Life in BC has some residents struggling, thanks to the rising cost of living, which seems to have no end in sight.
We published this article on Wednesday based on an exclusive study conducted by Mustel Group for Daily Hive.
It revealed that among 750 BC residents, 33%, or one-third of those residents, have entertained the idea of relocating to another province.
That article received nearly 100 comments, with many people reacting to the story with sentiments about life in BC.
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Mustel Group’s study revealed that Alberta and Ontario were the most popular choices for people considering leaving BC, a sentiment that resonated in the comments of the last article.
Unfortunately, most comments from people considering leaving expressed that they loved living in BC but didn’t want to become homeless.
“I would hate to leave, but I would also hate to live in my car or a tent,” a reader said.
Another reader also suggested they make sacrifices to live here.
“I left the province and came back to BC. [It’s the] best place. It’s expensive everywhere, but quality of life and weather make a big difference; I cut down my expenses and still survive.”
Most of BC’s affordability woes are tied to the bigger municipalities like Vancouver, Burnaby, and Richmond, which have some folks chiming in about the BC Interior.
“I’m just fine here in the interior,” one reader said, while others suggested you’re still “taxed to death” in other parts of the province.
Some folks have expressed interest in moving to Europe.
“We have definitely considered moving, perhaps to northern Ontario, but also just out of Canada altogether; some European countries look pretty good.“
Based on the comments, the one destination that comes out on top is Alberta.
Going to Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta. (Ronnie Chua/Shutterstock)
It’s no wonder that many folks from BC are looking at Alberta as the logical place to go when they can’t afford to live in this province.
“Thinking to grab a less expensive home in Alberta,” one comment said.
Another commenter said, “We already left to live in Alberta just less than two years ago.”
They added that it was the best move they ever made.
The cost of housing alone would be enough to convince many to leave.
Looking at Vancouver as an example, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment last month was $2,683. You could rent two apartments in Edmonton for that much, where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,305.
“If I were you, I’d run back to … central Alberta. It’s booming here. It is the only province in Canada that is worth moving to. Everywhere else, they’re picking your pockets and stealing all your hard [earned] money with taxation because most of the other provinces are going broke,” one reader said.
Someone else said, “With my dollar going 2-3x farther just in Alberta, I’ll be renting here in BC for 12 more months, then using that time to secure a place outside BC to continue my career.“
Someone claiming to be an experienced investor also had some advice.
“Buy a house in Edmonton.”
While none of these comments should be interpreted as investment advice or a reason to pack up your things and leave, it’s interesting to see some folks’ growing discontentment with life in BC.