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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Saint John digital nomad score: 60/100 — internet 60 Mbps, walk score 55/100, safety 58/100, rent $1,210/mo, nightlife 38/100. Full breakdown vs New Brunswick peers.
Saint John digital nomad score: 60/100 — internet 60 Mbps, walk score 55/100, safety 58/100, rent $1,210/mo, nightlife 38/100. Full breakdown vs New Brunswick peers.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | DN Score | Internet (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 | 60 | 60 |
| 2 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 | 75 | 85 |
| 3 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 | 73 | 75 |
| 4 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 | 72 | 78 |
| 5 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 | 70 | 92 |
| 6 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 | 70 | 88 |
| 7 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 | 68 | 80 |
| 8 | Vancouver | 134 | $2,850 | $80,000 | 67 | 95 |
| 9 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 | 67 | 88 |
| 10 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 | 65 | 82 |
| 11 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 | 64 | 82 |
| 12 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 | 63 | 75 |
| 13 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 | 63 | 88 |
| 14 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 | 63 | 70 |
| 15 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 | 63 | 62 |
| 16 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 | 63 | 55 |
| 17 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 | 62 | 72 |
| 18 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 | 60 | 55 |
| 19 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 | 59 | 68 |
| 20 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 | 58 | 85 |
Saint John: cost index 90 (-16 vs national avg 106), rent $1,210/month.
New Brunswick region average cost index: 106. Saint John is -16 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.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. 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%. That's a strong position by any measure.
But here's the flip side: looking at New Brunswick as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 4 points on the cost index. Regina sits at the other end with index 94 and rent of $1,370/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Saint John scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (64), and walkability (55) 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.
For digital nomads specifically, Saint John earns a DN score of 60/100, powered by 60 Mbps internet, walkability of 55/100, and a nightlife score of 38/100. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Montreal — cost index 104, rent $1,700/mo, income $66,000, QoL 64/100.
Quebec City — cost index 96, rent $1,350/mo, income $63,500, QoL 70/100.
Halifax — cost index 100, rent $1,720/mo, income $66,000, QoL 67/100.
Toronto — cost index 126, rent $2,750/mo, income $82,000, QoL 56/100.
Saint John earns a digital nomad score of 60/100 — internet 60 Mbps, walk score 55/100, safety 58/100, rent $1,210/month.
The New Brunswick region of average QoL score is 61/100. 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. Montreal: cost index 104, rent $1,700/mo, income $66,000/yr, QoL 64/100.
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.