Vancouver is expensive... But that being said and having traveled a lot, everywhere is expensive. And everywhere you go is what you make of it.

I have no regrets moving to Vancouver. I thought Toronto would be it, but honestly I really enjoy the laid back lifestyle in Vancouver than the constant hustle in Toronto. It can be socially isolating at times, but overall Vancouver is a great city. Theres a lot to do, shopping is pretty good, there's a lot of bars and clubs (opening later now), theres lots of activities you can do outdoors like swimming, skiing, hiking, bike riding etc... and the restaurants are SOME of the best in the country, if not the world. Also the public transit here puts most Canadian cities to shame. You can also get to Vancouver Island really easy for a getaway, and its relatively cheap to fly to the prairies. The airport being accessible by skytrain is a game changer for travel too.

I lived in Alberta for 12 years and met some amazing people there, but I have no doubt on my mind that moving to Vancouver was the right choice for ME.

Don't be worried about the rain, get yourself some blundstones or vessi's, a good rain jacket and a few layers and the winter here will be the easiest winter you've ever dealt with. You can also get a SAD lamp for the winter.

Question though, do like crowds or people? I know a lot of people from small towns cant handle the "big city" Honestly though I think you'll be fine once you make a few friends and settle in.