Have you considered how much money you’d need to earn to live by yourself? We’ve looked into the average cost of living in Langley to see how much it takes.
It’s hard to ignore that Langley is becoming more and more appealing to many Metro Vancouverites amid its booming development.
Moving to the city might also seem more doable since major construction work for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line will start soon. This extension is expected to open by late 2028, making the city more accessible and connected to other Metro Vancouver regions.
While we wait for the SkyTrain extension, travelling from Vancouver to Langley can take between 40 minutes and about an hour.
The City of Langley has a regional population of 2.3 million with a 5-year growth rate of 9.3%. Given that so many people are heading to Langley, we want to know if this city can be considered a more affordable alternative to living in Vancouver.
Using crowdsourced data from Numbeo to understand the cost of living in Langley, here is what an average person’s expenses might be in a month:
Housing costs in Langley
According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Vancouver is 15.5% higher than Langley (without rent).
However, when the cost of living includes rent, Vancouver residents pay 27.3% more than Langley residents.
In Langley, renting a one-bedroom apartment in the City Centre costs about $1,800, and one outside the city centre costs about $1,533.
Cost of food
Apart from rent, even purchasing power in Vancouver is lower (by 7.2%) than in Langley.
Groceries and restaurant prices are all cheaper in Langley than in Vancouver.
A meal at an inexpensive restaurant could cost around $20, or a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant averages about $80.
Utility costs
Utilities like basic electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage cost more in Langley. Numbeo reports that an 85 m² apartment costs about $173.18 (16.2% more than people in Vancouver pay).
Internet also costs more. In Langley, it usually costs about $97.50, but in Vancouver, it can cost around $80.
However, the cost of a monthly phone with calls and more than 10GB of data usually is about $54.45. This is 15% less than the average cost in Vancouver.
Health and fitness
Fitness memberships vary greatly depending on whether you go to an affordable community centre gym or a fancy specialty fitness studio.
Numbeo puts the monthly average for a fitness membership at $41.25.
Transportation
Artistic rendering the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)
As we said before, there isn’t a SkyTrain that connects Langley to Vancouver… yet.
So, a commute would likely include a bus and train.
According to TransLink a three-zone fare would be needed. During its peak hours, it can cost $4.80 one way if you use a compass card. So, if you needed to commute every day for work, you’d likely want a monthly compass card, which costs $189.45 for an adult.
However, if you drive, Numbeo suggests gas usually costs about $1.80 per litre.
How much you need to earn
According to Numbeo, the average monthly net salary (after tax) needed to live in this city is $3,766.67.
It also suggests that to live in Langley, you will need to have around $6,900 a month to maintain the same standard of living as in Vancouver, which would cost $8,783.6.
So, what do you think? Would you take the leap and move to Langley?
These figures were from Numbeo’s latest update in June 2024.