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This data is either hiding inputs or weighting the outputs inaccurately... I looked at an example of moving to Vancouver, BC from Seattle, WA. Housing was listed as 5% favorable to Vancouver. The sub-elements listed were as follows: Vancouver Seattle Variance
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft)
furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area $2,301 $2,216 -4%
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity,
gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat $85 $139 39%
Internet 8MB (1 month) $39 $47 17%
40” flat screen TV $473 $537 12%
Microwave, known brand, 800/900 Watt $121 $116 -4%
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) $10 $8 -25%
Hourly rate for cleaning help $23 $35 34%
Putting aside the fact that assets like a 40" TV are considered in "Housing Cost of Living", the weighted average for these inputs should be 1.5% favorable to Vancouver.Take out the TV, detergent, and maid, and you're now 1% favorable to Seattle, driven strongly by rent, obviously. This is an interesting area of work, but I'd appreciate either full disclosure of inputs and weighting or a much more simplified presentation (e.g. stand-alone rental rates). |
- Nobody rents furnished accommodation in Vancouver, BC. It's almost unheard of.
- You can buy your TV across the border and bring it over (same for microwave).
- Food will generally be more expensive in Vancouver.
- Gas will be more expensive in Vancouver.
- If you buy a house here expect to pay a lot more in Vancouver for a comparable property.
- Taxes are higher (though you do get services in return).
EDIT: As someone who is pretty familiar with both areas I would expect it to be cheaper to live in the Greater Seattle area vs. the Greater Vancouver area. There's a lot of YMMV though.