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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Saint John leads with a cost index of 90 and rent of $1,210/month.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Saint John leads with a cost index of 90 and rent of $1,210/month.
Saint John: cost index 90 (-16 vs national avg 106), rent $1,210/month.
New Brunswick region average cost index: 99. Saint John is -9 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 58, healthcare 64, walkability 55.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 68.5/1k). National average: 63/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
| 2 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Saint John has a cost index of 90 — 16 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $59,000 with rent at $1,210/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 25%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Saint John scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (64), and walkability (55) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Edmonton — cost index 108, rent $1,800/mo, income $82,000, QoL 58/100.
Saint John has a cost index of 90 (national avg: 106), rent $1,210/mo, median income $59,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The New Brunswick region of average QoL score is 60/100. Saint John leads with 62/100, 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.
Saint John: cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000/yr, QoL 62/100. Edmonton: cost index 108, rent $1,800/mo, income $82,000/yr, QoL 58/100.
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.