Canada vs the USA – Where should I go: LA or Vancouver?

Vancouver by Rollan B / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Los Angeles by Ron Reiring / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Flights and Travel	Rent	Jobs/employment	Tax	Transportation	Weather
Alcohol	Groceries		Time Difference	Immigration	Vote now!

Vancouver Airport by JvL / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Delta 747 by Bill Abbott / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Destination	Date	Source	Flight operator	Stop(s)	Price (USD)
London to Los Angeles	Nov 1, 2018	Skyscanner.net	Norwegian Air	Direct	$360
London to Vancouver	Nov 1, 2018	Skyscanner.net	Air transat	1 stop	$304
London to Los Angeles	May 1, 2018	Skyscanner.net	Norwegian Air	Direct	$300
London to Vancouver	May 1, 2018	Skyscanner.net	WestJet	Direct	$374

East Vancouver Apartment for Rent by Alan Bruce / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Pasadena Apartment by LWYang / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Apartment Size	Vancouver	Los Angeles
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	CAD$1,916.53	US$2,119.59
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of City Centre	CAD$1,457.72	US$1,640.83
Apartment (3 bedroom) in City Centre	CAD$3,600.76	$3,930.10
Apartment (3 bedroom) Outside of City Centre	CAD$2,605.00	$2,885.99

Source: https://www.numbeo.com as of NOctober 12, 2018. Exchange rate of that date was 1 USD = 1.3 CAD

Jobs/ employment

Now Hiring by jay / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

The above wage information is taken from the BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, StatsCan, the California Department of Industrial Relations and the Department of Numbers.

In terms of economic opportunities, it’s a wash.  When it comes to entertainment, “there’s no business like show business,” and no substitute for making your mark in Hollywood for anyone looking to become a big-time TV or film star in North America.  That being said, Vancouver is the LA of Canada in this regard, and has a booming entertainment industry.  LA’s employment opportunities in this regard may be “worth more” classically, but it could be easier to get a start in Vancouver.  Outside of the entertainment industry which matters so much to both cities, Los Angeles has been adding jobs steadily but painfully slow since the Recession, but it is still a viable market.

Both are good choices, and it really comes down to personal choice in this regard.  Vancouver offers a better place to break into show business, LA more prominent and higher paying opportunities, and both have the benefit of a large metro area.

Taxes

Sales Taxes

There’s an 8.25% sales tax in Los Angeles, compared to 12% in Vancouver, though Vancouver’s sales tax drops to 10% for alcohol.

Federal Income Taxes

• 15% on the first $46,605 of taxable income – remember that your first $14,890 is tax-free due to your basic personal amount.
• 20.5% of taxable income above $46,605 up to $93,208.
• 26% of taxable income above $93,208 up to $144,489.
• 29% of taxable income above $144,489 to $205,842
• 33% of taxable income above $205,842

Source: https://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html

BC Income Taxes

First of all, in B.C. they no longer have a combined, or harmonized, sales tax since March 2013. You now have the federal sales tax, or GST, currently at 5%, and the provincial sales tax, or PST, which is currently at 7% on most goods and services with a few exceptions where you pay a higher PST, like liquor with a PST of 10%. That means that you will generally be paying a combined sales tax of 12% in B.C. and sometimes even more, like a combined rate of 15% on liquor. Ouch. And just to round things off, here’s your provincial income tax rates:

taxable income – 2018 brackets	provincial tax rate
$0 – $39,676	5.06%
$36,676 to $79,353	7.70%
$79,353.01 to $91,107	10.50%
$91,107.01 to $110,630	12.29%
$110,630.01 to $150,000	14.70%
Over $150,000 (aww I miss the pennies)	16.80%

Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=E90F9F1717DB451BB7E4A6CC0BDC6F9F

While B.C. tax categories might leave you visually challenged after adding up your pennies to see what category you belong in, the provincial rates are in fact significantly lower than those in Quebec, for example. Go here to calculate your income taxes (Immigroup doesn’t endorse this site). As an example, on CAD$30,000 your income taxes in B.C. would be CAD$4,028.74 or an average tax rate of 13.43%. Not too shabby, especially by European standards.

 

Federal Income Tax in the United States

The US federal income tax rules are extremely complicated and we will not go into great detail here. Below is the table for a single person, without deductions. See the full details here.

 

Single Individual

Taxable Income	Tax Rate
$0 – $9,325	10%
$9,326 – $37,950	$932.50 plus 15% of the amount over $9,325
$37,951 – $91,900	$5,226.25 plus 25% of the amount over $37,950
$91,901 – $191,650	$18,713.75 plus 28% of the amount over $91,900
$191,651 – $416,700	$46,643.75 plus 33% of the amount over $191,650
$416,701 – $418,400	$120,910.25 plus 35% of the amount over $416,700
$418,401 or more	$121,505.25 plus 39.6% of the amount over $418,400

 

California Income Tax

• 1 percent on the first $8,015 of taxable income.
• 2 percent on taxable income between $8,015 and $19,001.
• 4 percent on taxable income between $19,001 and $29,989.
• 6 percent on taxable income between $29,989 and $41,629.
• 8 percent on taxable income between $41,629 and $52,612.
• 9.30 percent on taxable income between $52,612 and $268,750.
• 10.30 percent on taxable income between $268,750 and $322,499.
• 11.30 percent on taxable income between $32,499 and $537,498.
• 12.30 percent on taxable income of $537,498 and above.
• 13.30 percent on taxable income of $1,000,000 and above.

 

Transportation

Never fear, however, Vancouverites—you win this category hands down.

Remember those “eternal traffic jams” from above?  LA is notorious for its gridlock.  Everyone who’s anyone travels by car in LA, and given just how many people make up the LA area, you can bet that’s a lot of cars.  Add to that the fact that any Angelino will tell you, tongue-in-cheek, that no one actually knows how to drive in LA, and the LA public transit system is infamous for all the wrong reasons, and you have a multi-layered transportation nightmare, especially compared to Vancouver.  The public transit there is far more efficient, there’s less of a problem with traffic and gridlock, and there’s a lower crime rate, for those thinking of traveling extended distances on foot (another “adventure” for those visiting LA for the first time).

Source: https://www.numbeo.com. These prices were quoted on October 12, 2018.

Weather

There’s a reason the Mamas and the Papas were “California Dreaming” in the 1960s—you really might “be safe and warm if [you come to] LA.”  (Well, you’ll be warm, anyway.)  Sunshine year-round—that’s the stereotype for the LA area, and while there’s definitely some “June gloom” and plenty of overcast days as marine layers make their presence felt, it’s almost always warm, and hardly ever chilly.  The temperature (in terms of Fahrenheit) rarely gets below the 60s during the day and sometimes 50s at night.  It can get pretty hot however, especially during the summer, and while the 80s and 90s are the norm here, triple digit days occur enough that they’re not a shocker to anyone who lives in the area.

The tradeoff here is while Los Angeles experiences pretty much stable, warm weather throughout the year—to the point a slight breeze in the low 60s sets suntanned arms shivering like the palm tree branches overhead—it likewise really only experiences two “seasons,” dry and drier.  By contrast, Vancouver experiences everything from the depths of winter to the peak of summer, and everything in between, giving you a great deal of variety and a more earthy, green atmosphere any time of the year, as opposed to the smog and haze-filled skies of LA.

As such, this one really comes down to choice, and what time of year you yourself are planning on making your trip.

Sources: Environment Canada and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association

 

Entertainment and Alcohol

It’s LA and Vancouver—need we really say more?

On the one hand, you have one of the real “world cities.”  That word gets tossed around a lot these days, but in the case of Los Angeles, that term is most definitely warranted.  LA is the home to some of the world’s finest dining, the most exclusive boutiques, world-famous theatres and stadiums alike.  If it exists, and it can be bought or sold, it’s on sale in LA (just don’t expect it to come cheap.)

The Ahmanson, the LA Opera and the Dorothy Chandler, the Mark Taper Forum…

Dodger Stadium, Staples Center, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena…

The Hollywood Walk of Fame, and all the stars and starlets of Hollywood themselves…

New stage productions in the theatre district, and a lively Latino performance community…

This is the mythologized mental picture of LA, forever sun-kissed and glamorous.

So what if the reality can’t quite live up to that tantalizing dream?  What city possibly could?

Los Angeles, as much as any city, has been built on the idea of entertainment as much as the actuality of show business itself.  One comes to LA with rational, reasonable understanding that it’s noisy, hazy, and stuck in one eternal purgatorial traffic jam, and yet, if you don’t live here, there may well be a part of you, however small, that dreams of the streets really being paved with gold and lined with stars.

And who are we to crush that dream?

No more need be said—no matter whether you’re into music, theatre, dance, TV, film, sports, or whatever else, chances are you’ll find a well-branded, recognizable version of it in LA, and chances are, you already have an inkling as to whether or not you’re interested.

As for Vancouver, all of the above is, of course, present.

Music and dance are well-represented…

There’s a nice theatre scene…

It and Toronto are Canada’s two premier TV and film locales…

There are always the Canucks and BC Lions, if you’re into hockey or football…

Vancouver is a great place with great entertainment.

It’s just that it’s up against Los Angeles…

And when it comes to the entertainment industry, pitting Vancouver against Los Angeles is like pitting any young, hot actor or actress against a Jennifer Lawrence, or Meryl Streep, or Denzel Washington.

That young actor or actress might well be great…but they’re going up against absolute titans.

We native Angelinos have to put up with the ubiquitous presence of everything from tabloids to the paparazzi to the unofficial paparazzi of TMZ and Entertainment Tonight—call it a bias, but we’re not ceding superiority when it comes to absolute dominance of the entertainment industry.

At least not to anyone less than an Emma Thompson or Patrick Stewart—but let’s leave the battle of Screen Actors vs. Shakespearean Thespians for another day.  Point, LA.

Los Angeles begins this category with an early advantage, owing to the fact it doesn’t suffer from that 10% sales tax on alcohol which could leave your glass and wallet just a little drier on a trip to Vancouver.

Both cities have some great sports bars.  Los Angeles has some rather famous bars, especially in the more opulent and famous areas of town, but be forewarned—the more famous the locale, the larger the cover you may have to pay, something which isn’t such a problem in Vancouver.  In terms of imports, both have a lot to boast about.  As a port city, Vancouver enjoys plenty of advantages when it comes to imported materials, including alcohol, while LA is, well, LA—again, if you can buy it, chances are you’ll find it somewhere in the City of Angels, though you may be able to still buy it cheaper in Vancouver, even with that sales tax.

Groceries

Groceries and food prices are a commonly overlooked category, but it’s definitely an important one.  After all that talk about how expensive Los Angeles is, however, it may shock you to learn that, according to expatistan.com, everything from domestic beer and a Big Mac to more wholesome items such as cheese and milk are more expensive in Vancouver.  That being said, when factoring in the cost of other everyday items, chances are toiletries and other groceries will cost you more in LA than Vancouver, though the former, surprisingly, seems to have a marked advantage when it comes to food and beverages.

Time Difference

Time difference?  What time difference?

Both cities are on the West Coast, and enjoy Pacific Standard Time, so this one’s a wash.

Immigration

Both are cities rightly famous and likewise rightly praised for their immigration record.  There have been spotty incidents in both city’s history regarding immigration, but then, what city or nation is free from such a claim?

The big difference between the two is one of obvious demographics.  Los Angeles is one of the major Latino centers in North America.  It has a long and rich history of Latin influence—it was, after all, founded and for many years controlled by Spain and then Mexico—and is one of the major centers of Spanish-language TV, film, music and culture in the United States.  It should come of no surprise, then, that Los Angeles is likewise one of the major centers for immigrants coming from every corner of Latin America.

In addition, the city has proven to be a haven for many other immigrant groups as well.  America’s Jewish population have found happy homes in both LA and New York City, as both cities represent the two most prominent clusters for that community.  Arab, Persian, Indian, Bangladeshi immigrants have increased in number over the past years, and of course, Los Angeles has a vibrant Chinatown as well.

(click for larger)

Vancouver, meanwhile, stands with San Francisco and Seattle as the great bastions of Asian immigration into the Pacific Coast and the greater North American community.  It has a proud history of being warm and welcoming towards this immigrant group in particular, and its cityscape and identity has been forged in much the same way as Los Angeles’ Latino immigrants have colored that city’s cultural being.

(click for larger)

What Do You Think?

In the end, Los Angeles is definitely the more prominent city, and has more (and more expensive) cultural landmarks and commodities to offer.  Vancouver, by contrast, offers more in the way of seasons, affordability, and ease of travel.  Both score highly in terms of entertainment, but LA is, of course, the home of Hollywood—and, thus, the Land of the Stars.

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