Bravo on your exciting decision to move from Toronto to Vancouver! This vibrant city offers an enriching blend of experiences that promise to invigorate your life like never before.
Relocating from Toronto to Vancouver might seem daunting, but it's simpler than you think. With thoughtful planning and a trustworthy moving company by your side, you're set for a hassle-free journey that won't dent your savings. Welcome to your exciting new chapter in Vancouver!
Benefits of moving from Toronto to Vancouver
If you are still wondering whether you are making the right decision, here is some useful information about your new home.
- Beautiful nature
While nature is beautiful all over Canada, Vancouver is leading the way. It's one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. In the first year or two, you'll keep feeling surprised about the true beauty around you. Even if you are just out for a short walk.
Situated between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, this amazing place has truly magnificent views. Vancouver offers beautiful mountains, an impressively huge harbor, and numerous beaches with truly grand sunsets.
Smack in the middle of this big city, you will find a 1000-acre Stanley Park. Vast natural forest, impressive shoreline, and top walking trails will leave you breathless. In a good way.
Wherever in Vancouver you choose to live, beautiful nature is less than a short walk away.
- Excellent weather
Moving from Toronto to Vancouver is definitely worth it if you want to live in an excellently mild climate. You won't have to face freezing winters or hot summers. The temperature is between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius in the winter and around 22⁰C in the summer.
Many people choose this large city for its climate. Many retirees decide to move to Vancouver when they get tired of hard-to-tolerate freezing temperatures.
Since there are many places in Canada where you can go skiing during the cold season, it's nice to live in a place where winters are mild.
By the way, world-class ski resorts in the Rockies are just a few hours away.
- Amazing food
If you are a fan of seafood, you are definitely moving to the right place. A huge variety of fresh fish and other ocean food variety is waiting for you at the nearby restaurants. Local restauranteurs work hard to please both visitors and residents.
From sushi to fried calamari, you can dive into the new taste every weekend. If you don't favor seafood, you can enjoy a variety of dishes from around the world. From ramen to burgers, you will always find something you love in Vancouver.
The food variety doesn't just make foodies happy. You can find a delicious option for a budget of any size.
- A smart approach to building
Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world for making the most out of the smallest place. City planners and architects come to Vancouver to learn about urban planning that even has its own name, Vancouverism.
The smart approach to planning allows all newcomers to live in well-built neighborhoods with greenery, breathtaking views, and excellent infrastructure. High-rise buildings mix with smaller houses to preserve view lines.;
- Incredible friendliness
When you are moving to a new place, you want to feel welcome. People in Vancouver are so friendly, you'll feel at home right away. Canadian cities are some of the friendliest places in the world for newcomers. Vancouver is one of the friendliest places in one of the friendliest countries.
You can always find someone who is willing to help you get to know the new city and make friends with neighbors.
- Wildlife
If you are a fan of nature, you can get a glimpse of such animals as grizzlies, eagles, sea otters, whales, and many more. The wildlife in Vancouver can leave you breathless and give you another reason to call your Toronto friends and family for a visit.
You can take advantage of the proximity of such wildlife to study it with your kids, parents, and friends.
Many Vancouver locals go on long weekend hikes and fishing trips. They spend their days off in cabins where you can experience the amazing mix of wildlife, nature, and safety.
Another way to explore the outdoors without going out in the wild is to visit the Vancouver aquarium. In this award-winning aquarium, you can see a great selection of sea life.
- Active nightlife
If you want to experience exciting nightlife, Vancouver can offer you an exciting selection of options. A huge number of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants can diversify every evening for a lifetime.
When you settle in and want to go and explore the nightlife options. If you are a theater buff, you can visit the best theater in Vancouver - the Pacific Theater. The live shows there are priceless!
- Excellent public transport system
If you don't have a personal vehicle, don't worry. Vancouver is a wonderful place to live without a car. Thanks to a highly convenient and efficient public transport system, you will never experience a problem with getting to any part of this city.
In fact, you may easily decide not to get a car at all. Using public transportation doesn't just save you money. It saves the planet.
Meanwhile, easily accessible and widespread bike lanes allow you to take care of your health while getting to your destination. Thanks to the mild climate (no freezing temperatures in the winter like in Toronto), you can ride a bike all year long.
- Variety of beaches
If you like swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying a game of beach volleyball, Vancouver is a great place to live. The city boasts nine beautiful beaches. Each one of them has all the necessary infrastructure for summertime fun.
While you can't swim or sunbathe in the winter, you can still come to these beaches to enjoy beautiful sunsets or romantic picnics. While Toronto lakes are fun too. It’s hard to compare them to the true grandeur of the ocean.
- Fantastic shopping
If you are a fan of shopping, moving from Toronto to Vancouver is a great decision. Vancouver is a shopper's paradise. Large shopping malls, second-hand stores, small boutiques, and many more places are waiting for you to take your pick. Once you enter downtown, you'll be dazzled by the huge variety of shopping opportunities.
The top big shopping malls are Pacific Center, Oakridge, Kingsgate Mall, and Park Royal. Check them all out!
- Mix of urban and nature
The best part about living in Vancouver is enjoying this city's impressive versatility. When you move from Toronto to Vancouver, you join an exciting world of outdoor activities in tandem with all the benefits of city life.
You never have to go far to enjoy a couple of days in the wild. Everything is just a short drive away.
Vancouver is a wonderful place for sightseeing. Your friends and family from Toronto will love visiting your new home. Who knows? Maybe they’ll love the idea of moving from Toronto to Vancouver too.
Cons of moving from Toronto to Vancouver
While Vancouver is an excellent place to move, every major city has its disadvantages. This one isn't an exception:
High housing cost - it's not a secret that life in Vancouver isn't cheap. However, there are many opportunities for saving as well. Just think how much you can save on traveling when wild nature and the ocean are at your fingertips.
Nightlife - while the city has excellent nightlife options, they aren't as rich as in Toronto. Thankfully, it's always easy to find a place to see and be seen. All you have to do is some research.
Traffic - locals say that traffic in Vancouver is the worst in Canada. While it may not be the worst per se, it's not great either. Thankfully, there are plenty of bike lanes. You can become a biking guru in no time.
Once you move from Vancouver to Toronto, these cons will look minor and easy to adjust to.
Education as a reason for moving from Toronto to Vancouver
If you are planning to get an education in Vancouver or looking for education options for your children, you have access to numerous opportunities. The universities in Vancouver have impressively high rankings.
University of British Columbia - 40th spot in the Worlds University Rankings
University Canada West - 81st in the Webometrics Rankings of Universities
Emily Carr University of Art and Design - 77th in the Webometrics Rankings of Universities
British Columbia is the first Canadian province that gives its students a globally accepted seal of quality for higher education (Education Quality Assurance).
Looking for property after moving to Vancouver
Vancouver has housing options for a variety of budgets. The average price of a house in this city is about $1,150,000. That's about $100,000 higher than in Toronto. However, the difference in price is made up by an improvement in climate and nature-seeing opportunities.
If you are planning to rent an apartment, you can find an impressive number of options in different neighborhoods. Thanks to the special urban planning, it's easy to find an apartment with an impressive view. As of November 2022, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment is $2500.
The takeaway
Vancouver is a wonderful place to live. It has excellent nature spots, beautiful beaches, wonderful shopping, rich nightlife, and much more. Moving from Toronto to Vancouver doesn't have to be hard, especially if you choose a professional moving company.
If you have a set date for your move, it's a good idea to begin organizing it early on. This approach will make the whole process easier and help guarantee a seamless and secure relocation across the nation.
