Vancouver Or Calgary.

[kieran_uk]

Hi guys so from a previous post you may seen that me and my fiancé are moving to canada from england, she is a nurse and me....well i am jack of all trades master of none lol. basically i can do anything from Security/Bouncing, to customer service, sales and graphic design. So basically she has two job offers, both the same wage and both the same job more or less....one of which is in Vancouver, the other of which is in Calgary....now obviously because we don't really know canada only having spent two weeks in Toronto which we was not a big fan of (sorry too anyone in toronto) we wondered what you locals would suggest. which is the best place to live for Weather....Financial reasons....crime...etc... you get the gist. Which one is going to help us gain a better standard of living. is either place depressing like we found toronto too be or are both places full of life, beautiful and worth living there. We have done research on both places and we love them. they both look amazing and so beautiful. we would just like a more expert point of view? so guys, sell them too us

 

[stopDA]

Hi guys so from a previous post you may seen that me and my fiancé are moving to canada from england, she is a nurse and me....well i am jack of all trades master of none lol. basically i can do anything from Security/Bouncing, to customer service, sales and graphic design. So basically she has two job offers, both the same wage and both the same job more or less....one of which is in Vancouver, the other of which is in Calgary....now obviously because we don't really know canada only having spent two weeks in Toronto which we was not a big fan of (sorry too anyone in toronto) we wondered what you locals would suggest. which is the best place to live for Weather....Financial reasons....crime...etc... you get the gist. Which one is going to help us gain a better standard of living. is either place depressing like we found toronto too be or are both places full of life, beautiful and worth living there. We have done research on both places and we love them. they both look amazing and so beautiful. we would just like a more expert point of view? so guys, sell them too us

Vancouver is a much more progressive part of Canada while Calgary is probably Canada's most conservative major city. Vancouver is also more artsy than Calgary.

The weather in Vancouver is much nicer than Calgary's year-round. The summers are way too hot in Calgary and the winters are way too cold. In the winter, foehn winds from the Rocky Mountains can cause huge temperature fluctuations within the same day such that you'd have to use both heating and cooling for temperature regulation. But Vancouver's average high temperatures aren't very high and are mostly nice and cool. The winters in Vancouver are mild, although it rains a lot due to the mountainous terrain near the sea.

As for the cost of living, Calgary is definitely the cheaper option. Finding affordable housing in Vancouver is darn near impossible. Speculative housing bubbles has made accommodation in Vancouver unaffordable. The streets also have a major congestion problem due to it being the most densely populated Canadian city.

Vancouver has more crime than Calgary, but both these crime rates are very low. Go to the following links for more information:

http://www.insideprison.com/city_crime_statistics_Canada.asp?geog=CALGARY,%20ALTA.,%20MUNICIPAL,%20ALTA.%20-%20%28CALGARY,%2048014%29&pop=1,038,481

http://www.insideprison.com/city_crime_statistics_Canada.asp?geog=VANCOUVER,%20B.C.,%20MUNICIPAL,%20B.C.%20-%20%28VANCOUVER,%2059023%29&pop=609,785

 

[fkl]

When you are moving from another country, income / job vs cost of living is far more important than being nice or having a good weather. Prospective job opportunities for you would be an important part the equation

If you consider Vancouver in any (it is more expensive, not just housing but every thing else too), first you need to see if you would be able to manage cost of living there.

Following comparison might help

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&city1=Calgary&country2=Canada&city2=Vancouver

 

[TheAwesomeMatt]

Climate wise you'll be quite familiar with Vancouver, it's in an area that is very similar to England though it's rains a little more, for instance Manchester gets 800mm of rain a year and Vancouver gets about 1600mm.

Work wise you'll personally be better in Calgary, there are more opportunities for yourself and it's where the money is atm.

Calgary is cheaper to live in. The cost of housing in Vancouver has increased with speculative investment and natural immigration/lack of space, it's impossible to get a house without a small lottery win as a down payment.

I enjoyed my time in Vancouver, it's a great city but if I were to pick I'd go with Calgary atm. Until the property bubble bursts, at least.

Or learn to love Toronto?

 

[jenny12345]

After living in Calgary for 5+ years and being in Vancouver only 4 days, I would pick Vancouver. Calgary seems so fast paced and people and weather arent as friendly

 

[Jo3r1]

I just love the Calgary weather, Vancouver may be a nice city but for the weather Calgary wins hands down imo. Nice, warm summers without the crazy humidity. Winters are cold, but I'll take a nice sunny walk at -25°C over a cloudy and wet 3°C, and the Chinooks often bring a couple of nice days in the winter. I often had breakfast/barbecues outside and walking to work in t-shirt this winter.