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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 ranks #1 with a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,200/month.
The median city is Montreal — cost index 104, rent $1,700/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 106 (0 vs national average of 106).
Average quality of life: 61/100. Top: St. John's at 63/100.
Safest city: Charlottetown (80/100 safety score).
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: St. John's stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 94 and median income of $65,500, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Canada. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Context matters here. the spread across all 21 cities is 40 points on the cost index. Vancouver sits at the other end with index 134 and rent of $2,850/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Quebec City leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (78), healthcare (78), and walkability (68) 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 2 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
| 3 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 4 | Charlottetown | 93 | $1,340 | $59,500 |
| 5 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 6 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 7 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 8 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 9 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 10 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 11 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 12 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 13 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 14 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 15 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 16 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 17 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 18 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
| 19 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 20 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
St. John's — cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500, QoL 63/100.
Saint John — cost index 90, rent $1,210/mo, income $59,000, QoL 62/100.
Fredericton — cost index 92, rent $1,260/mo, income $61,000, QoL 67/100.
Charlottetown — cost index 93, rent $1,340/mo, income $59,500, QoL 68/100.
Quebec City — cost index 96, rent $1,350/mo, income $63,500, QoL 70/100.
St. John's scores highest for students due to its below-average cost of living, rent of $1,200/mo, and quality of life score of 63/100.
The country average QoL score is 61/100. St. John's leads with 63/100, reflecting its 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 (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,200/mo. Vancouver (#21) has index 134 and rent $2,850/mo — a 40-point gap.
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.