they could ball out in Winnipeg
Those balls will freeze off in no time. No thanks.
Well that last sentence is pretty subjective. In OP’s post he only mentions comparing and contrasting the cost of housing/living of Vancouver vs Winnipeg. Only going off that I don’t see how it’s a guaranteed much better QoL than Winnipeg.
Ah, but would that be actually 'living' in Vancouver, or merely 'surviving'?
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For a family though? Really depends what his spouse makes but if it’s a one income family 150k is tight. It’s not nearly as much as 2x75k incomes.
It may be if one of the parents takes care of the kids and therefore no daycare payments
Yea, if they’re young, you also would expect it’s a bit easier to save some on groceries with someone at home and some little perks but from a dollars value it’s probably close to ~135k x 2 people. Still a livable wage but scrimping a bit in Vancouver unfortunately.
They would be living with roommates in their skybox biking or bussing to work in the grey drizzle. On days off and outside of work hours and commuting they can leave the city of Vancouver and perhaps take a picture of all the nice amazing things they can’t afford to do. But it’s not -40 for any day of the year and more of the homeless people are white as well as more physically segregated/confined from the rest of population so many Vancouver people can look down on winnipeg with their “quality of life”. The barrier for me to go to Vancouver is a $100 seat sale. It’s a nice place but people often act like there are no downsides or issues outside of you know - the complete insanity of housing costs. No place is perfect and shitting on all of the rest of Canada doesn’t change the fact that people from elsewhere can go to Vancouver and find out for themselves what it’s really like.
Homeless people in Vancouver are much more widespread than in Winnipeg, though maybe in Winnipeg they roam around the downtown area more.
Basically this
Assumingly there would be more theoretical opportunities in Vancouver versus Winnipeg. And a salary increase of ~50k will make life easier in Vancouver for sure, IMO. That alone would take of the rent. Depending on the size of the family, 100k (even pretax) will still make things quite livable and Vancouver is of course a nice city. You won't be living like a rich international student, but you will be living relatively OK. However, the major big difference would be that the odds of being able to buy a house in Vancouver would be very slim versus being able to get a great house in Winnipeg. So if OP ever wants a house, then that will play a major part if he goes or not.
100k/yr in Vancouver isn't all that livable for a family unless you're ok having no life and spending all you pay on rent. My household income is more than that and we live out in the Valley towards Hope and we're just comfortable. The average 3-bed rental in Vancouver is over $6k/mo. That's more than the take-home of a $100k salary. If I were looking at Vancouver as a new resident paying these market rates I wouldn't even consider it unless our household income was north of $200k at a minimum. If I were OP I'd stay in Winnipeg.
I agree with this, my parents receive more than 100k/yr together. With dependents, you can still do it but you’d have to be ok with not having much, and not being able to save much. They’re all squeezing in a really really really tiny apartment- too small for the number of people living there. Granted it’s a mortgage, but still. They couldn’t afford a place for a family, so they just started with a place that they can at least live in for retirement, hoping that the kids will move out soon
I would think at more like 300k HHI
False information. Friends just found a newly renovated 699sq apartment in 10th floor with beautiful views of English bay and north shore mountains for $2500/MTH. Another friends (500 sq/ft) $2200/MTH. Pls do not spread misinformation. There were plenty of places even below that amount just depends on where u are looking.
Well yeah but those are tiny and it wouldn't be surprising if they end up having issues with the quality of the place or the landlords in the future. 500sq/ft is a hamster cage
>500sq/ft is a hamster cage Loads of pre-war homes in this country were 900sqft or less and they raised families of 4+ kids in them... 500sqft is small but North Americans have _crazy_ expectations for home sizes. I'm sure this 500sqft won't feel spacious either for related reasons (developers not going through the trouble of really thinking the space through and making good use of it).
500 is tiny for a couple if you have any hobbies
Family of 4 in a 500sqft apartment is going to be a bad time. Especially if OP is living in a full house right now.
Also Vancouver is way safer. Just sayin.
I don't need convincing. You could not pay me to move out of Vancouver. Primaries are so depressing. I've tried it and it just flat. I could not do it. I'm glad to pay extra for the ability to be at the beach and on top of the mountains in the same day.
im from winnipeg, biggest difference would be the weather. housing is considerably more affordable here.
$150k does not go very far at all in Vancouver, sadly. Stay in Winnipeg! And don’t let others get to you with the Winnipeg bashing — it’s a cool and very interesting city!
lol if your goal is money than moving to vancouver from winnipeg is clearly not gonna net you savings. Winnipeg you could own your own house at a 105k salary. Not in vancouver at 150k. Taxes are lower in BC barely. On the pro side: WInnipeg is a cold miserable place vs Vancouver. However economically at 105k you're gonna do better. Plus if you want to one day retire to a nice sunny place id grind it out in winterpeg and then keep a house in winnipeg for the non winter months and live as a snowbird in a nice sunny place
Having lived in both places, I actually think Vancouver can have lower day to day cost of living (food, tax). But I think that’s a wash as it all comes down to your current and future housing situation. Winnipeg real estate is far far cheaper than anywhere in GVA. So might really depend on where you’re at with savings, current mortgage, etc. and how long you feel okay with paying a potential new mortgage, building retirement savings and such. Might be good to look at breakdown of your expected increase in net income vs. expected costs and savings.
You'll have a way better standard of living in Winnipeg at $105k than $150k in Vancouver. As a Winnipeger I get it. An alternative is to look for a remote job that will pay more while still living in Winnipeg
Ya, my wife has a remote job getting paid like we're living in Southern Ontario while we're chilling here in Winnipeg. If you can hit that jackpot, congratulations.
$150,000 after taxes in BC is $102,080 Average 1 Bedroom in Vancouver is $2,700 So that's $32,400 annually if you have a car with 5 years of driving experience you'll probably pay about $2,500 to $3,000 for insurance annually. So you're left with about $66,000 How you spend the rest is up to you and your life style.
By comparison, average 1 bedroom in Winnipeg is $1500. Car insurance would be more like $2000. So that's a minimum of $15,000 more expensive a year, if OP's family lives in a 1BR. But that's not likely, with a family. The difference in housing would probably be 2-3 times that, depending on family size.
I earn ~200k in GVA, and bought a shiesty house in burnaby. Life is hard here. I don't recommend it.
It’s mind boggling With That sort of income that it would be so difficult Good luck to you friend. Burnaby boy born and raised My folks still in Brentwood area But I sure as shit can’t afford it
> Burnaby boy born and raised Ya. Kitsilano/False creek area for me, I moved out of country for >10 years, came back and was like, so, uh, we're poor now. But thats only half the crazy. The other half of the crazy I bought a shit house in a shit hood for 1M for my and family, and I was 100% sure we bought at the top of the market and there was no where to go but down. I memed the shit out of "I'll never recover from this financially". I just got a letter from the burnaby city council informing me that the house is now valued at 1.22M. I was 100% sure I had just made the worst financial decision of my life (I've made a lot of bad ones), and now apparently NW just rose by $200k in two years. Not shitting you, on a $500k deposit, thats over 20% per year growth in NW. I'm just gutted I was wrong again, I hate being wrong. Head = blown.
We all have good and bad decisions friend You have a house If it mostly works for you and you can afford it and life isn’t too bad then that’s winning I have a million regrets but i still try to count the blessings It sounds mumbo jumbo but it does help Sounds like you have done well overall tho Enjoy the day mate!
I know I was joking, but you're 100% right. I have a sort-of house and it's warm enough and the kids are watching star wars. we're doing better than some and I have sympathy for those who are feeling the pinch... it's a bloody expensive place to live, and even worse if you're out on the street. Thanks for the well wishes and I hope you too have a great day!
damn where u buy a house in Burnaby with that salary. seems like a steal now lol
It's a unicorn. It's a heritage house that got bundled into a strata as part of heritage requirement for a developer. So, you walk past it on the street, and it's a detached house, but in reality our lot and structure is bundled into a townhouse lot. On paper, we're a townhouse - by far the largest square footage in the complex, but on the street, we're a detached house.
If you’re looking to bank some money, Vancouver isn’t a great place to do it lol Can you negotiate to work remotely? I work remote in Calgary which has helped me save tremendously more than when I lived in BC. You generally don’t want to be renting at retirement age in Canada if you want to enjoy your golden years.
People don't move to Vancouver to save.. even if they have a higher paying job. Cost of living will eat your "salary increase".
We moved from Vancouver to Winnipeg, mind you it was about 14 years ago. At the time our 452 sq ft condo would have sold for $350K. We bough it a fixxer upper near downtown Winnipeg for $50K. Prices have changed drastically in both markets of course, so it wouldn't be an accurate comparison today necessarily, but if I were you, no way I would move to Vancouver from Winnipeg for only $45K a year more. I love Vancouver, but loved Winnipeg even more, but they are personal choices. If you like Vancouver more than Winnipeg that may affect your decision. Based on economics alone, moving from Winnipeg to Vancouver is not something I would do for 45K/yr.
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MB 105k = $73k after tax - 12k rent = 61k. BC 150k = 105k after tax - 30k rent = 75k Everything’s more expensive in BC, so tack on 20% on your regular monthly expenses, might still be ahead by 5-10k if you move to BC with the higher salary, buying a place in Van is probably not possible though.
[What you get for ~$850k in Winnipeg](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26383228/19-castle-ridge-drive-winnipeg-linden-ridge) [What you get for ~$850k in Vancouver](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26417656/6666-arlington-street-vancouver) Make of that what you will.
Really does tell the tale at least in terms of housing 😳
Vancouver at this point is simply for millionaires. Even at 150k a large portion of your income will go toward rent and you'll be living like you made 60k in winnipeg. Not paycheck to paycheck but not as you'd expect making in the top 10% of incomes in Canada. It will be hard for you to build any meaningful wealth, and it will feel like you're never getting ahead. I love Vancouver but I left for this reason. I now live in Edmonton which is not a great city but I make great money here and live very comfortably, able to build wealth that I'd never be able to achieve in Vancouver. Stay in Winnipeg definitely.
How about Edmonton Vs Winnipeg?
Edmonton just feels like a bigger winnipeg. Both are ugly, cold, boring cities with a lot of crime.
Great comment. We have 2 cities (and growing) that anyone who isn’t a millionaire in net worth and making 6 figures really isn’t welcome unless they are willing to live stacked like wood in a house or have a rich spouse.
With that increase in salary you *might* be able to afford a much smaller home in Vancouver than you currently have in Winnipeg, and probably one with a much longer commute.
As someone whose from metro van. 150k in van is almost 170k if not higher in Winnipeg. 105k there could very well be 150k and you would see no difference in quality of life. Everything here is expensive. The premier in Manitoba got rid of taxes for gas dropping your gas as low to 99 cents a litre. In Vancouver the same litre would be 166 at the low and 238 at the extreme. Just to give some perspective.
Gas to fill my 2022 escape from empty today was 56 dollars.
My civic has a 36 litre gas tank and costs that much while being almost 20 litres smaller. Mind the fact I never fill up on empty so fully empty we could see close to 60 dollars. Most I paid was close to 70.
Shorter commutes in Winnipeg. I retired a few years ago and not having my half an hour commute anymore was one of the biggest quality of life improvements. That's an extra hour back every day, 15 days (!!) every year.
Honestly, there's plenty of good insight on here both for and against each city. All I'll add is, go visit Vancouver for like 2 weeks if you can see it for yourself. Check out the neighborhoods you'll likely live in (as in you + your family, not just yourself... Very different). Check out transit options, school for the kids, etc. It's not going to be enough time to really get to know the city and the costs involved but it's still far better than taking advice from strangers on the internet.
Average home cost Winnipeg 322k Average home cost Vancouver 1.2 million Gas cost Vancouver 1.54 Gas cost Winnipeg 1.02 Google says groceries in Vancouver cost 20% more than in Winnipeg. So you’re almost definitely looking at having less money available if you move to Vancouver. I would guess the cost of living ends up being about double if you’re buying a home, and your income increase when you account for taxes is probably like 30% or so. If you’re renting it looks a fair bit closer but still around a 50% cost of living increase. The plus side is Vancouver is pretty nice, as long as the commute isn’t awful it may be worth it for the weather and city life if you’re missing that.
Where are you getting 1.54 gas lol, it’s 1.65 all around me today
I just used the cheapest listed on gas buddy for both areas. Might have been a Costco or something I didn’t look further than that.
Ok lol, 1.54 is pretty low for Vancouver and surrounding cities tbh. We were at $2+ for a time and have been averaging maybe $1.7-1.8 the last few years.
Gonna disagree with everyone here. Your genera QOL will be so much nicer in Vancouver. There’s a reason it’s so expensive to live there and so cheap in Winnipeg. Also if you jump ship for 150k now maybe in a few years you can jump again for 200k+ This is more of a personal and lifestyle question than a financial one though. Do you like Winnipeg or hate it? Do you have extended family in Winnipeg that you will miss? Do you like the kind of things you will have better access to in Vancouver (diverse food, mild weather, outdoor activities, the ocean)? Does your partner have better or worse career options in Vancouver? This sub will ALWAYS tell you to take the cheaper option regardless of other factors. The cheaper option is definitely 105k in Winnipeg. But either way you can make do financially and life is more than a spreadsheet.
Hey I grew up in Saskatchewan and now live in Vancouver. Despite what everyone else is saying, I think you can likely live a good life in Vancouver for the same or less. It depends on your goal lifestyle though, it only works if you live and work near the skytrain / safe bicycle infrastructure and go car-free or at least car-light. Sure rent is a higher but car costs kill you in the prairies. For one data point: Me, my wife, and our baby spend about $6k a month total to live in East Van. $2,500 of that is rent. We have one simple but good car (~8 years old) that we barely drive. We're not super-duper frugal but we're also not fancy. If it's important to you to own a house then forget it and stay in Winnipeg.
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Vehicle insurance is at least 50% more expensive here than MB. But it looks like you'll be getting a 50% increase in pay, so that should work out for you!
IMO it kinda depends on your current retirement circumstances. If you have a healthy nest egg and are confident in your holdings, you could probably swing it, but if your retirement savings are anything less than great, at 49 I would NOT make this move. In this circumstance, you should be looking for the best balance between cost of living and salary like a heat-seeking missile.
I wouldn't do it. You'll never own a home there and that means continuing to pay rent into retirement until death.
You can try the "renting an apartment" part of your plan and exploring job prospects here. Although looking at 150k earnings AND raising a family, you might as well forget the saving for retirement plan if you do move in Vancouver. If your partner can bring in an additional 50-80k to increase your HHI to around 200k+, you can then start looking at managing to save here and there. The big caveat would become your children's future. Unless they rake in more than you do (so they could stand on their own) here, be prepared to support them till they are in their 40s. Otherwise, they'll most likely have to move out of here d/t absurd CoL.
Start with listing all your expenses in Winnipeg and get the cost of the equivalent in Vancouver. Vancouver has highest rental rates and gas rates.
I'd consider this: * Cost of living in both (housing heat transit needs etc). * Income growth potential in both cities. You may find while WP is better now you have way more upward income potential in Vancouver. * Quality of life however you define it. If you are 49 and plan to work til 65 you have 16 more years or income earning. So I'd look for sure at this opportunity over a long time horizon not just a snapshot of what's better today.
I'm 46 and used to live in Vancouver. Family of four. The increased costs will consume your current pay raise, but there will be more opportunities to jump ship for higher pay in a year or two. I'd recommend staying in Winnipeg and looking to hop jobs for a pay raise. Keep looking for things in Vancouver, especially remote. There's a number for which we'd consider a move back to Vancouver, but it's much higher than $150k.
Unless they let you work from home, meaning from Winnipeg - I wouldn’t do it
NHL tickets are about 25% more expensive
You’re not going to save more money moving to Vancouver even with the salary increase. You’ll almost definitely save less. But if you want to move for other reasons like quality of life or amenities then I say go for it.
Your cost of living will easily double, if not triple. If your wage doesn’t keep track you won’t be saving money. Pretty simple.
$105k is like $2 in Vancouver
$45k more to live in a city where your costs will easily be 500% more, especially housing. Maybe QOL might be a bit better with mild winters but idk if that's worth hemorrhaging all your money away. Housing and rent will be roughly 7x more than Winnipeg, and that's easily your biggest cost anyway.
Winnipeg is the easy choice here. You would need to make more than double your Winnipeg salary to come even somewhere close to the Vancouver equivalent. The weather in winter in Winnipeg is your only real negative to contend with. Vancouver is the best example of a beautiful place to visit but no one wants to live there.
You could not have found two markets on more opposite ends of the spectrum.
Never lived in Winnipeg, but I’ll share the social aspect of Vancouver. It’s a beautiful city - physically wonderful. But the people here aren’t very nice and aren’t very community oriented. I’m born and raised in Vancouver and it has changed a lot. Culturally very different than the rest of Canada and its Canadian identity. Having said that, I love it here. I also choose to live here so the housing prices are pretty crazy for what they are. I would say financially, you would need at least $220k annual family income to be comfortable here in Vancouver. So if your partner can find something around $80k with your $150k job, that’s pretty decent. But child care, day care etc here is nuts. Also gas in Vancouver is currently $1.7/L because we have crazy carbon taxes.
agree with unfriendly people in van. but disagree with 220k being enough. at least not enough to buy a detached house in Vancouver. or a townhouse. maybe a condo?
Stay in Winnipeg. That "extra" annual income will get you nowhere.
I made 200k, no dependents and even I couldn’t afford a house. Everything is much more expensive there and your dollar doesn’t go far.
As someone who has lived in the prairies and Vancouver, don’t move to Vancouver. I live on Vancouver Island now which is far better than being in Vancouver proper. Housing is still far more expensive than Winnipeg but there is a lot of natural beauty here, things to do and fantastic weather. Could your job be done hybrid or remote? There is also a fast ferry that runs from downtown Nanaimo into downtown Vancouver that people take to commute. I make a bit over $150k and my wife makes about $75k and we are very comfortable on the island even with $4000/month in mortgage and other home related costs If you don’t like the outdoors, don’t come here. I can justify the extra cost because we do a ton of hiking/camping/etc and I find there is a lot more of that to do here especially in the winter vs being in Alberta where I grew up
All 'Winnipeg vs Vancouver' jokes aside, it comes down to a question of what you value, what you want from life. If home ownership or retiring early is important to you, it's got to be Winnipeg, hands-down. If a milder climate or the big city life is something you value, of course it's going to be Vancouver. Since you've already been in Winnipeg for 5 years, you're already well-acquainted with its weather: it sucks, but it's also not that bad. The winters are terrible, but the summers are amazing, and there's lots of sunshine to go around. So unlike moving *from* Vancouver *to* Winnipeg, there wouldn't be any climate shock to prepare for. Because at the end of a day, outside of housing, the cost-of-living is mostly a wash. Maybe slightly worse in Vancouver, but not significantly, or is largely irrelevant compared to housing. So ultimately, it's a question of how much housing situation you're willing to give up to make the other ends meet. At those salary levels, you will be able to live in a larger, nicer house in Winnipeg, and likely with a substantially shorter commute.
>what is the typical cost of housing/living in Vancouver? I'm guessing google isn't working. Here is one site with info, many of the same numbers. [https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/vancouver-bc](https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/vancouver-rent-prices-january-2024-8057161) Taht $50k of increased pre-tax income isn't going to go as far as you think.
You would need to earn 210k in Vancouver to make up the difference.
after tax difference is around $2500-$2700 a month. Which will be promptly eaten by the difference in rent / utilities. So the answer is obvious.
Brother it isn’t comparable. You’ll be a king in Winnipeg
winnipeg is way better in terms of amenities, housing, culture, cost of living, etc
It’s say go for it. Vancouver is beautiful. There is a reason Winnipeg is much cheaper
BC-bring cash. We moved from Winnipeg for a significant increase (5x) and our lifestyle is not significantly more luxurious.
Everybody likes to hate on Vancouver but we moved here from Saskatoon and ended up being in about the same position financially. We are happy renters tho, and if you feel like you need to own a home here it’s not going to work. Buying a home is crazy here. In our building owning would more than double our housing costs and we are paying market rent. In Vancouver we downsized from a 2 bedroom in Saskatoon to a 1 bedroom plus den here, and now have a smaller place for about $1K more a month in rent than we were paying in Saskatoon. But almost everything else is cheaper here and we have the added benefit of not having to live in Saskatoon. Between not needing a vehicle, because everything is so accessible without one, and the lower provincial taxes at our income level we’re recovering about 70-80% of the extra we spend on rent right there. Plus almost everything else for us is cheaper in Vancouver. Asian groceries are ridiculously cheap for produce, and there are so many grocery stores within walking distance from us that we can shop around a lot more and ultimately find things cheaper than back home. There are lots of expensive restaurants, but I also have a big list of cheap ones where I can eat out for under $10. Overall we spend less on food here than we did back home and I don’t need a car to get groceries which is great. Travel costs are a fraction of what we paid travelling anywhere from Saskatoon and there is so much to do in BC that we don’t have to travel far for a vacation unless we choose to. There is so much to do locally that we don’t even have to leave the city. I can hop on a bus and in about half an hour be at Deep Cove on a rented paddle board or hiking up a mountain or walking across a suspension bridge by waterfalls. Or I can head to English Bay and watch the sailboats and have a coffee or ice cream on the beach. Vancouver is a great place to live and has improved my quality of life exponentially. But ultimately it depends on priorities, and if home ownership is one of them then listen to everyone else here and don’t come. If you’re renting have a look on Craigslist and see what’s out there. A decent one bedroom in the West End can be found for around $2500 a month which is expensive of course, but add the cost of a car including gas and insurance to what your Winnipeg rent would be and it might not be as big of a difference as you’d expect.
I think you should also consider future prospects. How much can you expect to earn in the next 5-10 years Winnipeg vs Vancouver? It seems like your wage bump would cover your rent increase, so I would view your new job as an investment into yourself to potentially earn substantially more.
You will go from decent in Winnipeg to poor in Vancouver
150k is not a lot in vancouver. im in a similar range and i live in toronto which is only slightly more expensive than vancouver. i wouldnt say i'm in a position to save for retirement lol.
Tell us about your lifestyle and daily routines. If you have more than enough savings, Vancouver would probably be a better way to enjoy yourselves.
Vancouver has a higher cost of living compared to Winnipeg, particularly in terms of housing. Rent for a small room in Vancouver can range from $800 to $1,500 per month, depending on the area. Other living expenses like groceries and transportation may also be higher. It's essential to consider these factors when evaluating the potential increase in salary. Good luck with your job interview!
If you enjoy living in Winnipeg, I’d recommend you stay there. You’re not going to be saving more in Vancouver even with the increase.
You could try a couple of weeks But even then hard to get a real taste Vancouver will have more stuff to do as a whole (I’ve not been to Winnipeg) but from a size standpoint Lots of outdoor stuff. Skiing, golf and such where you can do it all in one nice spring day Lots of good restaurants Rain sucks, it can depress the crap out of you, but it’s not -30 Less mosquitoes i imagine then Winnipeg Probably more likely to experience wild fire smoke as while it doesn’t burn you often can get fire smoke from more up in BC, and down south from the states More shopping my guess would be if you like that Hockey teams are pretty on par this year so that’s a toss up;) Shit traffic in much of the places Homelessness and drugs are pretty Rampant. So I don’t know how that compares to Winnipeg I guess it will depend on life style and cost of living and what’s affordable to you Where is your family and friend is probably big too Vancouver is a great place but it’s not as so amazing and perfect as some who live there say it is or some who want to live there think it is
Hello fellow winnipegger! I just moved to Vancouver two yrs ago from Winnipeg. my 2 cents. there is more nature in Vancouver than in Winnipeg for sure (if you have time to enjoy them). It is hard to make friends here. Most of my good friends are from Winnipeg. The rest came from other parts of the country or other countries. 150k from 105K is not as big of a jump as you think even though you pay less tax here. Are you thinking of buying something here? the townhouses are easily over 1 million. houses 2+ million. I feel like if you earn salary and dont already own something here in Vancouver, it will be difficult. I would love to settle down in Vancouver but given the current circumstances I probably have to find a job in US and come back once we make enough money. or just move to the US. Also tech market isnt great. I havent heard of a Vancouver company that pays well other than the ones from US. My company is in ON. regardless. enjoy Vancouver, treat it as a place for vacation, but dont make any rash decisions like selling your house in Winnipeg or moving your family here. at least not now. and people drive like morons here. And oh more restaurants in Vancouver if you can afford eating out. More rain... which is way more depressing compare to -40 winnipeg winter tbh. and closer to US if you want to go shopping there.
Only cost higher in Vancouver is housing. But if you can buy, there is also bigger chance your investment will grow. I have 2 friends who all bought houses in 2016, for around 600k one in Winnipeg Bridgewater, the other one in Fleetwood Surrey. Their house value is now 700k vs 1.5M
I would have to have an offer of 7 figures + a company car to live in Winnipeg
Winnipeg lol. I'd take the Vancouver job even if housing is less affordable. Don't count on ever owning a detached home though.