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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Hamilton vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 105 vs 86, rent $1,700 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $56,000, QoL 58 vs 63.
Hamilton vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 105 vs 86, rent $1,700 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $56,000, QoL 58 vs 63.
Hamilton ranks #1 with a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,700/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 96 (-5 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 61/100. Top: Hamilton at 58/100.
Safest city: Hamilton (58/100 safety score).
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Hamilton stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 105 and median income of $72,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Saint John leads with a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (64), and walkability (55) 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.
The country average QoL score is 63/100. Hamilton leads with 58/100, 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.
Hamilton (ranked #1) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,700/mo. Saint John (#2) has index 86 and rent $1,100/mo — a 19-point gap.