This average is based on many factors, including the cost of housing, transportation, food and entertainment. To put it simply, while Victoria is definitely cheaper than Vancouver, it's not a cheap city to live in. I cover some of the typical costs in the living costs in Victoria section below. Most of the time, a 2-bedroom apartment or a rental house divided between 2 people is cheaper than renting just a 1-bedroom apartment.
One of the best things about life in Victoria, British Columbia, is its climate (it's no accident that retiring in Victoria, British Columbia is a reality), as the bones of many people who move here crave a little warmth. Some people complain that Victoria, British Columbia, is depressing during the winter months, and downtown definitely doesn't have the same stores and facilities as big cities, but it really depends on what your expectations are and what you're looking for in a place to live. In this blog about living in Victoria, British Columbia, I'll discuss all the pros and cons of living in Victoria, BC, based on my own personal experiences living there, so you can decide if Victoria sounds like a place to you. While Victoria's drug problem is nothing like Downtown East in Vancouver, the city has seen a growing problem with homelessness and drug use in downtown Victoria.
However, Victoria is also home to a lot of the wildest (docile) creatures: there are few cities that can claim that both peacocks and deer roam the streets, but in Victoria that's what happens. Although Victoria is still a city (with a population of 367,000 inhabitants in the Victoria metropolitan area), even in the center of Victoria you'll have stunning views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains in the U.S. In the US, and taking a walk to the port at any time to watch the seaplanes take off through the water is a stunning sight.
