Are you dreaming of escaping Vancouver's hustle and finding a more affordable, nature-filled lifestyle on Vancouver Island? Campbell River might be your perfect destination. Known as the "Salmon Capital of the World," this coastal gem offers dramatic cost savings, outdoor adventures, and a quality of life that's attracting thousands of British Columbians looking for change.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the compelling reasons why moving from Vancouver to Campbell River could be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.

1. Dramatically Lower Housing Costs

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

The benchmark price for a single-family home in Campbell River was $706,200 in September 2025, compared to Vancouver where the average price for a single-family home starts from around $1.9 million CAD in more accessible areas.

That's a savings of nearly $1.2 million CAD – enough to buy your dream home in Campbell River and have substantial funds left over for investments, renovations, or retirement.

Rental Savings Are Just as Impressive

The average rent for a single-bedroom apartment in Campbell River is approximately CAD 1,750 to 1,900 per month, but you can find a detached home for $2200-$3000. While in Vancouver, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city of Vancouver stands at approximately $2,750 CAD per month, with rates often exceeding $3,000 in expensive neighborhoods.

Bottom Line: You could save $200-$1,200+ per month on rent, or nearly $1 million on a home purchase.

2. Significantly Lower Overall Cost of Living

The cost of living in Campbell River is 26% lower than the British Columbia average and 8% lower than the national average. Meanwhile, Vancouver was named the most expensive city to live in Canada in a 2022 global survey.

For a single person in Vancouver, living costs about C$4,349 monthly, while a family of four would need around C$10,871. In contrast, Campbell River housing is 41% lower than the national average, making everyday expenses much more manageable.

What This Means for You:

• More disposable income each month

• Ability to save for retirement or investments

• Less financial stress and better work-life balance

• Opportunity to enjoy life without constant money worries

3. Escape the Traffic Nightmare

Vancouver's Traffic Crisis

Public transit commute times on TransLink's network in Metro Vancouver are among the worst in Canada and the United States, with an average commute time of 60 minutes each way. Vancouver drivers face an average travel time of 27 minutes and 3 seconds per 10 km, with 35% congestion and 86 hours lost per year.

According to the TomTom Traffic Index, drivers in Vancouver spent an average of 208 hours driving in 2023 — 90 hours of that time was spent in congestion.

Campbell River's Easy Commuting

Campbell River offers a completely different lifestyle. With a population of just over 35,000, traffic congestion is virtually non-existent. Most destinations are within a 5-10 minute drive, and you'll rarely encounter rush hour delays.

Your Time Back:

• Reclaim 80+ hours per year previously lost to traffic

• Reduce commute stress and arrive home energized

• Spend more time with family instead of sitting in gridlock

4. Unparalleled Access to Nature & Outdoor Activities

World-Class Outdoor Recreation

Campbell River is the gateway to Strathcona Provincial Park and the mazy waterways of the Discovery Islands, featuring kayaking, hiking, caving, wildlife viewing and, above all, sports fishing.

Surrounded by ocean and mountains, with countless trails, beaches, and parks, Campbell River offers endless outdoor recreation options including kayaking, fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching as integral parts of the local lifestyle.

Activities at Your Doorstep:

• Whale Watching: See orcas, humpback whales, and dolphins in their natural habitat

• Salmon Fishing: World-renowned fishing opportunities year-round

• Hiking: Access to Elk Falls Provincial Park, Strathcona Provincial Park, and dozens of trails

• Wildlife Viewing: Bears, eagles, seals, and sea lions

• Water Sports: Kayaking, paddleboarding, scuba diving, and boating

• Winter Sports: Nearby Mount Washington for skiing and snowboarding

In a 2025 survey, nature, beauty and scenery are what residents appreciate most about living in Campbell River, closely followed by access to outdoor activities.

5. Growing Economy with Diverse Job Opportunities

Economic Diversification

Campbell River has a variety of growing industries suitable to an ocean side community, with business focused on aquaculture, agri-foods, clean energy development, construction, creative industries, forestry, fishing, health care, international education, mining, technology and tourism.

Population Growth Driving Opportunity

Campbell River's population now exceeds 37,000 and has grown by approximately 6-8% over the past five years, outpacing the provincial average. Campbell River is expected to see a 48 per cent increase in population by 2046, indicating sustained economic growth and job creation.

Key Employment Sectors:

• Healthcare and social services

• Tourism and hospitality

• Aquaculture and fishing

• Forestry and resource management

• Construction and trades

• Technology and remote work opportunities

• Education and public services

6. Strong Sense of Community

Small-Town Charm, Big-City Amenities

With a population of around 35,000, Campbell River offers the perfect balance – small enough to know your neighbors, large enough to have excellent amenities, restaurants, shopping, and services.

Quality of life in Campbell River is rated positively, with 93 per cent rating overall quality as positive, and 70 per cent felt the City of Campbell River is doing a good job overall.

Community Benefits:

• Family-friendly neighborhoods

• Active community events and festivals

• Lower crime rates than major urban centers

• Strong local business support

• Welcoming atmosphere for newcomers

7. Excellent Climate & Natural Beauty

Mild Coastal Weather

Campbell River enjoys a temperate coastal climate with milder winters than many parts of BC. While it does receive rainfall (it is on the west coast, after all), the weather is generally pleasant year-round, with warm, dry summers perfect for outdoor activities.

Stunning Scenery Every Day

Nature, beauty and scenery are what residents appreciate most about living in Campbell River. Wake up to ocean views, mountain vistas, and pristine forests – a far cry from Vancouver's concrete jungle and traffic-choked streets.

8. Family-Friendly Environment

Safe, Wholesome Living

Campbell River provides tons of outdoor adventures for families, including Elk Falls Provincial Park with well-maintained hiking trails suitable for all ages, the Discovery Pier for fishing and ocean views, and numerous parks with extensive play structures.

Educational & Recreational Opportunities:

• Quality schools with smaller class sizes

• The Museum at Campbell River with interactive displays perfect for children, and the Discovery Passage Aquarium with touch tanks for hands-on learning

• Community recreation programs and sports

• Safe neighborhoods where kids can play outside

• Strong focus on youth programs and activities

9. Less Stress, Better Mental Health

Escape Urban Burnout

The constant pressure of Vancouver's expensive lifestyle, traffic congestion, and urban stress takes a toll on mental health. Campbell River offers:

• Slower Pace: No more rushing through life

• Natural Stress Relief: Immediate access to calming ocean and forest environments

• Work-Life Balance: More time for hobbies, family, and personal growth

• Community Connection: Stronger social bonds and support networks

• Financial Peace: Less money stress means better overall wellbeing

10. Superior Quality of Life Index

Tangible Life Improvements

The median household income in Campbell River is $78,000 annually, with a median after-tax household income of $70,000. While this is slightly lower than Vancouver, the dramatically reduced cost of living means your money goes much further.

What You Gain:

• More square footage for your housing dollar

• Shorter commutes = more time for life

• Access to world-class outdoor recreation

• Safer, quieter neighborhoods

• Stronger community connections

• Less financial stress

• Better air quality and natural environment

11. Remote Work Paradise

The New Work-From-Home Capital

With the rise of remote work, Campbell River has become increasingly attractive for professionals who can work from anywhere. You can maintain your Vancouver salary while enjoying Campbell River's cost of living – the ultimate lifestyle arbitrage.

Remote Worker Benefits:

• Reliable high-speed internet infrastructure

• Beautiful home office environments with natural views

• Co-working spaces and cafes

• Work-life balance that's actually balanced

• No commute to waste your day

12. Gateway to Vancouver Island Adventures

Perfect Central Location

Campbell River serves as the perfect base for exploring all of Vancouver Island:

• 3 hours to Victoria

• 2 hours to Tofino

• Gateway to the North Island wilderness

• Easy access to dozens of smaller island communities

• Campbell River is the gateway to Strathcona Provincial Park and the Discovery Islands

Making the Move: Practical Considerations

Transportation to Vancouver

While you're leaving the city behind, Campbell River maintains good connections:

• BC Ferries to Vancouver Island https://www.bcferries.com/

• Campbell River Airport (YBL) with regular flights https://crairport.ca/

• Highway connections to other island communities

• Easy weekend trips to Vancouver when needed (but you probably won't want to)

• Great, Hullo passenger ferries service go from Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver https://hullo.com/ 

What to Expect

Moving from Vancouver to Campbell River isn't just a geographic change – it's a lifestyle transformation. You'll trade:

• Traffic for tranquility

• High rent for home ownership

• Concrete for coastline

• Stress for serenity

• Rush hour for relaxation

Conclusion: Your New Life Awaits

The data is clear: Campbell River offers dramatic cost savings, superior quality of life, unmatched natural beauty, and a welcoming community – all while maintaining modern amenities and economic opportunities.

Campbell River's recent population growth is no accident—it's the result of strategic development, a high quality of life, and affordability that draws in people from across British Columbia.

With housing costs at less than half of Vancouver's prices, zero traffic congestion, world-class outdoor recreation, and a thriving community, Campbell River represents the lifestyle that many Vancouverites dream about but think is impossible to achieve.

The question isn't whether Campbell River is right for you – it's whether you can afford to keep missing out on this incredible opportunity.

Ready to make the move? Start researching neighborhoods, connect with local real estate agents, and begin planning your escape from the Vancouver rat race. Your new life in Campbell River is waiting.

Considering a move to Campbell River? Contact us to learn more about real estate opportunities, employment options, and what life is really like in the Salmon Capital of the World.

Keywords: Moving to Campbell River, Vancouver to Campbell River, Campbell River cost of living, Campbell River real estate, relocating to Vancouver Island, Campbell River BC, best places to live in BC, leaving Vancouver, Campbell River lifestyle, affordable living BC

link to all current listings in Campbell River here

It’s hard to believe that in this market we can still see listings of detached homes for sale for relatively affordable homes in Campbell River Real Estate. Let’s not forget that buyers don’t really look at the price of the property but are mostly concerned about the monthly payment. If you’re in the first step of your house search adventure consider looking at an easy tool I have on my website “the mortgage calculator” 

This tool will allow you to play with your numbers to determine the rough cost of a mortgage could be. Let’s assume you’re thinking of buying a property under $500,000. Let’s assume that you have 20% down payment ($100,000). In this case you’ll be seeking a $400,000 mortgage. Today’s mortgage rates are in the 5-6% range so let’s assume that your lender will offer you a 6% rate, 25 year amortization on the 5 year term; your monthly payments will be roughly $2560 

If you change the amortization to 30 years your payment will go down by about $180 to roughly $2380

The cost of mortgage is not the only cost a home owner faces. In addition to loan cost there are insurance and property taxes, which vary based on the area. Campbell River taxes can range between $2500-$4500 a year. Insurance costs depend on the condition of the house and area but roughly $2000 is a reasonable budget. Any way you slice it, you’ll end up with an extra cost of roughly $500/ month for both.

 The first market statistics of the year were published late therefore I’m including them in this article instead of the last one. I can’t believe we are mid way through January already!

I’m assuming by now you have all received your BC Assessment and you’re excited at the fact that your home is worth more than 30% and in some cases even 50% more! Your property taxes will not go up by 50%, don’t worry. They will certainly go up though. 

Campbell River

According to the British Columbia Real Estate Association, the supply situation is especially critical in markets outside the Lower Mainland, with one of the worst being Vancouver Island. Even if sales were to return to long-run average levels, total listings would need to nearly double to achieve a balanced market, and the road to doubling those listings lies in building more homes.

“Expanding inventory is the key to affordability, and it requires a coordinated effort from all levels of government and adequate incentives for municipalities to take action,” says Mackay. “The public also has a role to play by being more open to gentle densification in some areas.”

Benchmark Price for a detached home in Campbell River in December reached: $689,000.

Benchmark Price for an apartment: $335,000.

Benchmark Price for a Townhouse: $505,300.

Average sale price in 2021, in Campbell River was $692,906 compared to $537,494 in 2020.

Quadra Island
Quadra Island saw a very busy December with 3 listings sold (pending), 2 sold, 1 cancelled and 1 expired.

Overall in 2021 Quadra Island had 42 listings in total that sold, 5 were cancelled, and 3 expired.

If you would like more details including “sold prices” go to my website and sign up and log in for free to members only area that will provide that information www.quadrarealty.ca 

Cortes Island

Cortes Island also had a relatively busy year with 14 listings sold, 2 cancelled, and 4 expired.

 If you would like more details including “sold prices” go to my website and sign up and log in for free to members only area that will provide that information www.quadrarealty.ca

Calgary

“2021 Record year for home sales”. Thanks to exceptionally high sales in December, 2021 was a record year for home sales. Calgary sales reached 27,686 units this year, nearly 72 per cent higher than last year and over 44 per cent higher than the 10-year average. “Concerns over inflation and rising lending rates likely created more urgency with buyers over the past few months. However, as is the case in many other cities, the supply has not kept pace with the demand causing strong price growth,” said CREB® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

The benchmark price of detached homes in the city of Calgary hit $547,300; semi-detached: $432,400; row home: $300,100; apartments $252,000.

Vancouver

Metro Vancouver home sales reached an all-time high in 2021 as housing needs remained a top priority for residents in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We begin 2022 with just over 5,000 homes for sale across the region. This is the lowest level we’ve seen in more than 30 years,” Keith Stewart, REBGV economist said. “With demand at record levels, residents shouldn’t expect home price growth to relent until there’s a more adequate supply of housing available to purchase.”

Looking across Metro Vancouver, Maple Ridge saw the largest increase in benchmark prices at 34.7 per cent, followed by Pitt Meadows (29.8 per cent) and Whistler (27.8 per cent).

The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,910,200. This represents a 22 per cent increase from December 2020.

The benchmark price of an apartment home is $761,800. This represents a 12.8 per cent increase from December 2020.

The benchmark price of an attached home is $1,004,900. This represents a 22 per cent increase from December 2020.

Toronto

In December, GTA REALTORS® reported 6,031 sales – a strong result historically, but still down by more than 1,000 transactions (-15.7 per cent) compared to the record of 7,154 set in December 2020. Over the same period, new listings were down by 11.9 per cent to 5,174. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite benchmark was up by 31.1 per cent year-over-year in December. The average selling price was up by 24.2 per cent annually to $1,157,849.

The average price for a detached home in area (416) is $1,698,178.

The average price of a semi-detached home (416) is 1,342,429.

The average price of a townhouse (416) is $997,208.

The average price of a condo (416) is $730,792 as reported by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TREBB).

Prediction for 2022- more of the same. Looks like the biggest problem we currently have is a huge demand for housing but supply of new housing is just not meeting the demand. Being a buyer in this market is very hard, especially if you don't have a $1million dollars for a downpayment. 

In my opinion, the most important drivers of housing crisis are the artificial low interest rates and very high numbers of newcomers to Canada. According to Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration), Canada welcomed 401,000 new immigrants in 2021.This is the most newcomers in a year in Canadian history since 1913. Federal government is planning to bring 411,000 immigrants in 2022. Just to be very clear- I'm not blaming immigrants for this crisis. This is just a bad policy by the feds. 

Are you thinking of selling your home? Call me for a free home evaluation.

Roman Krzaczek REALTOR ®

Home number: 250-285-2141

Quadrarealty.ca

Are solar panels going to increase the value of my home?

Thank you My Friend for asking me this question the other day, because it inspired me to write about it in the Discovery Islander where I will share my findings with all the readers.

The usual answer I came up with right away is the usual in real estate: “it depends”. I have done some reading and even asked my fellow real estate agents if they had any experience with this.

The answer is not black and white, as expected.

I think it’s a wonderful technology and I am a big fan of trying new ideas. The three most obvious benefits of using this technology is reducing our carbon footprint, less reliance on the grid, and most importantly cheaper utility bills.

I can see an argument in favour of a solar panel system to supplement your power usage. Cost of energy is going up as we have all been noticing over the years. The way that BC Hydro calculates your power bill is a 2 step system, where you pay one rate up to certain level and then anything above that costs significantly more. In winter for example my hydro bill triples, and I think solar panels integrated into my home could potentially reduce that electric bill shock.

The main things to keep in mind:

Cost - Although cost of panels and all the components have come down in price lately, the cost will vary depending on performance, durability and warranty. Other factors such as installation, permits, inspections, and any modifications related to hook up to your existing grid may add up to the cost.

Maintenance- what are the maintenance costs over time. The efficiency of solar panels degrades over time so the older panels will be perceived as less valuable and less efficient, and also will need more maintenance costs.

Efficiency- How efficient is your system, is it really worth installing it if you live in an area like Quadra Island where sunshine is a rare commodity for six months out of the year? I wish we had “rain panels” on the west coast; Or winter grey sky panels!

Location- Do you have the south facing roof top for best exposure of the sun, does your property have enough sunshine? A lot of the houses in our area of Cortes Island, Campbell River and Quadra Island have a lot of trees around the houses. A lot of efficiency of solar panels depend on unobstructed view of the sun. The panels are supposed to be facing the sun at all times for maxium efficiency; not always possible.

Permits- What are the local guidelines and requirements? It’s always best to hire a local contractor that has experience and knows how to plan a successful installation.   

All things considered, is your property going to go up in value if you install a system?

Large installations on valuable homes tend to add more money to the value of the home than smaller and less valuable homes. Some studies indicate that some properties can benefit up to $6000 for every 1kW installed and working systems. Other sources suggest 2-4% increase in property value, but these numbers are based on hypothetical scenarios.

Most of the time however solar panels do not add significant value to most properties. Even off-grid properties may not increase the value because you’re trading the benefits for all the maintenance costs and unreliable service. For example, when temperatures drop down in the winter the panels don’t produce as much electricity.

The way I look at it is, if you can justify paying $30,000 for a system that will save you $100 in monthly electricity bill then go ahead, but don’t count on the value of the house to go up significantly. I think it’s a great idea of “free” electricity but just how free is it. The panels will provide most amount of electricity when your monthly bills are typically the lowest. In the winter when the panels are not quite as efficient unfortunately due to weather, is when you need to have a good source of supplemental power source.

From a numbers point of view if someone had $30,000 to increase the value of a property I would suggest redoing the kitchen first, then bathrooms, windows, insulation, but if all these options have already been covered then consider adding an additional dwelling on your property. Is there a way to build a rental suite?

The return on investment on the $30,000 invested in a rental suite that can be rented for $800 vs $100 saving on your electric bill is a no brainer in my opinion.

In conclusion, based on all factors the installation of solar panels is a fantastic way of reducing your cost of power and it’s an extra added feature for a property. Theoretically the more features a property includes the more attractive it could be to certain potential buyers. I remember when hot tubs were a great feature for buyers until that trend went away and now selling a house with a hot tub can be a bit tricky these days. As more information about solar panels become available more people will be able to make more educated decisions.

I personally, would definitely consider buying a brand new house with a renewable energy solution built in from the beginning because I can safely assume that all other systems in the house like insulation and windows have a high efficiency rating. As a buyer of an older home with only certain components that meet the efficiency level, I personally would not feel too thrilled.

The Canadian government is offering home owner grants that aim at helping home owners in saving energy costs. This could be a good first step in doing some research.

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/canada-greener-homes-grant/23441

As you read through that government website you will realize that the promised "up to $5000" grant given to home owners doesn't mean what we think. There are a lot of limitations and conditions that one has to meet in order to take advantage of any of these programs. 

Are you thinking of selling your home? Call me for a free home evaluation.

Roman Krzaczek REALTOR ®

Home number: 250-285-2141

Quadrarealty.ca

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