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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. St. John's leads with a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,200/month.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. St. John's leads with a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,200/month.
St. John's: cost index 94 (-12 vs national avg 106), rent $1,200/month.
Newfoundland and Labrador region average cost index: 109. St. John's is -15 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 66, healthcare 62, walkability 55.
Safety score: 66/100 (crime rate 55.3/1k). National average: 63/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 2 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
Let's cut to what actually matters here. St. John's has a cost index of 94 — 12 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $65,500 with rent at $1,200/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 22%. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, St. John's scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (62), 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.
St. John's — cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500, QoL 63/100.
Surrey — cost index 124, rent $2,420/mo, income $74,000, QoL 54/100.
St. John's has a cost index of 94 (national avg: 106), rent $1,200/mo, median income $65,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 63/100.
The Newfoundland and Labrador region of average QoL score is 59/100. St. John's leads with 63/100, 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.
St. John's: cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500/yr, QoL 63/100. Surrey: cost index 124, rent $2,420/mo, income $74,000/yr, QoL 54/100.
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.