Quote:
Originally Posted by Perphekt
I'm considering moving to Vancouver from Saskatoon for a change of pace but thought it was out of my reach, however after finding plenty of studio and 1 bedroom apartments on online listing in or around my price range I think I can make it work. But first there are some important questioned I need answered.
Firstly, jobs.
I'm young, only my high school diploma and a couple years working at walmart to my name. That being said I'm only looking for a minimum wage job. All the stuff I've read online about how hard it is to find a job seems to be directed to professionals of one stripe or another. So if I showed up in Vancouver with enough money to last me two months what would be my chances of getting a job before I run out of money be?
One small addendum to that question. What are starting wages usually like? My first job here they started me off above minimum wage on my first day. Is that likely to happen there?
Secondly taxes.
I've only ever worked part time so I have no idea what taxes are on full time work, even here, so I have no hope of even estimating what they would be in Vancouver. Minimum wage is $9.50 an hour, at 40 hours a week for 4 weeks that $1520 a month. Not a lot, but I think I could easily live on that, problem is I have no idea how much taxes will take off. It makes a huge difference if I'll lose $100 or $400 dollars a month to taxes, and that could easily make this move impossible.
Thirdly is just a group of small miscellaneous questions.
Are there any bad neighborhoods I should avoid getting an apartment in?
How many months would biking to work be unfeasible?
How much is a monthly bus pass?
How much would electricity cost for a month in a studio or 1 bedroom apartment? (Please specify which one you are living in)
Are there any costs I might be overlooking?
Is there anything you think I should know about Vancouver before I consider moving?
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Hi Perphekt,
If you are full-time looking for a job, it should not be difficult to land a minimum wage job within a month's time, but nothing is a guarantee and there is an inherent risk to moving here and only having enough to pay for two month's worth of expenses.
The minimum wage here was recently raised to $9.50, and will be raised again in May, 2012 to $10.25. I'm not sure how likely you will be paid above minimum wage to start though, since not too long ago the minimum wage was a mere $8.00, and employers are still feeling a bit butthurt from the new experience of having to pay people a decent wage.
I'm not exactly sure how much will be taken off your paycheck in taxes, but I gather working full-time, $60 - $150 will be deducted from your paycheck each month, albeit only in the short term (which I understand can be crucial when you're living paycheck to paycheck...), since you get your taxes refunded on your next tax return if you fall into a certain income bracket.
Are there any bad neighborhoods I should avoid getting an apartment in?
A common answer would be the Downtown Eastside due to population of drug-users and transients who live there, but it's not an neighbourhood that particularly scares me, since I have volunteered with and have a fondness for the poor and the communities they live in. Another place (more a suburban city) people commonly do not recommend living in is Surrey. However, that is largely because it still maintains a reputation that is over a decade past being relevant anymore, since the Surrey Central area has seen massive gentrification efforts, with high rise condos going up in the neighbourhood, coupled with the existence of the relatively new (and shiny) SFU Surrey campus, Central City Mall, and a still-being-built central library.
If you value your money, don't bother looking in Downtown (with some older West End apartments being an exception), Kitsilano, or anywhere west of there, unless you luck upon a small basement suite a kind landlord is renting to UBC students. I suggest looking on craigslist for places to rent, as well as on padmapper
Apartments for Rent - PadMapper Apartment Search for Oodle, Apartments.com, Rent.com, Kijiji, and Craigslist Apartments
I would in general recommend somewhere in East Van; the people are nice, there's a sense of community, and most places are reasonably affordable, although the places along Commercial Drive and South of Main are slowly becoming gentrified and expensive (I still love those areas though!)
How many months would biking to work be unfeasible?
It all depends on how far you're willing to bike, and whether rainy days would bother you enough to be considered not an option. It rains, a whooole lot in Vancouver, but throwing on a poncho on most days will keep you dry into your workplace. Summer months are typically dry however, and you can expect to be able to bike comfortably 9 months of the year, the other 3 months occupied by days you really don't feel like biking in the rain, or when it snows really hard (even though it rarely snows 'hard' in Vancouver). Thankfully, Vancouver is a very bike friendly place, and I know friends who would bike across the entirety of Vancouver just for the fun of it. Thankfully, for those rainy days you don't feel like biking, transit is convenient and connects most communities throughout Vancouver.
How much is a monthly bus pass?
If you're working and living in Vancouver, and don't plan to really leave Vancouver proper much, a 1-zone month pass will cost you $81. Similarly, if you're living and working in the same city (ex. all within the boundaries of say, Burnaby), you will only need a 1-zone pass, but if you consistently work and live in two different zones, a 2-zone or sometimes even 3-zone pass would be more practical and cost you $110 and $151 respectively. Refer to this to see how many zones you will have to cross/travel within once you know where you want to live and work
Fare Zone Map
How much would electricity cost for a month in a studio or 1 bedroom apartment? (Please specify which one you are living in)
My rent covers all utilities, so I wouldn't know
Typically not more than $100 in most basement suites/studios/apartments
Are there any costs I might be overlooking?
The cost of your sanity, from all the rain
Just kidding... It's really not alll that bad~ The cost of family and friends? Moving expenses, if any, and the fact that you have to establish residency in BC for 3 months until MSP medical coverage kicks in for you. So uh... try to avoid getting into drunken brawls, passing out on the street with stab wounds all over, sharing drinks with people you don't know, eating mall sushi or sushi prepared by hipsters (the Eatery, I'm looking at you...), or getting impregnated by space aliens...
Is there anything you think I should know about Vancouver before I consider moving?
It rains a whole lot, but it can be beautiful even when it does~ There are also lots of public parks, so don't be afraid to take a mental break once in awhile. It's OKAY to not give homeless people change in Vancouver (especially when you're working for minimum wage...). There is a large Asian population here, so if for sooooome reason that you don't like seeing Asian people walking around willy nilly, Vancouver's probably not the best place to move to. Also if you haven't realized by now, there is also a visible homeless population in Vancouver (mostly centered around the Downtown Eastside), a rather unfortunate social reality, and their visibility may bother some people, although I have not heard of a single person moving out of Vancouver because of it. Additionally for the most part, Vancouver is very diverse city of people who largely like to stay active and fit, and are socially progressive. As such, there are large gay communities centred around Davie Village in the West End, and along Commercial Drive in East Van.
PS If you see a Jewish boy together with an Asian girl, give this dorky couple a wave
Best of luck with your move!
Tara
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