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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Saint John vs Fredericton in 2026: cost index 86 vs 88, rent $1,100 vs $1,150, income $56,000 vs $58,000, QoL 63 vs 68.
Saint John vs Fredericton in 2026: cost index 86 vs 88, rent $1,100 vs $1,150, income $56,000 vs $58,000, QoL 63 vs 68.
Saint John ranks #1 with a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 87 (-14 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 66/100. Top: Saint John at 63/100.
Safest city: Fredericton (72/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Saint John stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 86 and median income of $56,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Canada. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Fredericton leads with a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (66), and walkability (58) metrics. And there's one more thing: 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. Saint John leads with 63/100, 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.
Saint John (ranked #1) has a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,100/mo. Fredericton (#2) has index 88 and rent $1,150/mo — a 2-point gap.