Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Halifax safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 52.8/1k) — above the Canada average of 63/100. Here's how Halifax compares to cities in Nova Scotia and what the data means for everyday life.
Halifax safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 52.8/1k) — above the Canada average of 63/100. Here's how Halifax compares to cities in Nova Scotia and what the data means for everyday life.
Halifax: cost index 100 (-6 vs national avg 106), rent $1,720/month.
Nova Scotia region average cost index: 106. Halifax is -6 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 67/100 — safety 68, healthcare 72, walkability 72.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 52.8/1k). National average: 63/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Halifax has a cost index of 100 — 6 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $66,000 with rent at $1,720/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 31%. Financially, that's significant.
But here's the flip side: looking at Nova Scotia as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 7 points on the cost index. Winnipeg sits at the other end with index 93 and rent of $1,420/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Halifax scores a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (72), and walkability (72) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. 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 | QoL | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 | 67 | 68 |
| 2 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 | 68 | 80 |
| 3 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 | 70 | 78 |
| 4 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 | 64 | 72 |
| 5 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 | 66 | 72 |
| 6 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 | 67 | 72 |
| 7 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 | 59 | 70 |
| 8 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 | 61 | 70 |
| 9 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 | 61 | 66 |
| 10 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 | 63 | 66 |
| 11 | Vancouver | 134 | $2,850 | $80,000 | 59 | 65 |
| 12 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 | 64 | 64 |
| 13 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 | 56 | 62 |
| 14 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 | 60 | 60 |
| 15 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 | 56 | 58 |
| 16 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 | 54 | 58 |
| 17 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 | 62 | 58 |
| 18 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 | 58 | 55 |
| 19 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 | 59 | 48 |
| 20 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 | 57 | 45 |
Halifax — cost index 100, rent $1,720/mo, income $66,000, QoL 67/100.
Charlottetown — cost index 93, rent $1,340/mo, income $59,500, QoL 68/100.
Quebec City — cost index 96, rent $1,350/mo, income $63,500, QoL 70/100.
Ottawa — cost index 113, rent $2,100/mo, income $86,000, QoL 64/100.
Victoria — cost index 120, rent $2,300/mo, income $76,000, QoL 66/100.
Halifax has a safety score of 68/100 and a crime rate of 52.8/1,000 residents. The Canada average safety score is 63/100.
The Nova Scotia region of average QoL score is 61/100. Halifax leads with 67/100, 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.
Halifax: cost index 100, rent $1,720/mo, income $66,000/yr, QoL 67/100. Charlottetown: cost index 93, rent $1,340/mo, income $59,500/yr, QoL 68/100.
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.