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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Winnipeg, Canada (2026): cost index 93 (-13 vs national avg), rent $1,420/mo, median income $67,500/yr. Rent takes 25% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Manitoba peers below.
Cost of living in Winnipeg, Canada (2026): cost index 93 (-13 vs national avg), rent $1,420/mo, median income $67,500/yr. Rent takes 25% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Manitoba peers below.
Winnipeg: cost index 93 (-13 vs national avg 106), rent $1,420/month.
Manitoba region average cost index: 106. Winnipeg is -13 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 58/100 — safety 42, healthcare 70, walkability 52.
Safety score: 42/100 (crime rate 105.3/1k). National average: 63/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Winnipeg has a cost index of 93 — 13 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $67,500 with rent at $1,420/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 25%. Financially, that's significant.
And there's one more thing: looking at Manitoba as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 41 points on the cost index. Vancouver sits at the other end with index 134 and rent of $2,850/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Winnipeg scores a composite score of 58/100 — reflecting its safety (42), healthcare (70), and walkability (52) 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 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 2 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
| 3 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 4 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 |
| 5 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 6 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 7 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 8 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 9 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 10 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 11 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 12 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 13 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 14 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 15 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 16 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 17 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 18 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 19 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
| 20 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
Winnipeg — cost index 93, rent $1,420/mo, income $67,500, QoL 58/100.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Fredericton — cost index 92, rent $1,260/mo, income $61,000, QoL 67/100.
Charlottetown — cost index 93, rent $1,340/mo, income $59,500, QoL 68/100.
Regina — cost index 94, rent $1,370/mo, income $70,000, QoL 57/100.
Winnipeg has a cost index of 93 (national avg: 106). Median rent is $1,420/month, median income $67,500/year, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 25%.
The Manitoba region of average QoL score is 61/100. Winnipeg 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.
Winnipeg: cost index 93, rent $1,420/mo, income $67,500/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.