Moving to Vancouver: Finding Affordable Accommodation in North America’s Most Expensive City
If you’re making the move to Vancouver, you may find yourself a little strapped for cash – According to The Economist, Vancouver is statistically the most expensive city in the North American continent for the year 2014, beating the even the Big Apple when it comes to the average cost of living.
If you’re making the move to Vancouver, you may find yourself a little strapped for cash – According to The Economist, Vancouver is statistically the most expensive city in the North American continent for the year 2014, beating the even the Big Apple when it comes to the average cost of living. Don’t be put off though! One of the biggest ways you can reduce your expenditure when moving to a new country is by making sure that you’re not overspending on your accommodation. We’ve put together an overview of the options you have when it comes to finding affordable accommodation, and asked for some tips from Toby, a student doing his placement in
Craigslist
Despite being a household name in the
Toby: Because I really wanted to get my money’s worth, I spent a great deal of time on Craigslist looking at housing options and building up an idea of pricing depending on a number of factors like the size of the bedroom, what kind of area the place was in, and it’s proximity to shops, downtown, and transport systems like the Sky Train. I did my research - If the place looked great but the price was lower than expected, I’d make sure I found out why. All it takes is a bit of investigating and a healthy dose of common sense, and you’ll be able to find a great place at an affordable price.
The average rental price in
Toby: The place I ended up getting was downtown at an iconic location called Marinaside Cresent – it’s on a lot of tourist literature for
Obviously, Toby here was extremely lucky with his accommodation, but you can still find some seriously decent places depending on how thorough you are with your search. However, as with any personal ads, use your head – make sure it’s the real deal before you hand over any cash, and get something in writing before you commit to a rental. If you’re renting an unfurnished place, Craigslist is also a great place to find pre-loved furnishings at a cheap price, or even for free.
The average Canadian tax refund is $998
Some other options for cheap accommodation are:
Co-op Housing
Not to be confused with the rather more expensive and deeply exclusive Housing Cooperatives found in cities like
Do bear in mind that this type of accommodation is a bit of a unicorn, though. You’ll probably have to hunt for vacancies, and even if you do find them, you’ll be subject to interviews and background checks (again, the community model). Additionally, they might not take you if you’re only staying in
Vancouver Native Housing Society
Vancouver Native Housing Society was originally set up as a service for displaced Native Americans, but now offers secure and affordable housing solutions for demographics that might not be able to afford a place otherwise, including young people, single people and students. The VNHS manages around 17 buildings with 706 apartments in
Facebook and other accommodation groups
Looking for accommodation on Facebook or other forms of social media may seem daunting for some, but actually it can be an extremely comforting resource if you’re striking out on your own. There are a huge number of Facebook groups being constantly updated. I won’t list any here, as social media is a capricious beast and the chances are the links will not be viable in a few months, but that’s the beauty of it – Groups for people looking to share housing in