Vancouver Jobs 2025: Tech, Film/VFX, Cost of Living & Is It Worth It?

I moved to Vancouver eight years ago from Toronto, and I'll be brutally honest: you're paying $2,500-3,200 monthly for a 1BR apartment that would cost $1,711 in Calgary or $1,735 in Montreal. I lived in a 450 sq ft basement suite in Kitsilano for $2,200/month in 2019—damp, no natural light, shared laundry. Moved to a 1BR in Olympic Village in 2022 for $2,850, then $3,100 after renewal. That $85,154 software developer salary sounds great until you realize you're spending $30,000-38,000 annually on rent alone—leaving you with less discretionary income than Calgary despite earning more. I watch talented developers leave Vancouver every year because they want to buy a home before age 45. My former colleague at Hootsuite moved to Calgary in 2023, bought a 3-bedroom house for $580K, and saves $1,200/month compared to Vancouver. He visits Vancouver quarterly for skiing and still comes out ahead financially.

Why I stay despite the math: It's February 15th as I write this and I'm wearing a light jacket, not a parka. My Toronto friends are dealing with -20°C while I'm hiking the Grouse Grind in sneakers. Yesterday I biked to work in a t-shirt. The North Shore mountains are 20 minutes from downtown—I've been backcountry skiing at Cypress on a Tuesday morning before work. Whistler is 2 hours (I ski 25+ days per season with an Epic Pass). You can genuinely sail in English Bay in the morning, mountain bike at North Shore in the afternoon, and hit a patio for dinner. The ocean is ALWAYS there—something about living near water changes you. I've kayaked to work in False Creek. The food scene rivals any North American city: Richmond has the best Chinese food outside Asia, Davie Street for Korean, sushi everywhere that's actually good, farm-to-table Pacific Northwest at places like Published and Ask for Luigi. If quality of life and nature access matter more than your net worth, Vancouver delivers. But I'm 34 and still renting. That stings.

The tech scene reality: Dominated by gaming (EA Vancouver employs 1,400+, Ubisoft Vancouver 800+, dozens of indie studios like Klei Entertainment and Gaslamp Games) and film/VFX (Digital Domain, Scanline VFX, MPC—Hollywood North creates constant demand for tech/VFX talent). I've seen game developer salaries at $75K-$110K for intermediate roles, but crunch culture is brutal (80-hour weeks before launches). Amazon has 5,000+ employees in Vancouver now (mostly AWS), Microsoft expanding downtown, SAP in Yaletown. Shopify opened a Vancouver office in 2021 but laid off 300+ in 2023 tech correction—that's the risk. The secret weapon: BC PNP Tech stream is the fastest immigration pathway in Canada (2-3 months processing, weekly draws, I've seen job offers get nominations in 8 weeks). Many people strategically land in Vancouver for immigration, work 1-2 years, then relocate to Toronto or Calgary after getting permanent residence. I know three people who did exactly this. Ethically questionable, financially rational, and the BC government knows it happens but can't really stop it.

The financial reality nobody admits: Entry-level developers earning $65-75K will spend 40-50% of gross income on rent and struggle to save anything. I've seen new grads living with 3 roommates in Burnaby paying $900 each just to make Vancouver work. At $85-100K, you can survive comfortably but won't buy property without dual incomes or family help ($1.2M+ for a 600 sq ft condo in a livable neighborhood, $2M+ for a detached house anywhere close to the city). At $120K+, Vancouver becomes manageable—you can actually enjoy the lifestyle you moved here for instead of just surviving. The median age of first-time homebuyers in Vancouver is now 38-42 years old, usually with partner income stacking or parents kicking in $200K-$300K for down payments. I'm genuinely considering leaving Vancouver in the next 2-3 years because I want to own property and build equity instead of enriching landlords forever. That's the Vancouver paradox: world-class quality of life funded by permanent renting or dual $120K+ incomes. If you're okay with that trade-off, it's incredible. If you want financial security and homeownership, Toronto or Calgary make more sense unless you're making $150K+.

Where to Live: Neighborhood Breakdown

Yaletown/Downtown/Coal Harbour: If you're making $120K+ and want luxury, this is it. $2,800-$3,500 for 1BR in glass towers with amenities. Walk to Amazon/Microsoft/SAP offices, hit restaurants on Mainland Street, but prepare for tourist crowds and zero grocery stores (seriously, Yaletown has NO proper supermarket—you're going to Crosstown Liquor for $8 bags of chips). I lived here briefly in 2020 and hated how sterile it felt. Good for young tech workers who prioritize convenience over character.

Olympic Village/False Creek: Where I live now ($3,100 for 1BR, 680 sq ft). Best balance of walkability, seawall access, and being near downtown. Bike to work in 15 minutes, run along the seawall, community feel. Downside: expensive ($2,700-$3,200 range), and Edgewater Casino attracts some sketchy characters at night. Lots of young families and active professionals. Rent here if you value outdoor access and can afford it.

Kitsilano: Beach neighborhood, yoga studios everywhere, organic everything. $2,400-$3,000 for 1BR, but many are basement suites or older buildings (like my damp cave for $2,200). Great if you love Kits Beach and Jericho, but you're 25-30 minutes from downtown and transit is slow. Mostly professionals 30-45 who gave up on homeownership but want "neighborhood feel."

Mount Pleasant/Commercial Drive: Best value in Vancouver proper. $2,000-$2,500 for 1BR, actual character, breweries and restaurants on Main Street, diverse community. I'd live here if I didn't need to be downtown for work. Younger crowd, artists, service industry folks who can't afford Kits. Only downside: harder to reach North Shore mountains for skiing without a car.

Burnaby/New Westminster: Where immigrants and new grads land. $1,800-$2,300 for 1BR, SkyTrain access to downtown (30-40 min commute), actually affordable. Not scenic, no walkability, but functional. Half my coworkers live here because they're saving for down payments or supporting families back home. No shame in living here—it's smart financial planning in an insane market.

My advice: If you're single and making $85K-$100K, live in Mount Pleasant or Burnaby and save aggressively. If you're making $120K+, splurge on Olympic Village or Kits and enjoy Vancouver's lifestyle. Don't live in Yaletown unless your company pays $150K+ or you genuinely love sterile glass towers.

Salaries by Sector: Real Numbers

Tech averages $85K but ranges wildly: Amazon pays new grads $95K-$110K total comp (including stock), EA Vancouver game developers make $75K-$95K (brutal hours), and smaller startups offer $70K-$85K. VFX/film tech workers at Scanline or MPC earn $80K-$120K depending on seniority. Film production is cyclical—lots of work when Hollywood shoots here, layoffs when they don't. I've seen VFX artists make $140K one year then get cut the next when a Marvel show wraps. Healthcare workers (nurses, techs) earn $70K-$90K, hospitality/service $40K-$55K (impossible to afford Vancouver on service wages without roommates or family support).

Monthly Budget: The Painful Reality

Rent: $2,181 is the "average" but you'll pay $2,500-$3,200 for anything decent in a safe neighborhood. Transit: $136/month for Compass Card (zones 1-3), though many tech workers bike May-October and transit winter. Groceries: $600/month if you shop at No Frills in Burnaby; $800+ if you shop at Whole Foods in Yaletown because it's convenient. Phone/Internet: $110 is accurate (Rogers/Telus duopoly keeps prices high). Total baseline: $3,027/month minimum, realistically $3,500-$4,000 when you add going out, gym, ski pass, etc. On an $85K salary (roughly $5,200/month after tax), you're left with $1,200-$1,700 monthly. That's why nobody in Vancouver has savings.