Vancouver

Quality of life in Vancouver

Vancouver is a city with high-rise buildings, picturesque mountains and easily distinguishable ethnic neighborhoods. The city ranks high in cleanliness and quality of living, but is also one of the most expensive cities in Canada. Besides forestry, Vancouver is becoming an influencer in industries like software, film and biotechnology. For those interested in being in the open air, there are plenty of opportunities from boating to mountain skiing.

Vancouver is one of the top ten city matches for 26.4% of Teleport users.

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Life quality score

City ranking

Housing

4
224/265
Details
Large apartment$2100.00
Medium apartment$1700.00
Rent index [score]0.39
Small apartment$1300.00

Cost of Living

5
160/248
Details
5km taxi ride$8.50
A Cappuccino$3.40
A beer$3.30
A kilogram of Apples$3.10
Bread$1.10
Inflation [score]0.53
Lunch$13.00
Monthly fitness club membership$46.00
Monthly public transport$83.00
Movie ticket$10.00
Price of a meal at a restaurant$68.86

Startups

8
24/264
Details
Average monthly increase in number of startups24
Average monthly increase in number of startups [score]0.73
Coworking spaces [score]0.68
Coworking spaces on WorkFrom.co124
Meetups [score]0.86
Meetups groups200
Meetups members197742
Number of investors350
Number of startup events in the last 12 months1489
Number of upcoming meetup events143
Startup climate scene [score]0.74
Startup events416
Startup events [score]0.89
Startups [score]0.90
Total number of startups1238

Venture Capital

6
34/192
Details
Funding accelerator namesGrowLab, BootupLabs
Number of funding accelerators2
Venture capital [score]0.58

Travel Connectivity

3
141/266
Details
Airport hub86
Airport hub [score]0.42
Intercity train connectivity [score]0.14

Commute

5
145/255
Details
Human city pagehttp://cities.human.co/details/Canada/Vancouver
Traffic handling [score]0.57

Business Freedom

9
48/264
Details
Business freedom81.80
Business freedom [score]0.80
Freedom from corruption81.00
Freedom from corruption [score]0.89
Lack of labor restrictions72.60
Lack of labor restrictions [score]0.67
Time to open a business1.50
Time to open a business [score]1.00

Safety

8
111/266
Details
Crime rate [score]0.68
Gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents per year2
Guns per 100 residents31
Lack of gun related deaths [score]0.95
Lack of guns [score]0.83
Lack of guns and gun-related deaths [score]0.89

Healthcare

9
74/265
Details
Healthcare expenditure [score]0.91
Healthcare quality [score]0.79
Life expectancy (years)82.17
Life expectancy [score]0.93

Education

7
18/240
Details
Best university in rankingUniversity of British Columbia
Best university ranking36
Country mean scores in PISA math test515.43
Country mean scores in PISA reading test523.12
Country mean scores in PISA science test525.44
PISA math ranking (high school)9
PISA ranking5
PISA ranking (high school) [score]0.97
PISA reading (high school)2
PISA science (high school)6
Percent of happy students0.79
Percent of low performers in PISA math test0.14
Percent of low performers in PISA reading test0.11
Percent of low performers in PISA science test0.10
Percent of top performers in PISA math test0.16
Percent of top performers in PISA reading test0.13
Percent of top performers in PISA science test0.11
University quality [score]0.41

Environmental Quality

8
39/266
Details
Air quality [score]0.89
Cleanliness [score]0.87
Drinking water quality [score]0.76
Urban greenery [score]0.86

Economy

6
92/263
Details
Currency exchange rate per US dollar for urban area1.27
Currency for urban areaCAD
GDP growth rate0.03
GDP growth rate [score]0.45
GDP per capita$44843.44
GDP per capita [score]0.72

Taxation

7
21/266
Details
Effective company profit tax rate on payouts as dividends [score]0.96
Income tax level [score]0.50
Profit tax (% of profit)0.21
Time overhead to file company taxes131
VAT (Sales Tax)0.05

Internet Access

5
178/266
Details
Download speed (Mbps)22.50
Internet access (download) [score]0.39
Internet access (upload) [score]0.52
Upload speed (Mbps)12.64

Leisure & Culture

6
133/264
Details
Art galleries191
Art galleries [score]0.78
Cinemas94
Cinemas [score]0.67
Comedy clubs52
Comedy clubs [score]0.80
Concert venues167
Concerts [score]0.78
Historical sites119
Historical sites [score]0.57
Museums104
Museums [score]0.57
Performing art venues232
Performing arts [score]0.69
Sport venues82
Sports [score]0.81
Zoos16
Zoos [score]0.72

Tolerance

8
52/266
Details
Homosexuality acceptance (percent of the surveyed population in favor)0.80
LGBT Equality Index82.02
LGBT Equality Index [score]0.84
LGBT adoption rights✔ Legal
LGBT age of consent✖ Unequal
LGBT blood donation regulations✖ Banned (5-year deferral)
LGBT conversion therapy regulationsVaries by Region
LGBT discrimination legalityIllegal in some contexts
LGBT employment discrimination legalitySexual orientation only
LGBT gender changing rightsVaries by Region
LGBT homosexuality rights✔ Legal
LGBT housing discrimination legalityVaries by Region
LGBT marriage rights✔ Legal
Tolerance towards minorities [score]0.82

Outdoors

7
6/266
Details
Elevation (hills or mountains) [score]0.55
Median peak in meters1812.00
Presence of hills in city1.00
Presence of mountains in city1.00
Seaside access1.00
Urban area elevation (meters)51.00
Water access [score]0.93
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Cost of living

Costs of living in Vancouver are in the 160th place of all 248 Teleport cities and the third most expensive in Canada. Average living expenses are significantly higher compared to other cities, especially in the housing market. Sign up for free to get access to our cost of living index and use our international  cost of living calculator to do cost comparison by city.

Housing costs (USD)

$1,500$2,000
$1700
Median rent for
apartments in city center

Daily living costs (USD)

Monthly fitness club membership$46
Movie ticket$10
Broadband internet connection$48
Monthly public transport$83
Lunch$13
-26%
compared to
San Francisco
See more prices and detailed cost of living data in Vancouver

Job salary calculator

Software Engineer salaries in Vancouver are above average. For this job type, Vancouver ranks 77th for salaries among 265 cities. Get access to our salary comparison calculator by signing up. Compare salaries city by city with our free salary wizard and convert your own salary to a local salary in Vancouver.

Estimated annual salary (in USD)

$57,673
Median salary
See more details and salary rankings for all job types in Vancouver

Locals review Vancouver

Do locals recommend living in Vancouver?

What could Vancouver do better?#improveVancouver

How could Vancouver improve to make it a more liveable city? We will make sure that the local government will know about the suggestions that reach enough votes*.
*Suggestions will be delivered to: Mayor of Vancouver - Gregor Robertson
You can be the first! 😊  Tell us something that can be improved about your city.

What makes Vancouver a special place?#praiseVancouver

Is Vancouver a great place to live? What makes it special for you? What makes it liveable? What should others know about? Why should they move here? Why do you love it?
You can be the first! 😊  Tell us something nice about your city.

Taxation

Personal taxation

Effective income tax rate

16%
For annual salary of $40000
20%
For annual salary of $80000

Value added tax (VAT)

5%
Standard tax rate. Different rates might apply for certain product categories.

Compared to other cities

60/266

Corporate taxation

Compared to other cities

10/263
See more details on taxation in Vancouver
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Safety

Gun crimes & Ownership

30.80
Guns per 100 people
1.97
Gun deaths per 100k people / year
HIGH GUN CRIMELOW GUN CRIMEFEW GUNSMANY GUNS
North America
Europe
Asia
South America
Africa
Oceania

Overall crime rate city ranking

The overall crime rate puts Vancouver in position 96 of 266 Teleport Cities in a ranking for the safest cities.

WORSTBEST
See more details on gun crime and safety in Vancouver

Visa

For visits up to 90 days

Required with citizenship of

Startup Visa

Start-up visa
Investment requiredFunding providedDuration
YesNoPermanent
Get more information about visas in Vancouver here

Explore Vancouver’s neighborhoods

PreviousNext

Great for

    Not Great for

      Who lives here

      • Professionals
      • Singles
      • Families with kids
      • Retirees
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      Explore the streets of Vancouver

      People in Vancouver

      Population of Vancouver

      2,750,400
      369 /km²
      217/264
      Density (people per unit of area)
      7%
      Growth in 2015-2020
      Vancouver

      Demographics of Canada

      Median age
      42
      Elderly people
      18%
      Life expectancy at birth
      82
      GDP per capita (in USD)
      $44,843
      109/263
      Unemployment
      7%
      177/264

      Languages

      English proficiency score
      100
      1/228
      Common spoken languages
      English
      French

      Friends living in Vancouver

      Find out which of your friends are living in Vancouver. Nothing is better than knowing a local 😉

      Teleport Users  X  Vancouver

      Teleport users who are      Vancouver

      Work in:

      Software Engineer
      11.23%
      Founder
      5.79%
      Marketing Manager
      4.89%
      Web Developer
      3.86%
      Web Designer
      3.51%
      Graphic Designer
      2.89%
      Administrative Assistant
      2.41%
      Other
      65.40%

      Come from:

      Climate

      Average number of days per year without rain

      199.9

      Climate type

      Marine West Coast

      Average daily maximum temperature

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      Impressions from Vancouver

      2:58 Discovering Vancouver ( Vancouver Timelapse )

      A video by Ryan Emond

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      On living in Vancouver

      Vancouver occupies a pretty enviable spot in the world. Blessed with miles of coastline, lush vegetation and crowned by the North Shore Mountains, it's hard to be there and not stop at some point and be amazed by what you see.

      But scratch beneath that setting and you find a cosmopolitan city of many faces. It's a bit of old and a lot of new, a stopping place for immigrants that have infused the city's neighbourhoods, festivals and food. On one hand, it's the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, the second biggest destination for visitors to the country and the economic hub of British Columbia. A modern city of glass towers with a variety of festivals, cultures and attractions, it has also been host to world events like the 1986 World Exposition and the 2010 Winter Olympics. To others, it's Vansterdam, the laid-back socially progressive city with the laissez-faire attitude to marijuana. With its Asian heritage and relative proximity to China and Japan, some see it as the gateway to Asia. And with all that nature minutes from your door, Vancouver is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. It's one of those rare places you could ski in the mountains, hit the beach and play a round of golf all in the same day.

      All of this makes it easy to be a local. Walk the Seawall. Spend a day in one of the parks. Indulge in food and treats from around the world at a neighbourhood restaurant. Or just grab a spot at the beach or on a patio and watch it all go by -- Vancouver is, after all, one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

      Read more

      Good Country Index

      Every city comes with a country. How is this one doing in terms of giving back to the global community? Our friends at The Good Country Index measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size.

      Overall ranking

      Canada
      12th from a total of 163 countries

      World Order

      8th

      Refugees hosted

      Refugees generated

      Charity giving

      Birth rate

      UN Treaties signed

      International Peace & Security

      36th

      Dues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets

      International violent conflict

      Peacekeeping troops

      Arms exports

      Internet security (2014)

      Planet & Climate

      29th

      Ecological footprint

      Reforestation since 1992

      Hazardous pesticides exports

      CO2 emissions

      Ozone

      Prosperity & Equality

      24th

      Development assistance

      FDI outflows

      Fairtrade market size

      UN volunteers abroad

      Open trading

      Culture

      22nd

      Freedom of movement

      Press freedom

      Creative services exports

      UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution

      Creative goods exports

      Science & Technology

      21st

      Nobel prizes

      Patents

      Journal exports

      International publications

      International Students

      Health & Wellbeing

      3rd

      Pharmaceutical exports

      Voluntary excess donations to the WHO

      Food aid

      Humanitarian aid donations

      International Health Regulations Compliance

      See details ▽

      Still have questions?

      Further research