Canada, Vancouver

Country Full Name: Canada.

Location: Canada is in Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the USA.

Country Climate: Varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north.

Country Terrain: Mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast.

Major Languages: English, French (both official).

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 2.1 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Canada is one of the world's wealthiest, with a high per-capita income, and it is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G8. It is one of the world's top ten trading nations.

Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD). Make an international currency transfer to Canada.

Inflation: 2.9% (2011 est.).

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

With its location on the Pacific Rim and at the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway and rail routes, Vancouver is one of the nation's largest industrial centres. The Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest and most diversified, does trade with over 130 different economies annually. Vancouver is also the headquarters of forest product and mining companies. In recent years, Vancouver has become an increasingly important centre for software development, biotechnology and a vibrant film industry.

The cost of living in Vancouver in Canada is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Vancouver in Canada is currently ranked 61 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 197 places that are more expensive, and 582 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 67 places that are more expensive, and 712 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 115 places that are more expensive, and 664 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 454 places that are more expensive, and 325 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 177 places that are more expensive, and 602 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 81 places that are more expensive, and 698 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 142 places that are more expensive, and 637 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 228 places that are more expensive, and 551 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 68 places that are more expensive, and 711 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 70 places that are more expensive, and 709 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 87 places that are more expensive, and 692 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 65 places that are more expensive, and 714 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 33 places that are more expensive, and 746 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Vancouver in Canada are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Vancouver in Canada is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Vancouver in Canada are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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