Ubc vs nottinham (econs major)

1. No, it's not. My laptop is a Toshiba. Any laptop will do fine.

2. All first years have guaranteed housing at Totem/Vanier, I don't know of any first years who live at one of the other residences - those are for second/third year. So it's not rolling, because it's guaranteed. There's more single than shared so if you apply to shared it's quite likely you'll get single. By the way you have to have a meal plan with your residence. It's not cheap, ~$4000. Also, many people have to refill it. So look to about $4000-$5000 for your usual food.

3. Real estate is insane. In the entire city of Vancouver, as of 2012, there is not a single house <$500 000. If you don't get university residence for second year, this is relevant because you will have to search for a rental unit.
As for other stuff, it depends where you go. The 12% tax rate makes everything a bit pricier than your average US city. No restaurant meal will cost you less than $5. Sushi is really popular, yummy, and cheap here though so if you're okay with that you'll definitely survive. Clothes are expensive, but again, it depends where you shop - brand names are cheaper here than in east Asia but not as cheap as in the US. There's places like H&M and Forever 21 and Old Navy which are reasonably priced and where cheapos like me get their $10 shirts and $20 jeans.
Gas is also really expensive here so don't drive. Our transit system will get you anywhere in the city proper in less than an hour. If you go to UBC you get the UPass, which allows you to free transit access (well, you pay for it, but you can't opt out so it's built in to your student fees) for the school year.