An honest experience of living in Whistler (Written by a local)

You want to know what living in Whistler is really like. In this blog post, I’ll give you the lowdown on finding a job, finding an apartment, and whether it’s better to be a skier or a snowboarder in Whistler.

Whistler has been my home for the past two years, and what a crazy, beautiful madness it is. Living in Whistler is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever lived. It’s an adrenalin junkie’s dream, with skiing & snowboarding being the sport of choice in the Winter. Which winter sport you choose will determine your destiny here; more on that below.

I’m sure you’ve already heard/ read that Whistler is one of the best ski destinations in the world. And in Whistler in Summer, you can enjoy downhill mountain biking or kayaking in its many lakes. You can even try your hand at the very unique sports of bobsledding and axe-throwing in Whistler. There are just so many unique things to do in Whistler in winter! In Winter, the town almost triples its population, with young people flocking from Australia and the UK predominantly to call this ‘Winter Wonderland’ their temporary home.

P.S. I’ve also lived in Sydney and Queenstown New Zealand, if you fancy reading about what it’s like to live there!

If you’re interested in applying for a Working Holiday Visa to Canada, read all my detailed instructions!

Living in Whistler: Finding suitable housing

As you can imagine, it can be very difficult to find decent housing in Whistler. It is a very competitive market, and rent is incredibly expensive, and most of my friends shared a room with several others. Some people even live in their campervan in the villages’ outdoor car park (we don’t recommend this – it gets very cold in Winter). In fact, I’ve written an incredibly detailed guide about renting in Whistler – I’m certain you’ll find it helpful!

To be successful in finding a place to rent in Whistler, here’s what we recommend:

• Join the local housing groups on Facebook, such as Whistler Housing Rentals for Locals and Whistler Winter or Summer, to find apartments and rooms for rent

• Search in the Pique – the local online magazine classifieds section

• Ensure you have good previous rental references (even if they are from overseas) and enough money for a bond and your first month’s rent

• Try to arrive in Whistler before the peak seasons begin – if you’re planning to stay for the Winter season, arrive in October, and for the Summer season, arrive in April. This way, you will have more choices and slightly more reasonable rental options available to you.

READ NEXT: If you’re keen to experience city living why not consider moving to Vancouver? We lived in this gorgeous city for a year before making the move to Whistler!

How much is the rent in Whistler?

Rent prices in Whistler vary massively – our two-bedroom apartment in Bayshores is $2,200 CAD per month. Which was very reasonable, but the maximum number of tenants allowed was two. A big plus was it had a large wrap-around balcony and garden. However, we signed our lease for this back in 2018. And here in B.C. landlords can only increase your rent by 3.5% every 12 months.

For units in Whistler Village, you are likely going to pay at least $2,800 CAD per month for a studio and from $3,000 CAD for a one-bedroom apartment. If you go further afield to Pemberton (a 30-minute drive), average rental prices for a one-bedroom decrease to about $2,200 CAD per month. Further away in Squamish, a 45-minute drive from Whistler, you’re looking at about the same at $2,200 CAD for a one-bedroom.

If you really want to save money on rent, you can rent a bed in a room in or near Whistler Village for about $1,500 CAD per month; this is just a bed, so you will be sharing the room with one or two other people. Again, this price massively depends on where the house is located and the condition of it. Some share houses are truly awful. Similarly, you can rent your own room in a shared house for around $2,000 CAD per room.

READ NEXT: Doing a road trip while living in Whistler is one of the best things you can do. Our three favorites include the drive from Whistler to Banff, the road from Banff to Jasper and the long but worthwhile drive from Whistler to Jasper!

The best neighborhoods to live in Whistler

There are a couple of neighborhoods in Whistler, here, I will list the best/most popular. We lived in Bayshores for two full years and loved it.

• Whistler Cay – is the closest area to Whistler Village; the prices here are a little more expensive, but the apartments/ houses here are generally in good condition.

• Creekside – the “original Whistler village” is a mini-village in itself and has some stores, bars, and even the gondola to go up the mountain – meaning you don’t have to make your way into Whistler to ski.

• Bayshores – a family-friendly neighborhood with some beautiful chalet-style homes. It is a 10-15 minute drive into Whistler and a 15-20 minute walk to Creekside. Regular bus services operate from here.

• Alpine Meadow/ Rainbow – home to Meadow Park Sports Center and a large supermarket. It is a very popular and relatively cheap area to rent. It’s a 10-15 minute drive into Whistler, with a regular bus service operating.

• Function Junction/ Cheakamus Crossing – these are the first neighborhoods you will come across as you drive up from Vancouver. Function Junction is more of an industrial area with some housing scattered within, and it is home to the locally famous Re-use It Center. Cheakamus Crossing is the furthest neighborhood from Whistler Village, but most of the rental units here are new.

Best apartment rentals in Whistler

We recommend (if your budget allows) renting a cheap short-term apartment whilst you look for suitable long-term housing – here’s a list of some apartments we recommend –

Or why not check into a hostel long-term, this is a great budget-friendly way to stay in Whistler while you search for a more permanent place to call home. Here are the best hostel offers in Whistler.

• HI Whistler – This is more of a luxury hostel and it’s located a short drive from the village (it’s close to Whistler Creekside). It’s a huge hostel (it has 188 beds) so there’s plenty of choice in terms of room types. We stayed in a private ensuite room here – it was fabulous! Interestingly, this hostel was part of the athlete’s village for the 2010 Olympics. Onsite you’ll find a licensed café, decks with mountain views, and gorgeous common rooms. A bed in a 4-bed dorm will set you back around $50 CAD per night.

• Pangea Pod Hotel – Located right in the center of the village, just 200 meters from the ski lift up the mountain this is a very popular choice. They have an onsite bar and a rooftop patio and your room is essentially a comfy pod complete with bed and storage space. Expect tp pay around $60 CAD per night here.

Living in Whistler: Finding a job

We got incredibly lucky with our apartment and our jobs, even though I had to work two jobs to ensure that I had enough money for my number one hobby – travel.  Regardless of the long hours we worked, we were incredibly happy living in Whistler.

I worked at the Fairmont Chateau Hotel during the day and the Mexican Corner restaurant in the evenings. My husband worked in construction in the Summer months and in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant in the Winter.

How to find a good job in Whistler

Unlike the limited amount of good housing available, there are heaps of good jobs available to you in Whistler. You have to remember that Whistler is a booming tourist destination, so, most of the jobs here are in the hospitality sector. However the hours can be unreliable and you’re likely to be working 40+ hours a week in peak season (winter and summer) and half of that in slow season (spring and fall).

Below is a list of the best places to search for a job in Whistler:

• Pique online magazine, as mentioned above. The classifieds section of the Pique is where a lot of businesses will advertise available jobs

• Craigslist – not as popular in Whistler as it is elsewhere in Canada, you will likely find short-term jobs listed here

• Indeed – most of the large hotels or office-type businesses will advertise available jobs here

• Word-of-mouth – get out and socialize in Whistler when you first arrive, locals know that the best jobs are obtained by a good referral from a friend or acquaintance

Is it expensive to live in Whistler?

Whistler is definitely expensive, but once you start earning money you will notice this less and less. Items like chicken and cheese are notoriously expensive in the supermarkets. But, thankfully, you can dine out quite cheaply – firm favorite El Furniture Warehouse does meals for less than $10 CAD, and a lot of other restaurants do local deals.

Here’s a list of some of the best cheap eats in Whistler Village.

One of the best value-for-money supermarkets we found was Your Independent Grocer out in Rainbow. Otherwise, if you have a car, you can save money on groceries by hitting up Squamish for Save-On-Foods.

Day-to-day costs in Whistler tend to be reasonable, for example, eating out, drinking out, and your takeaway coffees are no more expensive here than in other major cities in Canada. Your biggest expense is, of course, going to be your rent. For our power, we went with BC Hydro and found them to be very fair and reasonable price-wise.

My estimation is that start-up costs to move to Whistler will cost you approx. $7,000 CAD. This figure takes into account your first month’s rent, your rental deposit (usually half a month’s rent), a ski pass, ski gear, stuff for your apartment like bed sheets, cooking utensils, etc. But thankfully, most places here come fully furnished. 

Are you a snowboarder or a skier?

I’m a skier, as are most Europeans, whereas the majority of Australians and Canadians prefer snowboarding. On the mountain, you will likely ski with your skier friends only, and vice-versa for snowboarding. Skiing and snowboarding are at different paces. The saying goes it’s easier to learn to ski but harder to ‘get good at’, whereas snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to ‘get good at’.

READ NEXT: Check out my incredibly detailed guide on how to spend 3 days in Whistler in the winter!

What we love the most about living in Whistler

We love the long cold days spent skiing, the warmer days spent on a scenic hiking trail, the delicious restaurants, and our amazing multi-cultural group of friends, but above all, we will love the fun, carefree environment of Whistler. Here, we feel like ‘Peter Pan’ in that you will feel forever young living here. Whistler is just such a fun place to call home!

Have you ever considered living in Whistler or a similar Ski resort? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks so much for reading. I hope this guide has helped you plan your move to Whistler! If you found this blog helpful, be sure to browse around some more! I have guides on  Canadian road trip tips, luxury vacation to Whistler as well as doing a ski season in Whistler and the best things to do in Seattle!

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***This post originally appeared in Quinns Quill Munster News

Last Updated on November 3, 2024 by snaphappytravel