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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Montreal vs Calgary in 2026: cost index 98 vs 108, rent $1,500 vs $1,800, income $62,000 vs $82,000, QoL 65 vs 62.
Montreal vs Calgary in 2026: cost index 98 vs 108, rent $1,500 vs $1,800, income $62,000 vs $82,000, QoL 65 vs 62.
Montreal ranks #1 with a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,500/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 103 (+2 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Montreal at 65/100.
Safest city: Calgary (66/100 safety score).
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Montreal stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 98 and median income of $62,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Canada. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Montreal leads with a composite score of 65/100 — reflecting its safety (64), healthcare (76), and walkability (78) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. 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. Montreal leads with 65/100, 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.
Montreal (ranked #1) has a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,500/mo. Calgary (#2) has index 108 and rent $1,800/mo — a 10-point gap.