Vancouver: we're cheap... compared to Tokyo

Who knew it was such a bargain to live in a city where a run-down shell of a house goes for half a million bucks?

Just days after giving another tearful lament about real estate prices in Vancouver, one survey now shows that the cost of living here is actually quite reasonable... compared to London and Tokyo. We barely even made the top 100 most expensive cities, placing seven points behind Toronto's rating of 82.

It's good to keep things in perspective, I suppose. But a good price on a litre of milk and a loaf of bread still doesn't put me into the West End.

Then again, I'm certain there are some big problems associated with placing dead last on a survey like that. Be thankful for what you've got.