Single in Vancouver? Here's how much it costs to live a lonely life in the city
Vancouver might be known for being a lonely city, but it’s also an amazing place for many of us to live our best single lives. We can sunbathe on the beach, ski down the jaw-dropping mountains, and dine at some of the city’s mouthwatering restaurants.
Not to burst your bubble, but living your best single life in Vancouver isn’t cheap.
According to Numbeo, a website that crowdsources information to compare the cost of living across cities, the average monthly cost of a person living alone in Vancouver is around $1,590. Woah.
The worst part? That amount doesn’t include rent either. With the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the city seeing prices soar above $3,000, it looks like people flying solo are doomed from the start.
Here’s a breakdown of what single people spend their money on monthly in Vancouver.
Utilities
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While rent may not be included in Numbeo’s monthly cost, those pesky utility fees in your apartment sadly are.
According to the cost of living database, a person living alone in Vancouver spends around $183.59 on basic utilities of electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage. They also spend $66.45 per month on mobile plans and $84.37 on internet.
Transportation
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Transportation is also another costly expense for Vancouverites. Gas prices range from around $1.70 to $2.15 per litre, which can quickly add up depending on how often you travel, whether you drive to work or like to visit places just outside of the city.
For those who forgo driving, monthly transit passes for the Skytrain and buses range from $104.90 to $189.45, depending on how many zones you travel in. It might be cheaper than the cost of gas, but that’s still $100 less in your bank account, plus you don’t get the privacy of a car to belt out your favourite tunes.
Fitness
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It wouldn’t be Vancouver without all of the active people within the city. While there are some beautiful places to go on runs that cost nothing, Numbeo reported that the people in the city spend an average of $61.39 on fitness membership passes.
Groceries
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Vancouver is no stranger to outcries at inflation and tax hikes. People around the city have been stunned at grocery prices, with one woman seeing a $9 cauliflower.
Adding Numbeo’s average prices for basic grocery items, Vancouverites spend an average of $107.48 per week on essentials such as milk, eggs, chicken, onions, and more. That cost goes up if you include alcohol.
Dining out
Dine Out Vancouver
Once you’ve exhausted your at-home diet of Kraft Dinners and pesto pasta, you’re bound to dine out at some of the incredible establishments around the city.
For those who tend to dine out on a budget, the average price people spend on an inexpensive meal is $25, according to Numbeo. But this price jumps to around $60 for one person having a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant.
How much each person spends on dining out will vary a lot from month to month, depending on how often they go to restaurants, how many occasions they have to celebrate, or how their dating life is going. Either way, even eating out once a week at a cheaper restaurant will average around $100 per month, according to Numbeo’s figures.
With it costing that much to live life as a single person in Vancouver, we might just start hopping on the cuffing season trend.
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