Expenses & Housing Costs
Expenses, Housing and Living Costs
Students may use the following examples as a guideline to estimate their living costs during the school year.
Sample Costs of Living
Our table is the average monthly expenses and is intended to help you project your cost of living in Vancouver. Some meal and entertainment are listed per item.
| Accommodation Average Homestay Accommodations (rental) Medical insurance Average meals per month Transportation – Transit Pass (depends on zone) Movie Gym Membership (per month) Dinner out for one Sandwich/Rice/Sushi/Noodle Dish/Pizza |
$735.00 $400-800 $44.60-60.50 $300 $81.00-151.00 $10.00-15.00 $40.00-60.00 $12.00-20.00 $4-10 |
Please note: costs of living will depend on the activities in which you choose to participate
Housing Options
Private Rentals
Here are the sites most used to find rentals, Craigslist and Padmapper. Any location close to a Sky-train, transit or commercial drive would be ideal.
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/apa/
http://www.padmapper.com/search/apartments/British-Columbia/Vancouver/
Padmapper is nice because it shows you where the rental is in relation to transportation and the school. However be careful, as some listing will say Victoria, B.C. instead of Victoria Street, so make sure the listing says Vancouver, B.C.
Homestay
There are also Homestay. The Homestay Program provides students and travelers with an opportunity to stay in a Canadian family and learn about Canadian culture. You will be having 3 meals per day, a private room and many chances to practice your English through conversation with family members. If you are interested please register at one of the links below. There is a placement fee.
Hotel Monthly Rentals
Some of the local hotel also offer monthly rates for fully furnished rooms. We can’t guarantee that the following accommodation will suit every student, but these places are generally inexpensive and suitable for a short stay.
YWCA 733 Beatty Street Telephone: 604-895-5830
Hostelling International Vancouver 1114 Burnaby Street (downtown) Telephone: (604) 684-4565
Shaughnessy Village B & B 1125 West 12thAvenue Telephone: 604-736-5511
UBC Conference Centre Student Union Blvd. Telephone: (604) 822-1010
More information on other possible Accommodations
