On Wednesday, an International survey of cities revealed the disparity in cost of buying a home in Canada, across the coasts. The survey revealed that the west coast harbors some of the least affordable cities in the world while the eastern market remains more affordable to the common man.

According to the fifth annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, Vancouver features at the fourth position in the list of the least affordable cities of the world with a median house price at 8.4 times the median income; which means that it costs an average 8.4 years to buy a house outright in the Pacific city. The average median in Canada was 3.5.

All of Canada's "severely unaffordable" cities are in British Columbia, including Victoria, at 7th position, Kelowna, at 19th position and Abbotsford, at 25th position.

The survey used accessible house sales data to rate housing affordability in 265 global markets. According to the survey there exist 87 "affordable" markets, 74 "moderately unaffordable" markets, 49 that are "seriously unaffordable" markets and 64 that are "severely unaffordable."

The survey said that all of the 87 "affordable markets" are in Canada and the United States, while nearly all markets in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are rated as "severely unaffordable."