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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Best cities for retirees in New Brunswick in 2026. Fredericton ranks #1 with cost index 88, rent $1,150/mo, and QoL 68/100.
Best cities for retirees in New Brunswick in 2026. Fredericton ranks #1 with cost index 88, rent $1,150/mo, and QoL 68/100.
Fredericton ranks #1 with a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,150/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 87 (-14 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 66/100. Top: Fredericton at 68/100.
Safest city: Fredericton (72/100 safety score).
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Fredericton stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 88 and median income of $58,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Canada. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Fredericton leads with a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (66), and walkability (58) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fredericton | 88 | $1,150 | $58,000 |
| 2 | Saint John | 86 | $1,100 | $56,000 |
Fredericton — cost index 88, rent $1,150/mo, income $58,000, QoL 68/100.
Saint John — cost index 86, rent $1,100/mo, income $56,000, QoL 63/100.
Fredericton ranks #1 in New Brunswick for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $58,000.
Fredericton scores highest for retirees due to its below-average cost of living, rent of $1,150/mo, and quality of life score of 68/100.
The region average QoL score is 63/100. Fredericton leads with 68/100, reflecting its 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.
Fredericton (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,150/mo. Saint John (#2) has index 86 and rent $1,100/mo — a 2-point gap.
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.