5 Pros and Cons of Living in Victoria BC

I absolutely love Victoria. Honestly, there's no place I'd rather be. But, there's no such thing as a perfect city. So today, I'm going to cover the 5 Pros and Cons of living in Victoria British Columbia. These 5 Pros and Cons of living in Victoria are based on my experience as someone who was born and raised here. If you are considering buying a home in Victoria, this is a video that you must watch.
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[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Please let me know what city you are currently living in? If you have questions about Victoria or real estate in Victoria you can reach me directly at 250-213-9389

[@jhandevaras]

Hi Kerry, does Victoria gets Tsunami warning too whenever there's an earthquake in the pacific?

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

@@jhandevaras Yes, we get the warnings. It's more of an issue farther up the island where it's open ocean. We got a tsunami warning about 3 weeks ago when the volcano erupted somewhere in the Pacific.

[@mehranrizae439]

Thank u soooo much sir

[@davidfreeman378]

We are a family of 3, want to move to Victoria, I would like to know that is it affordable house or place to buy. I heard it is so expensive to buy a house in canada, like Vancouver . But I like Victoria, and I want to know more about the town near Victoria, is there some affordable place to buy.

[@googleuser3323]

Thank you for sharing your insight! Cons 1. The month of November- more rainfalls during this month 2. So many different local governments at each district 3. Homelessness 4. Downtown parking is not easy because of the bike lanes 5. It’s expensive to live here Pros 1. The weather- mildest weather in Canada e.g. can play the golf all year round, will cut the lawn around Christmas, half of the rainfall that Vancouver gets 2. It’s beautiful- backdrop of Olympic mountain, heritage building in downtown Victoria 3. Perfect for golfers 4. Great place to raise a family- good school systems, easy to get around, bus system is good, a lot of things that kids can do 5. A lot of activities to do- hike, bike,swim, ski, lakes, water sports, ski- mount Washington, sports fishing, art scenes, symphonies (+6). No Bugs 🐜

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thank you for watching.

[@lindsaydeviveiros5533]

Really no bugs? How about bees 🐝?

[@davidfreeman378]

This video encourages me so much because we are thinking about to move to Victoria BC with my 5 years old daughter. Thank you so much.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Glad you enjoyed it.!

[@rishi505]

Please add more video on Victoria . Lot of people are fed form Vancouver and wants to move to Victoria .

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Will do

[@angiemaybe7610]

Totally agree with you about “the little kingdoms”!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks Angie.

[@davidmejia2242]

Hi Kerry, very nice video about Victoria, Thanks for sharing. How about Victoria's Economy and Job opportunities available ? Thanks!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Lot's of good paying jobs, trades and tech in particular, are available and the economy is probably better than many other Canadian cities. However, rents and real estate values are much higher compared the rest of Canada with the exception of Vancouver.

[@carewser]

I'm born and raised here too Kerry and one big negative for me is the year round cold water that is pretty much exclusive to Victoria, anywhere else in BC the summer ocean temperatures are nice. Other than that you nailed it with your list

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your comment about the water temperature, that's a good point. I don't take a dip in it very often. :)

[@anelice]

Nice video! Watching from Brazil.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for watching!

[@anamayasarvate1]

Hey Kerry, love your videos! I wanted to know how is the IT market in Victoria? Is it good for a software engineer to move to this beautiful city? Thank you so much for your informative content!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Hey Anamay, are you Canadian? If so I think there is a very good market for IT professionals here. Let me know where you are located. Cheers

[@anamayasarvate1]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty Hey Kerry, I am from India planning to move to Canada. Cheers

[@rowens_el_terricola]

Thank you so much for this video, very informative.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

My pleasure and thanks for watching!

[@virginiataylor9]

I know exactly how wonderful it is to dwell in Victoria. I actually drove from Edmonton to pick my former boyfriend up from Kelowna, who chose to live in BC homeless. He always wanted to live in Victoria, and, as a Canadian citizen, this is his right. I picked him up from Kelowna and brought him to Victoria, a place he called home despite being brought up in Alberta.

[@virginiataylor9]

Canada is such a huge country. May be the third largest in the world. This means that any Canadian citizen who wishes to live in Victoria is permitted to do so and is welcomed.

[@lindadupuis1531]

I just came back from Victoria and I have to agree with the parking downtown. Also the traffic is way busier than it used to be. That was a disappointment. I love Victoria and the Island.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for visiting Victoria 😊

[@archie_bunker]

the traffic is a disaster here. i agree

[@LazyEinstein]

Canadian military here. Might get posted to Esquimalt. As a live-long Ontarian, aside from housing costs(Not much better in Ontario now), I am actually pretty afraid of future water level raising, flooding, and a little bit with natural disasters from faultlines. Are these issues talked/worried about by those that live in Victoria?

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Global warming is a concern in some areas for sure.

[@TheCacabezon]

Great video!!!!!! Hey, I have 3 questions if you could help me with them that would be awesome: 1 What would be the cheapest place to find an student room to rent and not super far from camosun college lansdowne campus? 2 How fast is the bus transportation between long distance like Sidney-Victoria and short distance like Esquimalt-Victoria? 3 Is there any public transportation that you can use to explore the island, like going to sombrio beach and back in a bus or somenthing?

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

For rentals go to Craigslist. To figure out bus transportation times go to www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps And for trips on the island see what Wilson Transport has to offer: gowilsonsgroup.com/

[@roba4139]

1 Nothing cheap...800 to 1200 for just a room. 2 The transit system isnt too bad, they have some express routes for the Sidney to Victoria. The Esquimalt to Victoria is ok at best now. It used to be better. 3. Not a lot of transportation to Jordan River and all the beautiful places to stop along the way. Though make some friends and it makes for amazing day trips. Some of the nicest landscape in Canada.

[@juanw6369]

Hello, how about snow? Do you get a lot of snow and how is life with snow if you are from a country or city with no snow ever? Also if you are into smoking cigars, can you smoke in your property? If y or have an apartment with a terrace can you smoke? Thank you.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Hi Juan, we don't get much snow here and smoking is frowned on so many buildings do not allow smoking on the premises.

[@LemonTree288]

Thanks for your sharing really helpful here. Me and my wife thinking to move to Victoria from Halifax next years. Might be a good time to buy property there then. She is a nurse, I work in one of banks, should be able transfer internally. I compared the living cost, compare to Halifax it’s not high at all lol. We could even save ourself a lot of tax by move to BC that’s a big plus and save some money. I have a quick question here, we just had a little bit debate between Victoria or Surrey. It seems their housing price pretty similar, but I guess Victoria has better weather nicer people? :) but Surrey is closer to Vancouver, I guess more resources? mumm could you please share some of your advice? Thanks

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Have you been to Vancouver or Victoria recently? I've lived in both and Victoria will be slightly cheaper and way, way more easy to get around. When are you thinking of making the move?

[@eagleeyes11]

Victoria over Surrey every day of the week. Surrey has a bit of a bad rep because of their crime.

[@vincentelefante2784]

Hi kerry. Hope your doing well. Your vlogs are very helpful. Can you suggest where is the best area to live in? My wife is an incoming student in uvic.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Hi Vincent, anywhere around UVic is very good. Students in general prefer to live in the corridor between UVic and downtown. Will she be buying or renting?

[@vincentelefante2784]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty we will be looking for rentals maybe for the 1st yr

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

@@vincentelefante2784 There are some specific platforms for UVic students looking for rentals - she can find out what they are through UVic, otherwise looking on Craigslist is a good option. Just so you know the rental market is very tight here right now. :(

[@benyablonski6278]

Re your comment about the different municipalities should be imalgimated. After watching the news items of what downtown Victoria has gone through. Glad there are other choices. Good pro & cons.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your thoughts but in my opinion...amalgamation or no amalgamation would not change the problems downtown nor would amalgamation spread these issues to other areas.

[@anitavirginillo]

I just purchased a condo there and hope to move into it soon - right now I have a tenant living in it.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Nice going!

[@phoenixclaw456]

I heard that in the winter in Victoria, its the best in the country. Less rain compared to Vancouver and more sunny also, in the winters.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

You are correct. We have a nice climate here!

[@phoenixclaw456]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty Whats the lowest degree you witnessed? like for example did it ever reached minus 5 celcius?

[@eagleeyes11]

@@phoenixclaw456 yes it will reach minus 5c on occasion, but usually not for more than a few days in a row. Those are the lucky days we get to experience snow!

[@annhart1453]

50% less rain than Vancouver. Most days don't find the cloudy days too dark but there are some darker times of course. Basically it's summer, fall, spring...there is no winter..snow is few and FAR between!

[@alejandrajaramillo1804]

I just LOVED this video!! Thanks!!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for watching!

[@janicehall3262]

Victoria has very expensive grocery stores. Unlike Ontario there are no cheaper grocery stores except perhaps Walmart. In Ontario where I live now after moving back from Victoria, we have Food Basics, No Frills and Freshco. Have a look at flyers for all these stores and you will see how much more you pay for groceries. As you say the homeless and substance abuse is very scary as well as very sad for a well to do city like Victoria. When I lived in Victoria I met a lot of seniors like myself and asked them how they could afford to live there. I was told a number of times that their bus pass and rents were subsidized. As much as I love Victoria I could not live there long term because my pensions don't stretch that far.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thank you for your comments and thoughts Janice.

[@thomasjefferson6]

This is a great and informative little video. I have had the great pleasure of visiting Victoria, but I could never live there because of the cost. Victoria is for people with a good deal of money or, apparently, for people who have no money at all, and get government subsidies. For me, the politics of Victoria is another con, which is a shame, because it is truly one of the loveliest cities not only in Canada, but in the world. Victoria has less rain than Vancouver, but it does have a lot of cloudy days from November through March. Another pro about Victoria for me (one of the biggest) is the sheer variety of trees in the city. One can just walk the streets and admire them everywhere- free of charge. Many of these trees grow nowhere else in Canada outside of the lower mainland. Just some of the trees in Victoria are: redwood, dawn redwood, sequoia, holly, beach, grand fir, arbutus, big leaf maple, Garry Oak, cedar of Lebanon, Pacific dogwood, western red cedar, western hemlock, yellow cedar, monkey puzzle, blue atlas cedar, and windmill palm are just some of the trees that grace the city of Victoria. At Munro's Book Store in Victoria I bought a copy of Trees of Greater Victoria: A Heritage. This is a great little book illustrated in full colour about just that. So, thank you Kerry Davies for this wonderful video about a wonderful city that I can never live in!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your comments Thomas - yes very expensive here and we do love trees in Victoria.

[@bs2-n]

Is it more expensive than Vancouver?

[@thomasjefferson6]

@@bs2-n Probably not New Westminster.

[@thomasjefferson6]

@@bs2-n No, except perhaps for New Westminster.

[@julievalet2806]

Thank you! Very good video. How about the medical system?

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Our medical system is very good however finding a General Practitioner is very difficult.

[@roba4139]

Our doctors are leaving en masse and walk in clinics are being shut down left, right and center. You would be considered lucky to have a GP.

[@danieltaylor3396]

B.C. has a population of just over 5M but there are 1M people without a family doctor. The doctor and nursing shortage is not a quick fix.

[@annhart1453]

Long waits for just a walk in, you won't have a family regular Dr.

[@user-ie5px8uy8r]

Hi , can you please tell me what is the average car insurance ? an Ex : I live in freezing Montreal my car valued 30 K 3 years old and i pay 100$ monthly . ( 15 years good driving history ) . How is the job market too ?

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

I think the car insurance will be a bit cheaper at around $85 per month - but don't hold me to it. :) The job market is very, very good - we have about the lowest unemployment rate in the country.

[@user-ie5px8uy8r]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty Thanks for feedback , appreciate it .

[@roba4139]

Lots of work here, depending on your field. We have a provincial insurance system, if you have a great driving record then insurance for your vehicle will be quite affordable.

[@user-ie5px8uy8r]

@@roba4139 Thanks again

[@julianarocha3883]

Thanks for this video, I'm learning English with you, and I'm moving to Victoria soon.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

You are welcome!

[@juanitasim]

Never had a problem parking in downtown Victoria.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Me neither actually.

[@stevedavenport1202]

I love the greater Victoria area. I call it Vancouver Island's thumb 😀

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

We have been called worse than a "thumb" Steve. Cheers!

[@stevedavenport1202]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty It was meant as a diss. The entire Saanich peninsula looks like a big thumb 👍

[@karankalsi6633]

Sir actually i will arrive in Victoria in april month. Is it easy to get part time job in Victoria for international students.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

I would think you would need a work permit of some sort. There are lots of jobs in many fields right now as long as you are permitted to take employment. Sorry not a very precise answer.

[@karankalsi6633]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty I am coming on study visa

[@kellyprice1024]

I absolutely love to visit Victoria. Visit being the key word. I would not want to live there. It is on an Island. You are at the mercy of the Ferries.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Yes we are, but it also keeps people away. :)

[@rob832]

Totally no offense, but parking downtown? Really? Have you tried parking in downtown Vancouver lately? Please. Other than that, good video. Thanks.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

I'm in Victoria and not Vancouver so can't comment on the parking in Van...but can imagine how tough and expensive it is.

[@mehranrizae439]

Cloud you plz give information about job opportunities in Victoria

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

If you are Canadian...very good opportunities.

[@mehranrizae439]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty I'm not Canadian

[@joebidenshearingaid1618]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty Construction is booming , Victoria is in need of apprentices and journeymen . No slow down for the next 5 years .

[@kbcreationvlogs1356]

👍👍

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thank you!

[@landoc05]

From video: Cons: 1. Wet, gloomy November. Not really. February is worse. 2. No amalgamation of districts. That is a good thing to keep repairs all over equal, though. 3. The homeless. A real problem. A lot of petty crime too. Your bike WILL get stolen. 4. Parking. You don't drive downtown, you take the bus or ride your bike there. See above though. 5. Expensive. It is. And not worth it. You pay a lot for subpar places. Pros: 1. Nice weather. Yes, you can golf year round, but affording it is hard. See above. 2. It's like living in a postcard. True, but you stop caring after N years. 3. Golf again. Yes, you can do stuff outside 9 months out of the year. If you're ok doing it alone. 4. Good to have kids. Totally. That is the big one. As you get older, though, you want opportunities. 5. Activities. Yes, but if came here as an adult, you'll be doing them with acquaintances at best. Extra from me: Pro -- polite people. Victorians live up to the Canadian stereotype, except for those addicted. Con -- cliquish place. People here made all their friends in elementary school.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[@joebidenshearingaid1618]

I agree with having one king and one Queen as long as Lisa Helps is not that queen .With the homeless the problem is that Victoria is an enabling City meaning people come from across Canada cause the Welfare system is the easiest in Canada to obtain . It’s why we have so many drug addicts . Victoria makes it very easy to live this way , then you get high crime cause of it .

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Haha, I agree regarding Lisa. Thanks for your comments.

[@eagleeyes11]

You must not have lived in many other cities if you think Victoria has high crime! Other major cities in Canada have gangs and gun violence and murders and home invasions, etc. Victoria is a very safe city and actually, should be another pro on this list.

[@malcolmmacmillan9699]

I have only one complaint with Victoria. The Ferries. Everyone has at least 1 horror story of getting to the Island. Cancellations. Delays. Missed Ferries through no fault of your own. I could but won't go on. We have neighbours here in Lower Mainland who tried living on the Island but whose grown children flatly refused to visit them there.Did I mention the fares. Sorry but this is all true!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your comments on the ferries however, for the most part they provide very good service. They aren't perfect but what is. I actually think the fares aren't that expensive compared to ferries I've taken elsewhere in the world. Regardless, taking a ferry to Vancouver Island is inconvenience and we don't mind that as it does stop many from making trips here. All the best and thanks again for your comments. Cheers

[@annhart1453]

The ferries are at the mercy of weather re an ocean. Ferry rides are stunning in what you see each time. Were they visiting every wknd? Prob not. I would've used a bus or cab once or twice a month to visit relatives & walk on the ferry to keep costs down, not a big enough of a deal to not move there unless you would be traveling by car frequently on the ferry which can get pricey...but once or twice a month no.

[@cyoungso]

Ferry and airport (if you want to leave)

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Yup, living on the island has it's disadvantages.

[@lucasliu2575]

the only reason to live in victoria : NO MOSQUITOS

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Well said! :)

[@tickle296]

​​​​😂@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealtyhouse flies? Cost of hair cut for male? Moulds in rental housings?

[@annhart1453]

Younger people who are into club/bar scenes, like Vancouver concerts, & want closer snowboarding & skiing won't like Victoria...they'll have to take pricey ferry trips & get hotels too much. If young people like the sports Victoria offers then fine, otherwise it's not for them.

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thank you for your observations.

[@alkaiable]

When you come from Montreal or Toronto it's difficult to imagine living in Victoria...

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your comments. Do you mean because Victoria is smaller?

[@ginawakehamrealestateadvis535]

You can be the king and I can be the Queen!

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

OK

[@laace7827]

Show pics of pros and cons. Nov is gloomy..so show pics of that. Ppl are visual. Show slides of what your talking about instead of the camera on u Cheers

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

That's a good point, thanks for the suggestion.

[@casebeth]

Bike lanes > metal death machines. God forbid you actually have to use your legs

[@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty]

Thanks for your comments, I'm guessing your are an active cyclist. :)

[@casebeth]

@@KerryDaviesRealtoreXpRealty yep. The earth ain't gonna save itself