10 Affordable B.C. Cities Cheaper Than Vancouver or Victoria

For many people, British Columbia is the Canadian province of choice to live in, for reasons ranging from the milder weather to access to some of the best education and healthcare facilities in the country. Unfortunately, it’s notoriously expensive to live here. We looked to Numbeo for the data to compare the cost of living in different cities in British Columbia.

In Vancouver, a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre rents for an average of $4,551 per month, while the average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre is $13,483. In the provincial capital, Victoria, things aren’t looking much better: A three-bedroom apartment in the city centre rents for an average of $3,457, and the average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre is $11,028.

If these prices are beyond your budget, you don’t have to give up on living the BC dream. Here are 10 bustling BC cities that are cheaper than Vancouver or Victoria.

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Kelowna

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,997

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $5,229

After Vancouver and Victoria, Kelowna is the third largest metropolitan area in British Columbia and the seventh largest city, with a population of around 145,000. It’s located around 390 km to the east of Vancouver, on the shores of Okanagan Lake. Tourism and the wine industry are major employers, while Okanagan College and the Kelowna campus of the University of British Columbia ensure plenty of young people. Visible minorities and Indigenous people make up nearly 20 percent of the city’s inhabitants.

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Kamloops

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,606

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $8,063

Located in the Thompson Valley some 350 km northeast of Vancouver, sunny Kamloops has around 98,000 inhabitants. With more than 100 sporting tournaments hosted here every year, the city is nicknamed the Tournament Capital of Canada. Tourism is a fast-growing industry here but other major employers are the Royal Inland Hospital, Thompson Rivers University and the wood, pulp and paper, mining and transport industries. Visible minorities and Indigenous people make up a little over 21 percent of the population.

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Nanaimo

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,633

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $4,786

Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, about 110 km north of Victoria, Nanaimo is also called the Harbour City. It has a population of nearly 100,000 people. The largest employers here are the service, retail and tourism industries and the provincial government. Nanaimo is popular with retirees and families, with a slightly older average age than most of Canada. Nearly 22 percent of the inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Coquitlam

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $3,375

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $8,475

Around 30 km east of Vancouver, along the Trans-Canada Highway, Coquitlam is the sixth largest city in the province, with a population of nearly 149,000. It’s located where the Coquitlam River meets the Fraser River. The retail and service industries are major employers – British Columbia’s largest casino, the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, is located here – but Coquitlam is mainly a bedroom community for Vancouver and Burnaby. Around 58 percent of its population are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Surrey

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $3,225

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $12,199

With nearly 570,000 inhabitants, Surrey is the second most populated city in British Columbia. Only about 30 km southeast of Vancouver, along the Trans-Canada Highway, the city is basically a suburb of Vancouver. Still, it has a strong local economy driven by the agricultural and healthcare industries and a burgeoning tech sector. Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University have campuses here too. Surrey is known for its large Sikh population and nearly 70 percent of the city’s inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Penticton

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,700

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $7,315

About 60 km south of Kelowna, Penticton lies between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. The city has a population of a little under 34,000. With its sunny summers and abundance of beaches, it’s no surprise that tourism and the service industry are major drivers of the local economy. Around 15 percent of Penticton’s inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Nelson

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,333

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $5,268

It may be one considered one of the tiny towns in Canada with gorgeous real estate but Nelson is officially a city. Around 660 km east of Vancouver, on the shores of Kootenay Lake and in the Selkirk Mountains, Nelson has a population of fewer than 11,000 people. This doesn’t mean it’s a sleepy little place, though, unless you partake a little too much in the herb that has earned Nelson a reputation as Canada’s weed capital. The local economy revolves around tourism and natural and organic foods, with a distinct hippie vibe. Nearly 11 percent of Nelson’s inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Vernon

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,316

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $3,767

Located about 50 km north of Kelowna on the northern end of Okanagan Lake, Vernon has a population of around 45,000 people. The city is a transport hub and, like Kelowna, tourism and agriculture are major contributors to the local economy. Okanagan College has a campus here, bringing plenty of young people to blow life into a city with a slightly older median age. A little over 13 percent of Vernon’s inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Abbotsford

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $3,833

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $6,000

About 70 km southeast of Vancouver, Abbotsford is nestled between the Fraser River and the United States border. The city has a population of around 154,000. It has one of the most diverse local economies in Canada, with agriculture, transport, manufacturing and retail the main industries. Animal health and aerospace are growing speciality industries here. The University of the Fraser Valley has an Abbotsford campus too. Like its economy, the city has one of Canada’s most diverse populations: Nearly 45 percent of its inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

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Campbell River

Average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre: $2,850

Average price per square metre to buy an apartment in the city centre: $4,644

About 265 km northwest of Victoria, on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, Campbell River has a population of around 35,000 people. Fishing is a major industry here – Campbell River is known for its abundant salmon – but the city has a diversified economy and is a magnet for tourists wanting to enjoy nature. It’s a popular filming location for atmospheric movies too. A little over 12 percent of Campbell River’s inhabitants are visible minorities or Indigenous.