Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Mississauga vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 112 vs 86, rent $2,200 vs $1,100, income $76,000 vs $56,000, QoL 60 vs 63.
Mississauga vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 112 vs 86, rent $2,200 vs $1,100, income $76,000 vs $56,000, QoL 60 vs 63.
Mississauga ranks #1 with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,200/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 99 (-2 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 62/100. Top: Mississauga at 60/100.
Safest city: Mississauga (70/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Mississauga stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 112 and median income of $76,000, 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. 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.
The country average QoL score is 63/100. Mississauga leads with 60/100, 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.
Mississauga (ranked #1) has a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,200/mo. Saint John (#2) has index 86 and rent $1,100/mo — a 26-point gap.