Is Living Near SkyTrain Worth Paying More Rent?

Living near SkyTrain is worth a higher rent when it lets you drop a car, shorten a daily commute, or both. The simple test: add up what you’d spend each month on a car or long bus trips farther from the line, and compare it with the extra rent near a station. If the savings are larger than the rent difference, the station home is cheaper overall, and the time saved is a bonus.

How to Run the Numbers

1. Find two comparable homes: one within a 10-minute walk of a station, one farther away.
2. Note the rent difference per month.
3. Add your transport costs for each: transit pass, or for a car, insurance, fuel or charging, parking, maintenance and the car payment.
4. Value your time: extra minutes each way, five days a week, add up to hours a month.
5. Compare the totals.

When the Station Home Usually Wins

• You can go car-free, or drop from two cars to one.
• You commute daily to downtown, a campus, or another SkyTrain-served job centre.
• Parking at the farther home would cost extra.

When It May Not Be Worth It

• You need a car anyway for work or family.
• Your job is in a place SkyTrain doesn’t serve well.
• You work from home most days.
• The extra rent near the station is large and the farther home has frequent bus service.

Where to Look on SkyTrain

Line	Areas often worth comparing
Expo Line	Metrotown, Edmonds and Royal Oak in Burnaby; New Westminster; Surrey City Centre
Millennium Line	Brentwood and Lougheed in Burnaby; Burquitlam and the Coquitlam City Centre; Port Moody
Canada Line	Richmond City Centre; Marpole and Oakridge in Vancouver

Suburban stations on the Expo and Millennium lines often have lower rents than central Vancouver, with a direct ride downtown. See Vancouver vs Burnaby vs New Westminster and the most affordable Lower Mainland neighbourhoods.

Coming Changes

The Broadway Subway is extending the Millennium Line west along Broadway in Vancouver, and the Surrey–Langley SkyTrain is extending the Expo Line along the Fraser Highway. Homes near future stations may gain transit access later in the decade, but plan around today’s commute.

Moving Near a Station

Homes near stations are often towers with booked elevators and set move hours. Book the elevator first, then your movers. Tingsapp gives a fixed price before you book, with small moves from $79 and full home moves from $249.

Sources

• TransLink — SkyTrain lines, stations and fares (translink.ca), 2026
• Province of BC — Broadway Subway and Surrey Langley SkyTrain projects (gov.bc.ca), 2026
• CMHC — 2025 Rental Market Report, Vancouver CMA by zone (cmhc-schl.gc.ca), 2026

Related guides

• Vancouver vs Burnaby vs New Westminster for Renters
• The Real Cost of Renting in Vancouver Beyond Monthly Rent
• How Much Income Do You Need to Live in Vancouver?
• Moving Into a Burnaby Condo Tower

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth paying more rent to live near SkyTrain?

Usually, if it lets you go without a car or saves significant commute time. Compare the extra rent with your monthly transport costs.

Which SkyTrain areas have lower rents?

Suburban stations in Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey and Coquitlam often cost less than central Vancouver, with a direct ride downtown.

How do I compare a car with a transit pass?

Add insurance, fuel or charging, parking, maintenance and any car payment, and compare that with a monthly transit pass.

Are new SkyTrain lines coming?

Yes. The Broadway Subway extends the Millennium Line in Vancouver, and the Surrey–Langley SkyTrain extends the Expo Line toward Langley.

Is living near a station noisy?

It can be, close to elevated guideways. Visit at different times of day before you sign.

What should I know about moving into a building near a station?

Many are towers with booked elevators and move hours. Book the elevator before booking movers.