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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Calgary leads with a cost index of 114 and rent of $2,050/month.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Calgary leads with a cost index of 114 and rent of $2,050/month.
Calgary: cost index 114 (+8 vs national avg 106), rent $2,050/month.
Alberta region average cost index: 107. Calgary is +7 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 61/100 — safety 66, healthcare 78, walkability 52.
Safety score: 66/100 (crime rate 52.4/1k). National average: 63/100.
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Calgary has a cost index of 114 — 8 points above the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $86,500 with rent at $2,050/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 28%. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Calgary scores a composite score of 61/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (78), and walkability (52) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Calgary — cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500, QoL 61/100.
Halifax — cost index 100, rent $1,720/mo, income $66,000, QoL 67/100.
Calgary has a cost index of 114 (national avg: 106), rent $2,050/mo, median income $86,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 61/100.
The Alberta region of average QoL score is 64/100. Calgary leads with 61/100, 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.
Calgary: cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500/yr, QoL 61/100. Halifax: cost index 100, rent $1,720/mo, income $66,000/yr, QoL 67/100.
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.