Is Atlanta more expensive than Vancouver Canada (real estate, rental)

[bcgal]

Due to a pending job offer, our family may relocate to Atlanta from Vancouver, Canada. Although I am American, I've lived outside the US for 15 years and have no idea what the cost of living or taxes are like in Georgia and the Atlanta metro area. It seems pretty expensive here in BC so we are thinking it would be less expensive but can anyone provide suggestions for websites, books, services for reference or just have first-hand knowledge they can share with us? Thanks!

[BobKovacs]

Well, I can't provide a direct comparison to Vancouver, but I can say that Atlanta is generally considered a fairly affordable city by US standards- at least compared to other large metro areas. It might help if you gave us an idea of the size of your household, what you think you might be looking for in the way of housing, whether you prefer an urban or suburban setting, where in the metro area the job is located, and the approximate salary range. With that type of info, posters will be able togive you a pretty good feel for how you'll fare.

[mmenomen]

I have some colleagues who live in Vancouver. I can tell you that living in Atlanta is probably close to half the cost of living in Vancouver. Atlanta real estate alone is much more reasonable, so your income will go much further in Atlanta than it would in Vancouver.

Vancouver is a very beautiful city, I enjoyed visiting it sometime back, but I wonder how people get by there unless they make really good $$.

I cannot cite something I know that is certainly reliable online, but Vancouver is easily the most expensive city in Canada after Toronto, I would bet Vancouver is near on par with NYC in cost of living. The Vancouver real estate costs alone would indicate that.

http://www.citymayors.com/features/cost_survey.html


This tool applies to US cities and not Canadian ones, but it might help you in some ways to see how Atlanta measures up to the rest of the US.

Cost of Living - Cost of Living Calculator from CNNMoney.com

[bcgal]

thank you so much for your input! We love the quality and standard of living here, how do you feel it would compare to Atlanta? And, are there areas close to dowtown that are family oriented and more artsy than conventional?

[bcgal]

size of your household: 2 adults and 8 yr. old
housing: rental at first or investment property thaty can be easily rented out if we move to a home.
We love urban but like also being near water/woods
job is located mid-town
approximate salary range is about 60K

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by bcgal

thank you so much for your input! We love the quality and standard of living here, how do you feel it would compare to Atlanta? And, are there areas close to dowtown that are family oriented and more artsy than conventional?

bcgal,

I would strongly suggest you pay a visit to the city first, before accepting a job offer and making a commitment. If you go to the Atlanta room and browse around for a while, you'll find that this is a "Love it or hate it" kind of city. It's not for everyone. Although I only spend one very brief day in Vancouver once, I can tell you that Atlanta is VASTLY different - and again, that will either be good OR bad, depending on you.

You'll be able to get a larger home and more land with your money by moving here. Your kids and spouse will also lose their national Canadian health care (remember, we don't have that here in the U.S.). I didn't drive around any in Vacouver and cabbed it, but traffic and smog generally seemed much lower there than here, and you'll be 4.5 to 5 hours from the ocean here as well (if that's important).

Again, I'd just suggest trying your best to swing a trip here for at least a few days. Try to get someone lined up as a guide who can show you around the city some, beyond the tourist sites. Relocation across country, much less to a different country AND from West coast to East, isn't something to take lightly just for a job, regardless of pay. So take your time and visit first.