Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Surrey vs Laval in 2026: cost index 118 vs 96, rent $2,200 vs $1,350, income $70,000 vs $64,000, QoL 56 vs 62.
Surrey vs Laval in 2026: cost index 118 vs 96, rent $2,200 vs $1,350, income $70,000 vs $64,000, QoL 56 vs 62.
Surrey ranks #1 with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 107 (+6 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 59/100. Top: Surrey at 56/100.
Safest city: Laval (70/100 safety score).
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Surrey stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 118 and median income of $70,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Laval leads with a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (70), healthcare (72), and walkability (40) 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. Surrey leads with 56/100, 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.
Surrey (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/mo. Laval (#2) has index 96 and rent $1,350/mo — a 22-point gap.