Everything you need to know:

Is it expensive to live in Victoria, BC?

For Canada, our housing prices might be much more than you pay now. The average rent for a one bedroom apartment was $1,566/month, and a two bedroom apartment $2,453/month (as of January 2022, rentals.ca report). The suburbs are cheaper. But, our salaries are higher than in many smaller Canadian towns.

How much money do I need to live in Victoria?

A “living wage” in Victoria is $20.46/hour (or around $41,600/year) but, the cost of living increases every year. The minimum wage in Victoria is $15.20/hour as of June 1, 2021 (and all of BC).

Are there many things to do on your days off?

YES! Victoria is jam-packed with activities, adventure and unique experiences for all, at any time of year. For the inside scoop, click here.

Are staff meals available?

Yes! One meal per working day is offered in Breakers, our staff cafeteria, located inside the hotel.

How do most people in Victoria afford an apartment?

We live with roommates. Most often a 2 bedroom apartment or rental house split between 2 people is cheaper than renting a 1 bedroom apartment alone.

Do you have mountains on Vancouver Island? I want to ski or snowboard.

Yes, in fact, we do. Mount Washington is about a three hour drive up the island from Victoria. It does have a ski resort. The mountain is 1,588 meters high.

Can I surf near Victoria?

Yes, you can. A lot of us surf all year round, including in the winter, wearing wet suits or dry suits. You can surf at beaches that are about a 45 minute drive west of Victoria, all along the southern coast and west coast of the Island.

One of the best places to surf is Tofino - about a four hour drive west of Victoria. It often has bigger, better waves than most Hawaiian beaches.

Is Victoria cheaper than Vancouver?

Yes. Our cost of housing, living, transit and car insurance is cheaper in Victoria.

How much does the ferry cost?

The ferry from Vancouver to Victoria costs $17.60 CAD as a walk-on passenger one way, and a car with a passenger is $77.10 CAD one way ($154.20 CAD round trip)
The ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria costs $26.75 CAD as a walk-on passenger one way, and a car with a passenger is $89.15 CAD one way ($178.30 CAD round trip).

Is Victoria safe at night?

Yes. We have a lot of young people who are safe out at night at bars, clubs and concerts. We’re a smaller city, with a lot of transportation options, and most of us choose to walk home at night.

What language do you speak in Victoria?

English. We have a few French immersion elementary schools, but we speak English as our primary language.

Is Victoria a dog-friendly city?

Yes. Many stores will let you bring your dog in, your dog can sit with you outside of coffee shops, and most of your neighbors will have dogs. We even have special parks for dogs. However, apartments still are not legally required to accept dogs or cats, so finding an apartment that allows a dog is still hard.

Is Victoria part of England?

No, we are part of Canada. A lot of people come here and see British flags flying outside of businesses. Way back in the 1800s we were part of the UK (England, Britain, the United Kingdom), but we officially became “Canada” in 1867. We still hang British flags as part of a tourism effort, since we are one of the oldest cities in Canada.

Does Victoria get snow?

No. We might get 5 cm of snow every few years, but most winters we do not get snow.
It’s an Island joke that many new residents who move here from Ontario or Alberta throw their snow shovels away when they arrive.

How big is Vancouver Island?

Vancouver Island is larger than Belgium, larger than Israel and larger than the state of New Hampshire.

Vancouver Island is 31,285 km² big, and our tallest mountain on the Island reaches 2,195 meters.

Does it rain a lot in Victoria?

Not as much as Vancouver. Victoria is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, protected by the Olympic Mountains to the south and the Cascade Mountains to the east from storms.

We have more sun due to this “rain shadow effect”. On average, we get 58.3cm of rain per year (New York City gets 127cm / year). We have more overcast / cloudy days without rain.

Do you use American money?

No. We use our currency, the Canadian Dollar (which is referred to as CAD), which is entirely separate from the American dollar (USD).