News Analysis: Why Vancouver is Canada's unhappiest city

Vancouver has been named as Canada's unhappiest city in a report released this week, showing a tendency for small-town Canadians to be more satisfied with their lives than big-city dwellers.

According to the survey, compiled by Statistics Canada between 2008 and 2013, respondents in Vancouver reported being least satisfied with their lives with a rating of 7.8 out of 10.

Vancouver is followed by Toronto, with the second lowest average level of resident satisfaction, while the residents of Saguenay and Trois-Rivieres in the province of Quebec had the highest average satisfaction, the report said.

Interestingly, the level of happiness changed very little when factors such as age, job status and income were taken into account.

The report surveyed 340,000 Canadians across the country's 33 census metropolitan areas and 58 economic regions.

The findings may surprise many due to Vancouver's world-famous natural beauty, social stability and strong economy, but some pointed out that the city's high cost of living and extremely high real estate values make it hard for residents to cover the basics of life.

Dave Harper, a Vancouver resident, told Xinhua that not having enough money to cover his basic living costs makes him unhappy and that the minimum wage should be raised to that end.

"The minimum wage should be up to at least 20 dollars (16 U.S. dollars) an hour," Harper said, if one wants to have a "happy life here on the coast."

"I think maybe real estate price is a big problem. It's hard to get ahead in this city," Mark Timcombe, another Vancouver resident, said.

Even though he owns a dog-walking business and has property in the city, Timcombe recognizes that life in Vancouver is a struggle for many other residents.

"I think for young people, trying to get ahead and save money and live a prosperous life in Vancouver is very difficult without help," Timcombe said.

Locals are also well aware of the city's reputation as an unfriendly place where it's hard to meet new people.

"I think it is hard to meet people in Vancouver. And I meet a lot of people walking with dogs," Timcombe said. "I see a lot of people whom I pass daily, no eye contact. They don't say good morning, and it bothers me. (When) I say good morning, sometimes I get snubbed by people in Vancouver."

Long rainy days in winter also make Vancouver's residents either depressed or gloomy, several local doctors told Xinhua.

But overall, Canadians are happy with their lives, according to the World Happiness Report 2015 released Thursday, which ranked Canada as the fifth happiest country in the world. Endi