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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in St. John's: $65,500/year — $6,333 below the Canada median. Cost index 94, purchasing power 69681/100. Compare incomes across Newfoundland and Labrador below.
Average salary in St. John's: $65,500/year — $6,333 below the Canada median. Cost index 94, purchasing power 69681/100. Compare incomes across Newfoundland and Labrador below.
St. John's: cost index 94 (-12 vs national avg 106), rent $1,200/month.
Newfoundland and Labrador region average cost index: 106. St. John's is -12 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 66, healthcare 62, walkability 55.
Safety score: 66/100 (crime rate 55.3/1k). National average: 63/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 2 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 3 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 4 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
| 5 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 6 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Vancouver | 134 | $2,850 | $80,000 |
| 8 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 9 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 10 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
| 11 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 12 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 13 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 14 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 15 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 16 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 17 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 18 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 19 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 20 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 |
Here's the surprising part: St. John's has a cost index of 94 — 12 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $65,500 with rent at $1,200/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 22%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
But here's the flip side: looking at Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 4 points on the cost index. Saint John sits at the other end with index 90 and rent of $1,210/mo. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
On quality of life, St. John's scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (62), and walkability (55) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
St. John's — cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500, QoL 63/100.
Calgary — cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500, QoL 61/100.
Ottawa — cost index 113, rent $2,100/mo, income $86,000, QoL 64/100.
Toronto — cost index 126, rent $2,750/mo, income $82,000, QoL 56/100.
Edmonton — cost index 108, rent $1,800/mo, income $82,000, QoL 58/100.
The median gross income in St. John's is $65,500/year — below the Canada national average of $71,833.
The Newfoundland and Labrador region of average QoL score is 61/100. St. John's leads with 63/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA.
St. John's: cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500/yr, QoL 63/100. Calgary: cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500/yr, QoL 61/100.
This analysis uses data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA to rank cities in Canada. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.