Huge friendly campuses, wild nature an hour from class, and a hoodie-and-hockey social life that makes internationals feel at home fast. Montréal adds a European party edge on a student budget.
Monthly budget
€950–1,500
Language
English, French (Québec)
Best time
Fall term (Sep–Dec) gets you golden autumn plus first snow; Winter term (Jan–Apr) is full Canadian winter — skiing weekends included.
Vancouver wraps a young, outdoorsy city between the ocean and the mountains, where you can ski before class and hit the beach after it, if you can stomach the rain and Canada's highest rents.
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Partners & Perks
Verified housing partners and student perks in Vancouver: no blind deposits, no ghost landlords. Grab one before someone in your group does.
We’re still lining up verified partners in Vancouver. In the meantime, ask the Vancouver group for the housing leads students are using right now.
Vancouver is Canada's most spectacular city, hemmed in by the Pacific and the Coast Mountains, and home to the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, both consistently world-ranked. The lifestyle is the draw: skiing, hiking, kayaking and beaches all within reach of campus, plus a mild, if rainy, climate and a huge Asian-Canadian food scene. The catch is cost, as Vancouver rivals Toronto for Canada's priciest rents.
UBC's Point Grey campus sits on a forested peninsula with beaches and mountain views.
You can genuinely ski at Grouse or Cypress in the morning and be back in the city by lunch.
Student life here leans outdoorsy as much as nightlife-driven: hiking clubs, ski trips and beach days at Kits and Wreck Beach are central to the social calendar. When the sun sets, Granville Street has the mainstream clubs, while Gastown, Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive offer craft-beer bars and a more local scene. UBC and SFU both run big campus event programmes.
Kitsilano and Wreck Beach are the summer social hubs; Wreck is Vancouver's clothing-optional beach.
Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive have the best craft-beer and independent bar scene.
Ask the Vancouver group on Studcasa which outdoor clubs run the cheapest Whistler and hiking trips.
Vancouver is among the most expensive cities in North America for housing, so plan carefully. Budget around C$2,000 to C$2,800 a month all-in, with rooms often the single biggest line by far. Sharing, or living out towards Burnaby and along the SkyTrain, is how most students cope. The upside is that the city's best asset, its nature, is largely free.
A room in a shared flat commonly runs C$1,000 to C$1,500; Burnaby and the suburbs are cheaper.
Hiking, beaches and the seawall cost nothing, which offsets the steep rents.
Vancouver's rental market is tight and expensive, so start early and expect to share. Kitsilano and Point Grey are near UBC but pricey, the West End is dense and central, and Mount Pleasant and East Vancouver are hipper and slightly cheaper. Burnaby suits SFU students and offers more value along the SkyTrain. Beware rental scams, which are common here.
Kitsilano and Point Grey for UBC; Burnaby for SFU and better value along the SkyTrain.
The West End and Mount Pleasant are central options; East Van is cheaper and livelier.
Use UBC and SFU off-campus housing listings and the Vancouver group on Studcasa, and never wire a deposit before viewing.
TransLink runs the SkyTrain, buses and the SeaBus, and full-time students get a heavily discounted U-Pass BC bundled into their fees, one of the best transit deals in the country. The SkyTrain links downtown, Burnaby and the airport, while frequent buses serve UBC. The city is flat near the water and very cycle-friendly, with the seawall a joy in dry weather.
Your U-Pass BC is included in student fees and covers all TransLink SkyTrain, bus and SeaBus travel.
The Canada Line SkyTrain runs from downtown to the airport and Richmond in about half an hour.
Mobi bike-share and the seawall make cycling one of the best ways to see the city.
The University of British Columbia is one of the world's top research universities, strong in the sciences, forestry, business and the arts, on a stunning coastal campus. Simon Fraser University, on Burnaby Mountain, is known for its co-op programmes and interdisciplinary teaching. First-year classes at UBC are large, so make use of tutorials. Exchange students are supported through each university's Go Global or international office.
UBC's Irving K. Barber Learning Centre is the flagship study space; SFU's Bennett Library serves Burnaby.
Register through UBC Go Global or SFU International; some faculties restrict exchange enrolment.
The rules depend on your nationality and the length of your programme, so use this as orientation and confirm with the official Canadian immigration site. The key quirk is that a study permit is not required for programmes of six months or less, which covers many single-semester exchanges. Longer than six months and you'll generally need a study permit, applied for online before you travel.
Separately, most visitors need either an eTA for air travel or a visitor visa depending on nationality, so check both.
Programme of six months or less, usually no study permit required
Longer than six months, apply for a study permit online before arrival
You'll still need an eTA or a visitor visa depending on your nationality
Apply early; processing times swing seasonally and requirements vary by country
Vancouver has arguably the best Asian food in North America, from Richmond's dumpling houses and night markets to citywide sushi, ramen and Cantonese cooking. Granville Island Public Market is the landmark food hall, and the city is health-conscious, with brunch, coffee and plant-based options everywhere. Culture is relaxed, outdoorsy and multicultural, shaped heavily by its Pacific and Asian connections.
Head to Richmond for the best dumplings and the summer night markets, a short SkyTrain ride south.
Granville Island Public Market is the classic spot for fresh food and waterfront lunches.
Kitsilano is the beachy, laid-back west-side favourite near UBC, while the West End offers dense downtown living by Stanley Park. Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive on the east side are hipper and a little cheaper, Gastown and Yaletown are polished and central, and Burnaby, near SFU, gives you more space along the SkyTrain.
Kitsilano for beaches and the UBC commute; Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive for a cheaper, hipper scene.
Walk or cycle the Stanley Park seawall, one of the great urban routes anywhere.
Vancouver is the gateway to British Columbia's outdoors. Whistler, a world-class ski resort, is two hours up the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway, Squamish's hikes and climbs are halfway there, and Grouse and Cypress Mountains are half an hour from downtown. Victoria on Vancouver Island is a ferry-and-bus trip, and Seattle is around two and a half hours across the US border.
Whistler is two hours away on the Sea-to-Sky Highway; student ski buses run all winter.
Grouse Mountain and Cypress are half an hour out for a quick ski, snowshoe or hike.
Victoria on Vancouver Island makes a great overnight via the BC Ferries crossing from Tsawwassen.
Budget hard for rent and start your housing hunt early, because Vancouver's prices catch out every newcomer. Buy a proper rain jacket rather than an umbrella; the winter is mild but genuinely wet for months. And make the mountains and sea the point of being here, because the outdoor access, not the nightlife, is what makes Vancouver special.
Invest in quality waterproofs; Vancouver sees rain for much of October to March.
Join a hiking or ski club in your first fortnight to split costs and see BC's outdoors cheaply.
Guide last updated July 2026
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Student Reviews
Your city’s already waiting.
Join the group, skip the scams, land sorted. Free, no sign-up, no corporate nonsense.
I roommed with 5 other girls, which is a lot of people sharing one bathroom and one kitchen space, but you accommodate. It was nice that I got to met 5 people……
6 sections rated
🏠 Housing4/5
Rent paid$1,000
What kind of place was it?
Student Residence
Where was it located?
At UBC campus
Would you recommend it?
I roommed with 5 other girls, which is a lot of people sharing one bathroom and one kitchen space, but you accommodate. It was nice that I got to met 5 people from the start. The best part about Walter Gage is that you are super close to all your classes (around 5 to 10 min walk) and the bus stop. Also, many exchange students also live there so you make plans all the time.
🍻 Social Life4/5
What are some top bars, clubs, or events you recommend?
The night life is not crazy, especially since I am Argentinian and I live in Spain. Yet, there are some fun bars and clubs. The Yale Saloon was our favorite since we got to experience the Canadian culture by learning how to line dance. That place is fun since it has pool tables and a mechanical bull. For latin music, we went to a club named Aura.
🎓 Uni life at University of British Columbia4/5
Which classes do you recommend… or not?
The courseload is heavy, especially since I took 5 classes. Yet, you end up managing it.
Do you have some tips?
The campus facilities were amazing. The professors are also very nice.
✈️ Travel5/5
Best trips to do?
There is so much to do in Vancouver and near it. I recommend to first explore the city itself. These are trips I did during my semester abroad: skiing at Whistler, weekend trip to Seattle, ferry to Bowen Island for the day, 5-day cartrip around Vancouver Island (Tofino, Victoria, among toher places), Whitehorse to see the Northern Lights, Banff.
🌆 Vancouver vibe5/5
What do you absolutely need to know to live your best life in Vancouver?
It is not a cheap city. However, everything is super clean and organized. The bus is your best friend and its easy to navigate. My favorite part about Vancouver were all the different beaches one could visit, the hikes available, and the skiing centers.
💡 Other Tips
Follow different UBC social medias. You will information about sports events, social hangouts, club registrations, etc.
Chloé
2025 • Fall
7.0/10
FromIESEG
Tofairleigh dickinson
MixedMiddle of the scale
The campus is really small. We are around 100 students. There aren’t many Europeans, so it’s easy to connect with each other. Non-europeans students don't……
6 sections rated
🏠 Housing4/5
Rent paid1200 euros
What kind of place was it?
Other
Where was it located?
In downtown, 3min from university, 10min away from bars and clubs and 50min away from(by public transport) UBC the big university of Vancouver
Would you recommend it?
it is nice to be close to university and being located in downtown. However, I would recommend to try to find RBNB if you are more than 2 to come in Vancouver. It's always better to be in downtown because you are close to every touristic spots and bars. However, as exchange students, a lot of parties are at UBC, the biggest university of Vancouver. This university is far away from downtown (20min in uber and 50min in public transport).
🍻 Social Life3/5
What are some top bars, clubs, or events you recommend?
As Europeans, one of the best bars in downtown is The Cambie. Good nightclubs include Greta Bar and Portside. UBC also organizes a lot of events that are open to non-UBC students. However, in general, Vancouver isn’t a city with a big nightlife scene. Going out on weeknights is “complicated” and not really fun.
🎓 Uni life at fairleigh dickinson2/5
Which classes do you recommend… or not?
I would recommend taking “introduction” courses so you don’t have too much work for school. I personally took intro to FA, micro, maths, entrepreneurship basics and cross cultural perspective. It’s also easy to choose classes in a way that you only have courses at the beginning of the week, which gives you long weekends. That way, you can travel on weekends. In general, professors don’t really care about absences because they know we’re only here for one term or one year and we want to travel around Canada.
Do you have some tips?
The campus is really small. We are around 100 students. There aren’t many Europeans, so it’s easy to connect with each other. Non-europeans students don't really connect with us and prefer "stick together". For example, there are only three Europeans this term. I didn’t have a choice regarding the university, but if I could choose, I would pick UBC (the University of British Columbia). The university is much bigger and represents one-third of the city. There are also a lot of Europeans there, and parties are organized every week. However, the courses seem to be a bit more difficult than at FDU (Fairleigh Dickinson University), and students there have more homework than I do.
✈️ Travel5/5
Best trips to do?
During my semester, I went to Toronto, Montréal, Quebec City, Victoria, and several cities around Vancouver. I didn’t go to the US because I didn’t feel like it, but it’s really easy and close. Some of my friends went to Seattle by train (it’s about 1 hour).
In general, being on the West Coast is great because you can easily go to the mountains, and there are plenty of things to do in Vancouver and the surrounding cities. However, trips to the East Coast are expensive (around 200 euros for a flight).
🌆 Vancouver vibe4/5
What do you absolutely need to know to live your best life in Vancouver?
Public transportation is good. Food prices are expensive. Bars and nightlife are cheaper than in Paris. In terms of safety, there are some homeless people in the streets. At first, it can seem scary, but they aren’t dangerous. Vancouver is known as “Raincouver” because of the many rainy days each year. However, I don’t feel like it rains more than in Paris, for example. It’s also not very cold in Vancouver compared to East Coast cities. In winter, temperatures are between 0 and 5 degrees, so it doesn’t really snow. The city is surrounded by nature, which is really nice.
💡 Other Tips
At the beginning, I wanted to go to Toronto for my study abroad. In the end, Vancouver turned out to be really nice. Don’t expect life there to feel like an Erasmus experience because it’s much calmer. However, you can still meet people who want to go out. It’s a great place if you want to explore Canada in general, because if you choose the East Coast, you’ll probably never come to this part of the country.
Moreover, Vancouver is close to the mountains, so if you like skiing, the nearest ski resort is only 40 minutes away from downtown by public transport.
