5 Things You NEED To Know Before Moving To Victoria, BC

Everyone is looking to move to Victoria in 2023 for the wealth of opportunity, laidback lifestyle and endless adventures there are to explore here. But, there are 5 extremely important things you need to know before moving to BC’s capital.

Cost of Living

The first thing to consider is the high cost of living. Victoria was named the 3rd most expensive city to live in behind Toronto and Vancouver. Like many major cities in Canada Victoria is experiencing a housing shortage and with more and more people wanting to live here housing supply is having a hard time keeping up. Due to this lack of supply and Victoria’s high desirability home prices have remained strong through the post covid market shift. The average cost of a single family home in the core in 2023 is about $1.3M and for a condo it’s about $580K. 2023 rental prices in the core have increased by about 10% since 2022 bringing units in the downtown area to an average of $1,350 for studios, $2,000 for 1 bedrooms and $2,700 for 2 bedrooms. Groceries, gas, and other living expenses are also among some of the highest in Canada. So come, enjoy everything this wonderful cities has to offer but know it won’t be cheap.

Access to Entertainment

The second thing to consider is the access to entertainment. Victoria has a very big city, small town vibe to it so we don’t have easy access to large concerts or professional sporting events like you would get in larger cities like Vancouver or Toronto. We do, however, have really great local events and smaller scale shows but if you’re looking for international headliners or an NHL game you’ll have to catch the ferry over the Vancouver - I’ll get into in the next section. Victoria also shuts down fairly early, so if you’re someone that enjoys experiencing the nightlife just be aware - bars close by 2, restaurants close by 10 and I wouldn’t expect to do much shopping past 6. That being said Victoria has a wonderful live music scene, amazing restaurants and great local shops - there is definitely a lot of fun to be had here.

Transportation

The third thing is transportation. Victoria is located on an Island which means you have to either take a ferry or airplane to the mainland if you’re planning a road trip or any adventure off the island. Something many people don’t realize is that Vancouver is an hour and a half ferry ride from Victoria and after the commute to the terminal, the wait for the ferry, the ferry ride and the drive to Vancouver your trip can take a total of 3-4 hours one way and adds about $200 round trip for the ferry. If you’re planning a trip across Canada, to the US or Europe you often have a short puddle jump flight to Vancouver or Seattle before setting off to your final destination. These considerations will add both time and money to your next vacation. Additionally, when it comes to commuting within Victoria fortunately traffic is fairly minimal but if you rely on public transit it can be a little challenging and time consuming as we only have a city bus system - no train or other transit system to connect the municipalities that make up the greater Victoria area.

Weather

The next thing to consider is the weather. Victoria has a VERY mild climate which is one of the many reasons people choose to live here. Unlike many places in Canada that see extreme weather conditions ranging from -20 in the winter to +30 and humid in the summer, Victoria’s year round climate is much more stable ranging from +5 to +25. Because of this when the rest of Canada is experiencing snowy winter storms Victoria experiences an increase in rainfall. That being said we do on average get less rainfall than Vancouver but you should still be prepared with your rain jacket. Because of the ocean breeze and low humidity the summers in Victoria are often much cooler and even on those scorching hot days you will likely need a sweater once the sun goes down. So if you’re one of those people that loves the snow and hot summer nights Victoria may not be the place for you.

Doctor Shortage

Lastly, it’s important to consider the doctor shortage. This is a Canada wide problem but is definitely very noticeable here in Victoria. Although there are some great specialists and Doctors here, wait times for walk in clinics are long and GP’s are very hard to come by so if you have special health consideration, I’d recommend looking into your health care options prior to making the moving.

I love Victoria and I’m confident you will to. If you have any other questions about what it’s like to live in Victoria or how to best plan your move please reach out at anytime.