"Second hand anxiety": Canadian asks British Columbians how they are affording to live

“How… do you guys afford to live in this province,” a fellow Canadian is asking British Columbians.

BC has the highest cost of living of any Canadian province, with average home prices more than double the national average. It’s the most expensive place to buy or rent, go to the dentist, buy a plane ticket, take public transport, buy clothes, or stay in a hotel.

No wonder Canadians living outside BC are getting “second-hand anxiety.”

In a recent post from a Redditor from Saskatchewan, they explained that everyone they grew up with “always wanted to move to BC.”

“That was the cool place to be,” they said. “More artsy, better weather, more woke, more shit to do.”

However, “I was in the same boat until I saw the housing prices,” the Redditor added.

“It literally costs $1 million to have an AVERAGE house in BC. In my city (Saskatoon), the average house costs 375k. Less than HALF.”

They went on to say they can’t even comprehend how people in BC are surviving. 

“Are you simply doomed to pay rent and have roomies for the rest of your life? Are wages ridiculously high? … I don’t get it.”

While they would like to live in a “better climate,” they said they would not make the move if it meant possibly going hungry. 

“Am I missing something?!?” they asked. 

This question prompted over 700 responses as of Thursday afternoon. 

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Some people called living in BC a “financial prison,” given that, while people can’t particularly afford the high cost of living in the province, they also don’t have enough money to leave. 

“I thought I was poor in Ontario, then I moved here, and now I’m so poor I can’t even get out if I wanted!” flanderdalton commented. 

Others said they are adjusting their expectations to what they can afford. 

Instead of an “average house,” many choose to live in apartments, basement suites, and/or areas outside main city hubs. 

As someone from the outside looking in – how in all that is holy, do you guys afford to live in this province
byu/lickmewhereIshit inbritishcolumbia

Many social media users suggested that living outside the Metro Vancouver area has greatly benefited them. 

“If you have a fairly decent job, living outside the Vancouver/island area, you’ll be able to save and afford a bit more,” antigoneelectra said. 

“Houses are still decently affordable the further north you go. Things start to settle down around Cache Creek,” TeamChevy86 said. 

“Housing is a lot more affordable outside of Vancouver, that’s how I managed to buy a house,” Kingofcheeses said. 

Another popular answer was that many are able to live in BC because of generational wealth. For those lucky enough to have parents who own property, “The new way is an inheritance,” jenh6 said. 

The soaring cost of living in BC has caused many to analyze their spending, develop creative solutions, and/or pick up side hustles. However, in some instances, that is still not enough.