I guess it could be true that there's a bit of culture difference in terms of East/conservative/older vs west/progressive/newer. However, it also seems to me there's a much stronger demand for software developers in Toronto - the salaries are higher.

Which tech/communities are you looking at? For example, I think the Elixir community is bigger/more active in Toronto.

Also I can't imagine that commute is better in Vancouver if you get a house that's just as far away.