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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Hamilton leads with a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,880/month.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Hamilton leads with a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,880/month.
Hamilton: cost index 110 (+4 vs national avg 106), rent $1,880/month.
Ontario region average cost index: 112. Hamilton is -2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 58, healthcare 74, walkability 62.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 62.8/1k). National average: 63/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Hamilton has a cost index of 110 — 4 points above the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $76,000 with rent at $1,880/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 30%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Hamilton scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (74), and walkability (62) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Hamilton — cost index 110, rent $1,880/mo, income $76,000, QoL 56/100.
Calgary — cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500, QoL 61/100.
Hamilton has a cost index of 110 (national avg: 106), rent $1,880/mo, median income $76,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 56/100.
The Ontario region of average QoL score is 59/100. Hamilton leads with 56/100, 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.
Hamilton: cost index 110, rent $1,880/mo, income $76,000/yr, QoL 56/100. Calgary: cost index 114, rent $2,050/mo, income $86,500/yr, QoL 61/100.
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.