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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Hamilton vs St. John's in 2026: cost index 105 vs 90, rent $1,700 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $62,000, QoL 58 vs 64.
Hamilton vs St. John's in 2026: cost index 105 vs 90, rent $1,700 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $62,000, QoL 58 vs 64.
Hamilton ranks #1 with a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,700/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 98 (-3 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 61/100. Top: Hamilton at 58/100.
Safest city: St. John's (66/100 safety score).
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. 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. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, St. John's leads with a composite score of 64/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (62), and walkability (55) metrics. And here's the trade-off: 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. St. John's (#2) has index 90 and rent $1,100/mo — a 15-point gap.