Compare Greater Vancouver side by side.
The real question for newcomers isn't "which city is best" — it's "which city is right for me, given my job, my budget, and my family?" Everything below is the data to answer that question honestly.
All six cities at a glance
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Every row is sourced: population and demographics from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, rent from CMHC's October 2023 Rental Market Survey, transit from TransLink, climate from Environment Canada.
| Metric | Vancouver | Surrey | Richmond | Burnaby | Coquitlam | North Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population Stats Canada 2021 Census | 662,248 | 568,322 | 209,937 | 249,125 | 148,625 | 146,288 |
Land area | 115.18 km² | 316.41 km² | 128.96 km² | 90.61 km² | 122.3 km² | 172.9 km² |
Median age | 40 | 38.4 | 43.4 | 41.4 | 42.2 | 42.8 |
Foreign-born | 41.8% | 45.6% | 60% | 52.6% | 45.9% | 35.2% |
Top non-English language | Cantonese | Punjabi | Cantonese | Mandarin | Korean | Persian |
Median household income Stats Canada 2020 income year | $80,500 | $94,500 | $78,500 | $82,500 | $98,500 | $110,500 |
1BR rent (CMHC avg) CMHC purpose-built rental | $1,663 | $1,412 | $1,524 | $1,612 | $1,558 | $1,755 |
2BR rent (CMHC avg) | $2,181 | $1,748 | $1,902 | $2,062 | $1,938 | $2,238 |
1BR rent (market) Secondary market — new listings | $2,750 | $1,950 | $2,200 | $2,350 | $2,150 | $2,550 |
Transit pass (monthly) | $110 | $157 | $157 | $157 | $157 | $110 |
Annual rainfall | 1189 mm | 1255 mm | 1108 mm | 1323 mm | 1833 mm | 2477 mm |
Walk Score | 80 | 45 | 63 | 68 | 51 | 60 |
SkyTrain lines | Expo Line · Millennium Line · Canada Line | Expo Line · Surrey–Langley extension (under construction) | Canada Line | Expo Line · Millennium Line | Millennium Line (Evergreen Extension) | None (SeaBus only) |
Head-to-head: the most-asked comparisons
These are the specific city-vs-city questions newcomers actually search for, each answered with a full deep-dive editorial.
Vancouver vs Surrey
Vancouver vs Surrey is the most common city comparison in Metro Vancouver, and for good reason: these are the two largest cities in the region, they sit on opposite sides of the Fraser River, and they represent genuinely different lifestyles and trade-offs. Vancouver is the dense, walkable, transit-rich, character-filled, expensive one. Surrey is the sprawling, growing, affordable, diverse, car-friendly one. For most newcomers, the real question isn't which city is "better" — it's which trade-off fits your life.
Vancouver vs Burnaby
Vancouver vs Burnaby is the most common trade-off in Metro Vancouver for people who want to live in the city but can't quite afford Vancouver proper. Burnaby sits directly east of Vancouver, sharing a border that runs along Boundary Road — and unlike the Fraser River separating Surrey from Vancouver, there's no physical barrier between the two cities. You can literally walk from Vancouver's Commercial Drive to Burnaby's Kensington Park in 15 minutes. The trip by SkyTrain from Metrotown to Waterfront is 25 minutes.
Vancouver vs Richmond
Vancouver vs Richmond is a comparison with a very specific answer depending on who's asking. For newcomers from China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, Richmond is almost always the right choice — it's the most Chinese-speaking community in North America, with 60% of residents born outside Canada and roughly half speaking Cantonese or Mandarin as a mother tongue. For everyone else, the comparison is more subtle: Richmond is cheaper, flatter, closer to YVR, and has the best Chinese food in the region, but it's more monocultural, noticeably more suburban, and commutes to downtown Vancouver are longer than from Burnaby.
Rankings by what matters to you
The "best" city depends on what you're optimising for. Here are four ways to rank Greater Vancouver, each with its own top-3 deep dive.
Cheapest Cities for Newcomers
Greater Vancouver is the most expensive region in Canada by a significant margin, but rent varies meaningfully between cities. The cheapest Metro Vancouver cities offer 20–30% lower rents than downtown Vancouver for equivalent units, and the savings grow when you look at detached houses.
Best Cities for Newcomers
The best city for a newcomer depends heavily on which community you're joining. Metro Vancouver is one of the most diverse regions in Canada — 4 out of the 6 Tier-1 cities are majority foreign-born — and specific communities cluster in specific cities.
Best Cities for Families
For newcomer families, the city-choice decision is driven by a specific combination: schools, rent (or mortgage) affordability, daycare availability, and kid-friendly community infrastructure. This ranking weights all four, with a moderate emphasis on schools because school quality is the factor newcomers most often ask about and the one most tied to long-term outcomes.
Best Cities for Transit
If you don't want to own a car — or you want a short transit commute to downtown Vancouver — the choice of city matters a lot. Vancouver, Burnaby, and Richmond all have excellent SkyTrain coverage within their boundaries.