# Vancouver- Grocery Prices, Taxes and Job Prospects?



## SJR_Walker (Jun 25, 2014)

Hi all, first time poster here so bare with me 

I'm 20 years old and currently living in Australia. I want to move overseas and experience something different, and I'm considering Vancouver as a possible place to move to.

From what I gather, the cost of living seems reasonable especially on a minimum wage, but I keep finding conflicting statements over the price of groceries. Some people say they're $60-80/week for one person some say they're alot more expensive. Could someone clarify how expensive they are?

I've also read up about income tax and factored that into the cost of living if I'm on a minimum wage job, but heard there are other taxes. Are there?

And last but not least- job opportunities. What are job prospects like in the grater Vancouver area? Nothing skilled, just anything full time.

TL;DR- 
How expensive are groceries? 
What taxes other than income tax come out of your weekly income?
Are the job opportunities in the greater Vancouver area any good?

Thanks in advance


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

With no working skills to speak of you will only get into Canada if you apply and are approved for a WHV (Working Holiday Visa). 
Read:-http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/australia-australie/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

The cost of living in Vancouver is actually quite high compared to other places in Canada.


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## LizS (Jan 16, 2014)

Hey SJR,

This is an awesome website to compare prices (incl. grocery):
Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast, Australia And Vancouver, Canada

You'll probably find alcohol and rent more costly than what you're used to. If you play tennis, we do have plenty of free to use courts all over the city. (So ignore the tennis court rental comparison) 

As an Aussie, you'll probably do well looking for bar or restaurant work, as we like accents over here. We still have several hotels in town that are unionized. If you can get hired in a hotel or a hotel bar/restaurant your minimum wage can be considerable higher (up to 50%). Of course, tips will help and really make a difference in Canada (don't know if its like that in Australia). You could conceivably make more in tips than wage depending on how busy your workplace is and how good you are.

If you're interested in skiing, mountain biking, or the outdoor life, you should look at Whistler and our local mountains (Seymour, Grouse, Cypress) as they seem to be overrun with OZ/Kiwi young staff (the latter are within public transportation reach). In Vancouver, Commercial Drive is our affordable student/young hippie/old European neighbourhood.

Other than Income Tax, you will see CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) and EI (Un-Employment Insurance) deductions off your paycheque. Income Tax obviously depends on the size of your paycheque as you're taxed at a higher rate for higher income. For a service worker on about minimum wage, you could comfortably expect to pay about 10-15% income tax, 5% CPP 2% EI. If on the other hand you got a good paying office job, your taxes could soar to 30-40%.
Canadian income tax rates for Individuals - current and previous years

Finally, on all but a few basic essentials (baby food, milk) we are taxed GST (Goods & Services Tax) and PST (Provincial Sales Tax) on all goods and services. So the sticker price isn't what you pay at the register, annoyingly. GST is 5% and PST is 7%.

The consensus I hear from young foreign workers is that Vancouver is awesome and the lifestyle is fun and laid back. It's down to you, and how sociable you are though, as some find Vancouver a lonely, unfriendly city. I think being young and Australian will work in your favour on that score, though.

Hope that helps,
Liz

source: bartender in union hotel bar in Vancouver for 7 years.


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

Vancouver is one the most expensive places to live in the world, even if you take off the cost of buying a house. As I have said many times on here, no matter where you live, grocery prices depend a lot on what type of food you buy and where you shop, so trying to guess how much it would cost you is impossible. If you are the type to just stop into a store to buy a few things, you will ultimately be paying more than if you plan your shopping visit, look thru sales flyers, shop at lower priced stores, buy things when on sale instead of waiting until you need them etc. Stores like WalMart Supercenter and Real Canadian Superstore are usually about 20% less, overall, than stores like Safeway, Save-ON, Overwaitee, Thrifty's etc etc, and the average corner store. Don't believe everything some people may tell you about prices, some people don't care what they pay for food, so may not even realize they could get it cheaper some where else, thats how the expensive stores stay in business. We have more extra money at the end of the month than people we know who make a lot more money, I mean why pay $11 for coffee when it can be had for $8, and even goes on sale for $6, or why pay $10 for cereal when its should only be $7, and so on, but people do cause they will only shop at one store, and then they complain about the high cost of living, Canada is expensive, but some people make it seem even more expensive because of bad shopping habits.. ALSO, there is NO GST tax in BC, as mentioned in the previous reply, and don't trust NUMBEO to be all that accurate, (link in same previous reply),


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

gringotim said:


> .. ALSO, there is NO GST tax in BC,


Oooops, me bad, didn't have my glasses on, thought LizS had said we are taxed HST, but it was GST she wrote, so ignore my statement that there is no GST in BC, it was the HST tax we got rid of last year.


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## SJR_Walker (Jun 25, 2014)

LizS said:


> Hey SJR,
> 
> You'll probably find alcohol and rent more costly than what you're used to. If you play tennis, we do have plenty of free to use courts all over the city. (So ignore the tennis court rental comparison)
> 
> ...


Wow, thanks for the information! The taxes don't seem too bad. This is probably a silly question, but how common is it for employers to pay $2-3 more per hour than the minimum wage? I can _just_ get by on $10.25/hour and save $5 a week.

I'm not very sociable where I am now, but you'd be forced to when you're in a completely foreign place and don't know anyone (that's part of why I want to travel). I don't imagine it'd be hard to find an expat community around town or go to one of those "meetup" nights at a local bar or something. I've heard alot about everyone loving our true blue accents so it shouldn't be a problem anyway 

I'll have to get a new Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate before I leave, for sure.


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## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

Hi & Welcome to the forums!

To help with food cost comparisons, here are a few links for grocery stores you'd find on the Lower Mainland of BC (I've used Burnaby for the flyer searches)...

*Real Canadian Superstore*
Real Canadian Superstore - Flyers

*Walmart Canada*
Walmart Burnaby Store: Lougheed Highway & Austin Ave | BC, Canada

*No Frills*
No Frills - Flyers

*Save-On Foods*
select your store | Save-On-Foods

*Canada Safeway *
https://www.safeway.ca/default.asp?page=specials&mainurl=weekly.asp&navurl=leftbar/lft_save.asp


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## LizS (Jan 16, 2014)

SJR_Walker said:


> Wow, thanks for the information! The taxes don't seem too bad. This is probably a silly question, but how common is it for employers to pay $2-3 more per hour than the minimum wage? I can _just_ get by on $10.25/hour and save $5 a week.
> 
> I'm not very sociable where I am now, but you'd be forced to when you're in a completely foreign place and don't know anyone (that's part of why I want to travel). I don't imagine it'd be hard to find an expat community around town or go to one of those "meetup" nights at a local bar or something. I've heard alot about everyone loving our true blue accents so it shouldn't be a problem anyway
> 
> I'll have to get a new Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate before I leave, for sure.


My pleasure. It's nice to get insider info. Keep asking people and you'll start to get a realistic picture, as we all have our biases and aren't always accurate.

For any job serving alcohol in British Columbia you'll need Serving It Right:
Serving It Right - Home

Some, but not all, also require Food Safe:
https://www.go2hr.ca/training/foodsafe-correspondence

I'd get the Serving It Right ahead if I were applying for any jobs serving alcohol, as that will look good on your resume. An employer will probably give you a couple weeks to get Food Safe after you start, if you need it.

2 Aussie bars in Vancouver (for work and/or socializing): 
Moose's Down Under Bar and Grill | Aussie hospitality in the heart of downtown Vancouver
ANZA Club | Mt. Pleasant Pub and Venue
We have lots of brew pubs and microbreweries with bars if you have any background in that.

This is a job board specifically for hospitality industry:
https://www.go2hr.ca/jobboard

Do you know Craigslist? Its job board is well-used in Vancouver:
vancouver, BC food/beverage/hospitality jobs classifieds - craigslist

Some jobs list wages. Many don't. It's not rare to find jobs for more than minimum wage, but minimum wage (or less) is most common. You can find bartending jobs that pay $15-$20/hour, but that's if you have experience, and AFTER you've been there awhile (especially if it's a union property, which is getting rare). Don't count on it though.

Employers in BC are now allowed to pay SOME employees who serve alcohol LESS than the minimum wage: $9/hour. Read this to know the rules:
https://www.go2hr.ca/articles/minimum-wages

It's not easy to get a bartender job if you have no bartending experience (although the accent will definitely help). If you don't have any, maybe look at a bar back job or server or host job to get your foot in the door, and hopefully get promoted from within. 

You also need to be aware that some of our big chain restaurants can treat staff like crap. Too many staff on (less tips), unfair tip pooling, or the manager skimming (not allowed, but happens), and so on. Do some research online on the company before accepting a job, or be prepared to keep hunting if you find a bad one. Some are good. Like anywhere, right?

You could also look at sharing rent to keep expenses down when you first arrive. This is a great way to meet people instantly and avoid feeling lonely when you're a newbie. Also we have hostels which I heard from an Irish bartender can be a hoot, when you first visit.

And don't forget, if you get a full-time restaurant job, you usually get one free meal a day when you work, and that will keep grocery costs down!

Liz


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