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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in New Brunswick for 2026. Saint John leads with a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/month.
Ranking of cities in New Brunswick for 2026. Saint John leads with a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/month.
Saint John ranks #1 with a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 87 (-14 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 66/100. Top: Saint John at 63/100.
Safest city: Fredericton (72/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint John | 86 | $1,100 | $56,000 | 1894 |
| 2 | Fredericton | 88 | $1,150 | $58,000 | 1887 |
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Saint John stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 86 and median income of $56,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Canada. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
On quality of life, Fredericton leads with a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (66), and walkability (58) 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.
Saint John — cost index 86, rent $1,100/mo, income $56,000, QoL 63/100.
Fredericton — cost index 88, rent $1,150/mo, income $58,000, QoL 68/100.
Saint John ranks #1 in New Brunswick for this analysis with a cost index of 86 and median income of $56,000.
The region average QoL score is 63/100. Saint John leads with 63/100, 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.
Saint John (ranked #1) has a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/mo. Fredericton (#2) has index 88 and rent $1,150/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.