Looking for French Expats in Vancouver?

Is Vancouver a good move for French expats? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2024 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year.

Vancouver has a small French sample, so the themes below also draw on what French expats across Canada wrote — read it as a friendly snapshot rather than the last word. The percentages cover all expats living in Vancouver.

• Nature is the headline, every time. Mountains, ocean, and forest show up in nearly every French answer, and 98% of expats in Vancouver rate Canada's natural environment positively — the second-highest score of the 53 cities in the 2024 survey.

• The outdoors is part of the working week. Skiing, biking, and hiking after work get plenty of mentions, and Vancouver scores 84% for opportunities for recreational sports and 78% for how easy and safe it is to get around on foot or by bike.

• Canadian values land well with French expats. Open-mindedness, diversity, and care for the environment come up repeatedly — about three-quarters (76%) of expats in Vancouver say the government supports policies to protect the environment.

• The city feels clean and green. Vancouver earns 86% for air quality and 78% for its urban environment, covering green spaces, noise levels, and eco-friendly architecture.

• Work-life balance beats what many had at home. French expats across Canada mention this often, and 59% of expats in Vancouver are happy with their work-life balance.

• Vancouver is expensive, and that's the loudest complaint by far. Only about two in a hundred expats there rate housing affordability (2%) or the general cost of living (2%) positively — the lowest scores of all 53 cities in 2024. Just 14% say it's easy for expats to find housing.

• Healthcare access frustrates people. French expats across Canada bring up long waits and the struggle to find a family doctor; in Vancouver, 37% rate the availability of healthcare positively and 38% rate the quality of medical care positively.

• Making local friends takes time. Only about one in five (21%) say making local friends is easy, and 27% are happy with their social life there.

• The job market is tight. Just 22% of expats in Vancouver rate the local job market positively, and about two in five (40%) say the move improved their career prospects.

• Grey, rainy winters wear on people. Long stretches of rain and low cloud are a recurring theme for French expats and a common reason they think about moving on.

For French expats, Vancouver delivers on nature, clean air, and an outdoor life that's hard to match anywhere else — and the values on offer tend to match what many were looking for when they left. The catch is money: housing and everyday costs are rated worse there than in any other city in the 2024 survey, and building a social circle takes patience. If the mountains matter more to you than the price tag, it's a fair trade.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — asking them about various aspects of their life, from work to leisure. Learn what motivated our French members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.

InterNations is a place where French expats in Vancouver exchange experiences and tips to support each other. "Hollywood North" can be a great place for expats - our community helps you make the most of your experience!

• Browse our Members Network to get to know Vancouver’s French expats.
• Take part in our Expat Forums to obtain first hand tips from fellow French expats in Vancouver.
• Use the Expat Guide for Vancouver to find information on your host city.

Our community in Vancouver is also very active offline. Our InterNations Ambassadors organize regular events and various expat activities, e.g. a dinner in Vancouver’s hippest restaurant or an outing with other French expats to explore the sublime Canadian Rockies. These activities are a casual way to get to know expats from France in your local community as well as French in Canada nationwide. Interested? Simply become a member and we’ll be happy to welcome you among our French living in Vancouver!