Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Victoria vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 115 vs 86, rent $2,100 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $56,000, QoL 67 vs 63.
Victoria vs Saint John in 2026: cost index 115 vs 86, rent $2,100 vs $1,100, income $72,000 vs $56,000, QoL 67 vs 63.
Victoria ranks #1 with a cost index of 115 and rent of $2,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 101 (0 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 65/100. Top: Victoria at 67/100.
Safest city: Victoria (72/100 safety score).
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Victoria stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 115 and median income of $72,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Victoria leads with a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (80), and walkability (72) 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. Victoria leads with 67/100, 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.
Victoria (ranked #1) has a cost index of 115 and rent of $2,100/mo. Saint John (#2) has index 86 and rent $1,100/mo — a 29-point gap.