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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in British Columbia for 2026. Vancouver leads with a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,850/month.
Ranking of cities in British Columbia for 2026. Vancouver leads with a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,850/month.
Vancouver ranks #1 with a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,850/month.
The median city is Victoria — cost index 120, rent $2,300/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 126 (+20 vs national average of 106).
Average quality of life: 60/100. Top: Vancouver at 59/100.
Safest city: Victoria (72/100 safety score).
What jumps out immediately: Vancouver stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 134 and median income of $80,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Victoria leads with a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (80), and walkability (72) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Vancouver — cost index 134, rent $2,850/mo, income $80,000, QoL 59/100.
Victoria — cost index 120, rent $2,300/mo, income $76,000, QoL 66/100.
Surrey — cost index 124, rent $2,420/mo, income $74,000, QoL 54/100.
Vancouver ranks #1 in British Columbia for this analysis with a cost index of 134 and median income of $80,000.
The region average QoL score is 61/100. Vancouver leads with 59/100, 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.
Vancouver (ranked #1) has a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,850/mo. Surrey (#3) has index 124 and rent $2,420/mo — a 10-point gap.
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.