Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Montreal vs Surrey in 2026: cost index 98 vs 118, rent $1,500 vs $2,200, income $62,000 vs $70,000, QoL 65 vs 56.
Montreal vs Surrey in 2026: cost index 98 vs 118, rent $1,500 vs $2,200, income $62,000 vs $70,000, QoL 65 vs 56.
Montreal ranks #1 with a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,500/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 108 (+7 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 61/100. Top: Montreal at 65/100.
Safest city: Montreal (64/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: 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. 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. 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. Surrey (#2) has index 118 and rent $2,200/mo — a 20-point gap.