Vancouver Travel Budget

Vancouver is the second most expensive city in- Muffin: $2.25 to $3
Canada after Toronto. However Vancouver rarely- Burger meal deal: $6 to $7.50
ranks in the top 50 of worldwide city surveys.- Pizza slice: From $1.50
Overseas visitors will find Vancouver much cheaper- Bottled pop/soft drink: $1.90 to $2.50
than all the main European and Asian cities and better- Bottled juice: $2.20 - $2.50
value than popular American destinations such as- Bottled water: $1.20 to $1.50
New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.- Six-pack of cheap brand beer: $11 to $13
A strong Canadian dollar means higher prices for- Six-pack of micro-brew beer: $13 to $17
visitors but unless you are planning to buy a house inThe cost of travel in Vancouver
Vancouver, prices for most things are moderate.Public transit is cheap in Vancouver. One transit ticket
Accommodation rates in Vancouveris good for use on buses, the SeaBus and SkyTrain
After your flight, accommodation will be the priciestand you can use the same ticket within a single zone
part of your trip. Staying downtown is the mostfor 90 minutes. If you plan to do a lot of travel by
expensive option when staying in Vancouver but it ispublic transit, buy a book of FareSaver tickets to
also the most convenient. You'll cut down on travelsave money.
costs and food and travel expenses aren't much- One zone travel: $2.50
more expensive than in the surrounding cities and- Two zone travel: $3.75
suburbs.- DayPass (all zones) $9
Like most places the accommodation prices- One zone FareSaver tickets (10): $21
sky-rocket in the summer and the best deals to be- Two zone FareSaver tickets (10): $31.50
had are from October to April. All accommodationVancouver Taxis
prices quoted below are the peak season rates andShort trips across town (5km) in light traffic will cost
include taxes.just under $15 including a tip.
- Hostels (dormitories): $35 a nightGas Gas prices in British Columbia are more expensive
- Hostels (private rooms): $80 to $100 a nightthan cities in eastern provinces. Prices at the pump
- Bed & breakfasts: $160 to $300 a nightare much cheaper than in Europe but around 25%
- Three-star hotels: $180 to $250 a nightmore than the United States. Over the last 3 years,
- Five-star plus luxury: $400 plus a nightprices have yo-yoed between $1.05 a litre to $1.45.
When looking for a room make sure you add the taxEntertainment in Vancouver
and service fees (which are about 15% of the basic- Cinema tickets: $9 to $12
room rate) before you make a booking.- Galleries & museums: $10 to $20
Food- Other visitor attractions: $12 to $28
If money is tight, it is possible to eat out inOutdoor equipment rental
Vancouver for $30 a day without resorting to fastIt's easy to enjoy the outdoors in Vancouver. There
food value meals. But if you want to live a little, aare several bike and in-line skate rentals close to
budget of $40 to $50 a day is more realisticStanley Park and kayak hire is available at Deep
A coffee and a muffin from a coffee shop will setCove, Granville Island and Sunset Beach and Jericho
you back about $7 for breakfast. Vancouver'sBeach during the summer.
numerous sushi restaurants offer lunch specials and- Bike rental: $17 to $40 for a half day
bento boxes for under $10 and lots of cafes offer- Inline skate rental: From $5 an hour
soup and a sandwich for around the same price. In- Kayaks rental: $30 to $38 for two hours
the evening you can enjoy a main course at a goodTaxes
ethnic restaurant for under $15. Alcohol is expensiveThe BC sales tax of 12% is applied to most goods
and a beer or wine with your meal will boost your billand services.
significantly.Tipping
- Small cappuccino: $3 to $3.50The standard tip rate is 15% for taxis, bars and
- Small latte: $3 to $3.50restaurants.