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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Grocery prices in Edmonton: milk $3, bread $3, eggs $4/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Alberta cities.
Grocery prices in Edmonton: milk $3, bread $3, eggs $4/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Alberta cities.
Edmonton: cost index 108 (+2 vs national avg 106), rent $1,800/month.
Alberta region average cost index: 106. Edmonton is +2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 58/100 — safety 55, healthcare 76, walkability 48.
Safety score: 55/100 (crime rate 72.8/1k). National average: 63/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Edmonton has a cost index of 108 — 2 points above the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $82,000 with rent at $1,800/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 26%. That's a strong position by any measure.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at Alberta as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 26 points on the cost index. Vancouver sits at the other end with index 134 and rent of $2,850/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Edmonton scores a composite score of 58/100 — reflecting its safety (55), healthcare (76), and walkability (48) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 2 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
| 3 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 4 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 5 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 6 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 7 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 8 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 9 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 10 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 11 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 12 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 13 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 14 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 |
| 15 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 16 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 17 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 18 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
| 19 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 20 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
Edmonton — cost index 108, rent $1,800/mo, income $82,000, QoL 58/100.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Quebec City — cost index 96, rent $1,350/mo, income $63,500, QoL 70/100.
Fredericton — cost index 92, rent $1,260/mo, income $61,000, QoL 67/100.
Winnipeg — cost index 93, rent $1,420/mo, income $67,500, QoL 58/100.
Edmonton has a cost index of 108 (national avg: 106), rent $1,800/mo, median income $82,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 58/100.
The Alberta region of average QoL score is 61/100. Edmonton leads with 58/100, reflecting 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.
Edmonton: cost index 108, rent $1,800/mo, income $82,000/yr, QoL 58/100. Saint John: cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000/yr, QoL 62/100.
This analysis uses data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA to rank cities in Canada. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.