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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Best time to move to Winnipeg: median rent $1,420/mo, avg summer 26°C / winter -18°C. Seasonal rent trends and cost context for 2026.
Best time to move to Winnipeg: median rent $1,420/mo, avg summer 26°C / winter -18°C. Seasonal rent trends and cost context for 2026.
Winnipeg: cost index 93 (-13 vs national avg 106), rent $1,420/month.
Manitoba region average cost index: 106. Winnipeg is -13 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 58/100 — safety 42, healthcare 70, walkability 52.
Safety score: 42/100 (crime rate 105.3/1k). National average: 63/100.
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Winnipeg has a cost index of 93 — 13 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $67,500 with rent at $1,420/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 25%. Financially, that's significant.
But here's the flip side: looking at Manitoba as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 41 points on the cost index. Vancouver sits at the other end with index 134 and rent of $2,850/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Winnipeg scores a composite score of 58/100 — reflecting its safety (42), healthcare (70), and walkability (52) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: 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 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 2 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 3 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
| 4 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 5 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 |
| 6 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 7 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 8 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 9 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 10 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 11 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 12 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 13 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 14 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 15 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 16 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 17 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 18 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
| 19 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 20 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
Winnipeg — cost index 93, rent $1,420/mo, income $67,500, QoL 58/100.
St. John's — cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500, QoL 63/100.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Fredericton — cost index 92, rent $1,260/mo, income $61,000, QoL 67/100.
Charlottetown — cost index 93, rent $1,340/mo, income $59,500, QoL 68/100.
Winnipeg has a cost index of 93 (national avg: 106), rent $1,420/mo, median income $67,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 58/100.
The Manitoba region of average QoL score is 61/100. Winnipeg leads with 58/100, 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.
Winnipeg: cost index 93, rent $1,420/mo, income $67,500/yr, QoL 58/100. St. John's: cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500/yr, QoL 63/100.
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.