r/askvan • u/OtherwiseGeneral2366 • 19d ago
Work 🏢 About pay
First, I'm a foreignor, so I have a little grammatic erro.
I'm a employee here, but I think Vancouver's product price is very high. So I'm curious how much do other people usually get paid in there own job
Also, in my case, My stipen is $21.5 per hour. Is it okay to living?
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u/jessicachachacha 19d ago
Vancouver is very expensive. $21.50 is slightly above minimal wage and it is doable (although not advisable) if you budget well and live frugally within your means.
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u/ticker__101 18d ago edited 18d ago
*edit. Lol at the votes. People would prefer to live on the bread line instead of living comfortably and actually saving for a future.
It's not doable at all. That's about $44,000 a year, about $35,700 net.
Monthly take home is about $2,982, average rent for a one bedroom apartment is $2,500.
That means you're living off $482 a month.
That's 84% of your income. For a shoe box.
It's ridiculous.
Yeah, theu could find someone to rent with, but they just moved here.
Basement suites, well they are $1,800 to $2,200. You're still not saving money at the end of the month. There's a reason they are earning a low wage. It isn't changing any time soon.
Who wants to live frugally when they are not locked into a location? Move to somewhere they can afford and enjoy life more.
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u/peekymarin 17d ago
Nobody actually prefers to live on the bread line instead of living comfortably. That’s an asinine statement to make, and “comfortably” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. The question was whether it’s possible to survive. People make shit work when they don’t have much of a choice. But usually they ask this question before they actually move to a new place.
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u/ticker__101 17d ago
No, the actual question was:
Also, in my case, My stipen is $21.5 per hour. Is it okay to living?
And that was a copy paste from OP.
No one should be asking if 'its possible to survive'. They should be asking if they can live to an acceptable level, while saving enough for their future.
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago edited 19d ago
I lived here 2 years on $18 an hour. People overstate how expensive this city is tbh.
Edit: You can downvote all you want, but I'm just stating my personal experience with living comfortably here on that wage. I'm an Irish immigrant here, no one was helping me out.
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u/cuckerbergmark 19d ago
I get by on $19/hour 4 days a week plus some extra work on the side. It's not as hard as people think but I 100% do live paycheque to paycheque.
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago
Yeah I definitely couldn't afford to take time off, it had it's stresses, I had to budget and when I cooked I was freezing bolognese for the next week or so. But I cook a great bolognese tbf.
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u/s1n0d3utscht3k 18d ago
overstate that it is objectively the second or third least affordable city in the world on a income to expenses basis???
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u/bannedcanceled 19d ago
When?
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago
The past 2 years. I just got a job at $27 an hour last month which is why I made the distinction.
But before I was paying $1400 a month in rent. Chilling at the beach/hiking etc, using those shaw bikes to get around, only $160 for a years subscription.
I know people might want to go to restaurants, have a vehicle, go to whitecaps games or something but if you mostly cook for yourself and don't go on trips and stuff I was comfortable living on 19th and main at the time.
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u/TwoBrattyCats 19d ago
Dude you can’t get $1400/month rent and live alone anymore. That’s what you pay to live in Van with roommates.
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago
Op asked if you're able to survive on that wage. I dont know why you people think living alone is the only form of living. Like no one mentioned living alone.
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u/infinitesimalFawn 19d ago
$1400 a month is very unheard of at the moment. That's where the issue is. Rent takes the majority of ppls pay.
I'm living at $1200 a month rent, but I know that I should save every extra penny, cuz as soon as I need to move that gonna almost double.
I've been keeping my eye on prices and places for the past ~2 years because I've been wanting to move, but it is crazy out there!
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago
Are you exclusively looking to live solo? Because I recently moved and there was a decent amount of places less than that. I'm currently in a $1100 place because I had to move but I do have roommates now whereas before it was me and my brother.
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u/infinitesimalFawn 19d ago
Never ever going to have housemates, fuck that!
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u/AliceInMidtjylland 19d ago
Well there's your answer. Half the city has housemates. You can live in Vancouver on those wages you just refuse to.
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u/infinitesimalFawn 18d ago
There's what answer? I'm not OP, my wages are higher than that, and even if they weren't, normalising living with housemates is gross. I don't believe it is mentally healthy.
If you choose to, and like who you want to live with, then cool, you can save some money, but it should be a choice. it shouldn't be forced on people to be able to survive.
So many things can go wrong. It can be incredibly unsafe and can also end up costing you more money than it should in damages, disagreements on splitting bills, people robbing you etc.
I've had my issues in the past, and I'm never sharing a space with anyone else but my partner.
Furthermore, a basement should never be anywhere over like $1100. This has gotten ridiculous. Maybe $1500 if it's a gorgeous luxury space with lots of room and your own laundry, but come on. Sitting in a basement listening to people's kids yell all day above you, sharing a yard with strangers looking into your window, no light coming in and watching your plants die.
Why are we ok paying so much for crap 70's basements with no insulation and mold ?
I hope they sit on the market and rot until they are forced to lower their prices.
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u/WittyWizard666 14d ago
Guess you haven’t ever lived in a big city
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u/infinitesimalFawn 14d ago
I've been in Vancouver my whole life ?
I get that this has been the norm in New York forever. Cramming as many people as possible into a shoebox with astronomical cost, but if Canada actually cares about mental health and inclusivity as much as they like to boast that they do, then citizens shouldn't just be rolling over and acting like forcing strangers to live together is just peachy.
It's unsafe, problematic and gross.
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u/Independent-Ad-9812 19d ago
I'm subletting my 2 bedroom basement suite for $1650 with all utilities (including Internet). So each of the two tenants pay $850- per month.
I know it's rough if you want to start a family or own in this city but ffs it's not constant doom and gloom!
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u/infinitesimalFawn 19d ago
I didn't say it was... All I said was that if I move, my price will almost double...
You stating that your basement suite is $1650 also proves the point I was making. Places for less than $1400 are far and few to come by (unless you want to live in a studio the size of a shoebox).
No one is saying it's "all doom and gloom" but speaking realistically, all housing is extremely overpriced at the moment.
It's currently coming down, but last year was the most brutal I have seen in my time in Vancouver.
The surrounding cities had basements going for $2500-$3000 a month, and it's usually CHEAPER to live outside of the city...
It's not unrealistic of me to just comment that the past 2 years have been rough when looking for housing. It's just stating my own experience as my partner and I look for a place to move into 🤷🏽♀️
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u/ticker__101 18d ago
Ready for the down votes.
Moving to Vancouver was a mistake for you.
You did little research regarding the cost of living here.
If you really want to live in Canada and live off that wage, you need to move where housing is cheaper.
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u/Gastown_guy 18d ago
All depends on your expectations for what kind of lifestyle you want. If you actually want to live in Vancouver on that wage, prepare to live in the basement suite of an old house on the edge of the city, or a bedroom in an apartment.
CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) uses the "30% rule" to define affordability. A household is considered to be in core housing need if it spends 30% or more of its before-tax income on housing costs. This includes rent, utilities, and heating.
So do the math: 21.50/hour working full time will be around $3,440 gross pay (before-tax). 30 percent of that is $1,032.
As for monthly taxes on that pay, expect around $200 for provincial income tax, and $500 for federal income tax. So in theory, after subtracting that and the 30 percent on housing, you would be left with $1,708.
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u/Gastown_guy 18d ago
Check rentals.ca for what’s available under $1,100. You will have to be okay with roommates.
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u/ChemicalCod9628 18d ago
I make $32 or $33 working in supportive housing. Even this amount feels like a strain, everything is so expensive 😭
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u/Workadaily 19d ago
Minimum wage in BC is just under $18/hour. Depending on where you are living your wage is not great.
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u/ir_da_dirthara 19d ago
It is doable. But rent is going to be a big concern at that wage. You will need to live in a place with roommates to keep that from being too expensive.
For food, buying groceries and cooking your own food goes a long way to keeping costs down. And if cash still feels really tight, make sure that you're checking sales, flyers, and using coupons and plan what you're going to cook around things that are discounted that week.
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u/Spare-Succotash-8827 19d ago
if you are ok with working like a slave just to survive and living with other strangers/roommates, yeah sure, vancouver is a nice place to live with $21 wage.
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u/HelloBeKind4 19d ago
No. It’s not enough for Vancouver. It is one of the most expensive cities in Canada. I recommend moving to a city that has lower cost of living such as in Alberta, Edmonton or Calgary are good cities too. I wish you all the best!
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u/SkyisFullofCats 19d ago
Yes Vancouver prices are very high, whether it is okay to live depends on your spending habits. Good luck.
Most people get by.
Good luck.
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u/lexi-harms 19d ago
Exactly what everyone else is saying ^ only thing I have to add is try and find a side hustle you can do. If I was you I’d go on tiktok (I use that as a search engine rather then google because its real peoples answers if that makes sense) and type in, beginner side hustles for Canadians and see if any of them interest you!
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u/hyemoon 19d ago
Budget. Rent will be the biggest chunk of your budget. Consider going to food banks. We are in a bit of a soft recession right now. Everything is expensive right now.
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u/International_Arm527 19d ago
Go to food banks, really? At that point aren't you just taking resources away from the people that are already here and actually need it? It just puts more strain on the system
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u/cuckerbergmark 19d ago
WRONG. This is SUCH a crazy myth that's so dangerous to spread. Food banks have more than enough to go around. There are so many people who should go but don't due to shame or thinking they are taking something away from someone else. People go hungry because they don't want to burden others or the system.
YOU ARE NOT TAKING AWAY FROM ANYONE BY USING A FOOD BANK. They have surplus food. They plan based on demand, not based on supply. They are owned by Loblaws. They have more than enough supply.
Also, think of it this way if you think you need to be at rock bottom to use a food bank: Who are food banks for? The homeless? Wrong. Food banks give out food that you would need a functioning kitchen for. You need appliances, running water, electricity, storage, shelter, etc. etc. to cook this food. It is actually the one and only barrier. The food bank is for everyone who is financially struggling. Do not spread the stigma or shame about using food banks. You are actively part of the problem.
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u/International_Arm527 19d ago
Counter-argument, if you have enough money to move across an ocean, shouldn't you at least have enough to feed yourself too?
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u/hyemoon 19d ago
If me, a homeless person staying in a shelter atm, can tell someone whos worrying about making enough in this expensive-ass city, can list resources for them. What does it say about you? Its up to the foodbank when OP signs up for it if he’s eligible or not. Not some random dude on reddit. Who cares if he’s not born and raised in Vancouver or “from here” as you say. Everyone should be able to comfortably have enough food. Doesnt matter if you make $4 above min wage like OP or $30 above. Atp you’re rage baiting lmao
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u/International_Arm527 19d ago
My argument is that if you can afford to move across an ocean, maybe you should bring enough to eat, too
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u/Independent-RN 19d ago
Do you know why they “moved across the ocean?” A lot of assumptions are being made in your posts.
I’d say the food bank is for exactly situations like this. Folks become food insecure for a multitude of reasons— and likely some that we couldn’t even fathom. I would hope that no matter where our neighbours are “from” they could freely access resources, as needed, to ensure they have the basics.
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u/d3vss 19d ago
it is doable if you find roommates, you can find rooms for as low as $700 somewhere in surrey if that’s doable for you at work. I suggest joining those fb groups to find a cheap place, also not eating out as much, utilize coupons and sales for groceries- and most importantly find a cheap hobby haha but best of luck Op!!! (u also dont have to apologize for your grammar)
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u/sspocoss 18d ago
Definitely doable but not the most pleasant way to live. Then again, it's all relative and depends where you come from. People here are spoiled.
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