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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Toronto vs Surrey in 2026: cost index 120 vs 118, rent $2,500 vs $2,200, income $78,000 vs $70,000, QoL 58 vs 56.
Toronto vs Surrey in 2026: cost index 120 vs 118, rent $2,500 vs $2,200, income $78,000 vs $70,000, QoL 58 vs 56.
Toronto ranks #1 with a cost index of 120 and rent of $2,500/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 119 (+18 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 57/100. Top: Toronto at 58/100.
Safest city: Toronto (62/100 safety score).
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Toronto stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 120 and median income of $78,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people.
On quality of life, Toronto leads with a composite score of 58/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (80), and walkability (82) 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. Toronto leads with 58/100, 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.
Toronto (ranked #1) has a cost index of 120 and rent of $2,500/mo. Surrey (#2) has index 118 and rent $2,200/mo — a 2-point gap.