Lifestyle

Best Places to Live in Canada in 2023

Best Places to Live in Canada in 2023
Written by
  • Christine Beaudoin
| Feb 26, 2021
Reviewed, Jun 9, 2023
Share:

Canada is filled with beautiful places to live and work from coast to coast, yet there’s no doubt that affordability varies considerably between cities and even provinces. We took a look at the best places to buy a home based on average house prices versus median household income, and developed this Top 10 list of the best places to live in Canada in 2022. 

Of course, there are other important factors to consider, so we’ve also included extra information below to help you decide where to move if you’re thinking about relocating this year!

*Please note that the numbers displayed below were last updated in February 2022*

Are you a first-time buyer?

#1 Moncton

Moncton is continually growing, with an increasing number of people moving here from other parts of Canada to take advantage of the lower house prices and cost of living. Surrounded by natural beauty, and the commercial hub of the Maritimes, Moncton appeals to a vast array of people who call the city home.

Population: 71,899

Median Household Income: $74,240

Average Home Price: $213,000

Best City for: People who appreciate the friendly Atlantic Canada vibe.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy harsh winters.

City Moncton, New Brunswick
Population (2016) 71,899
Land Area (km2) 141.92
Population density (per km2) 506.5
Minimum wage $11.70
Median household income (2017) $74,240
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 5.3%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 8.2%
Average house price $213,000
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $883
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $1,924
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 8,220
Median age 45
Average yearly rainfall 842mm
Average yearly snowfall 282cm
Temperature high and low 35C to -34C

#2 St John’s

St John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its harbour was settled by the British in the 1600s. Downtown is known for its colourful row houses. Above the city is Signal Hill with walking trails and the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication, Cabot Tower, which commemorates John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland.

Population: 108,860

Median Household Income: $69,455

Average Home Price: $239,500

Best City for: People who appreciate the friendly fishing culture and oceanside living.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy lots of snow.

City St John’s, Newfoundland
Population (2016) 108,860
Land Area (km2) 445.88
Population density (per km2) 244.1
Minimum wage $11.65
Median household income (2017) $69,455
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 8.1%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 11.7%
Average house price $239,500
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $854
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,264
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 5,508
Median age 40.4
Average yearly rainfall 1,157mm
Average yearly snowfall 234cm
Temperature high and low 28C to -20C

#3 Edmonton

Edmonton is the fifth largest city in Canada and the capital of Alberta. It’s one of the youngest and fastest-growing cities in the country. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the northernmost city in North America. 

Population: 932,546

Median Household Income: $87,225

Average Home Price: $319,900

Best City for: People who enjoy fine cuisine as Edmonton is popular for diverse culinary offerings.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy a younger crowd.

City Edmonton, Alberta
Population (2016) 932,546
Land Area (km2) 685.25
Population density (per km2) 1,360.9
Minimum wage $15.00
Median household income (2017) $87,225
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 7.8%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 15%
Average house price $319,900
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $910
Estimate cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,356
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 8,779
Median age 35.7
Average yearly rainfall 383mm
Average yearly snowfall 107cm
Temperature high and low 23C to -36C

Red hot rates impacting your housing market experience?

With nesto, you can get a low rate with a 150-day hold.

#4 Quebec City

Population: 531,902

Median Household Income: $66,200

Average Home Price: $254,700

Best City for: People who appreciate culture and historic areas.

Worst City for: People who don’t have strong French skills. Quebec City is a very francophone place.

City Quebec City, Quebec
Population (2016) 531,902
Land Area (km2) 453.38
Population density (per km2) 1,173.2
Minimum wage $13.10
Median household income (2017) $66,200
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 4.1%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 8.6%
Average house price $254,700
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $883
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,009
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 3,075
Median age N/A
Average yearly rainfall 899mm
Average yearly snowfall 303cm
Temperature high and low 35C to -36C

#5 Saint John 

Saint John is a city on the Bay of Fundy. It’s known for the Reversing Rapids, a phenomenon caused by bay tides colliding with the Saint John River. Food and craft stalls fill the Saint John City Market, in an 1876 building. On a peninsula nearby, trails wind through Irving Nature Park’s salt marshes, volcanic rock and forests. The 1913 Imperial Theatre stages plays, concerts and dance. 

Population: 67,575

Median Household Income: $52,132

Average Home Price: $200,961

Best City for: People who want the cheapest place to buy a home.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy long, cold winters.

City Saint John, New Brunswick
Population (2016) 67,575
Land Area (km2) 315.96
Population density (per km2) 213.9
Minimum wage $11.70
Median household income (2017) $52,132
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 7.0%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 9.8%
Average house price $200,961
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $814
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,016
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 4,215
Median age 44.2
Average yearly rainfall 1,076mm
Average yearly snowfall 239cm
Temperature high and low 34C to -34C

#6 Calgary

Calgary is a cosmopolitan Alberta city with numerous skyscrapers, owing its rapid growth to its status as the centre of Canada’s oil industry. It’s still, however, steeped in the western culture that earned it the nickname “Cowtown,” evident in the Calgary Stampede, its massive July rodeo and festival that grew out of the farming exhibitions once presented there. 

Population: 1,239,220

Median Household Income: $97,334

Average Home Price: $410,000

Best City for: People who enjoy both city and country living in one.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy having an economy heavily influenced by the energy sector.

City Calgary, Alberta
Population (2016) 1,239,220
Land Area (km2) 825.56
Population density (per km2) 1,501.1
Minimum wage $15.00
Median household income (2017) $97,334
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 7.4%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 15.5%
Average house price $410,000
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $1,186
Estimate cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,406
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 6,176
Median age 36.6
Average yearly rainfall 403mm
Average yearly snowfall 129cm
Temperature high and low 31C to -32C

#7 Charlottetown

Charlottetown is the capital of Prince Edward Island and is situated on the southern coast of the province. The Province House National Historic Site hosted the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, spurring the country’s birth. Victoria Row has shops, restaurants and the Confederation Centre of the Arts, with its musical based on “Anne of Green Gables.” Nearby is the Gothic Revival St Dunstan’s Basilica.

Population: 36,094

Median Household Income: $53,736

Average Home Price: $277,000

Best City for: People who enjoy a quaint, friendly atmosphere.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy bridges or living on an island.

City Charlottetown, PEI
Population (2016) 36,094
Land Area (km2) 44.34
Population density (per km2) 814.1
Minimum wage $12.85
Median household income (2017) $53,736
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 7.8%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 13.6%
Average house price $277,000
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $1,350
Estimate cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,093
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) N/A
Median age 42.8
Average yearly rainfall 1,170mm
Average yearly snowfall 224cm
Temperature high and low 31C to -19C

#8 Hamilton

Hamilton is a Canadian port city on the western tip of Lake Ontario. The Niagara Escarpment, a huge, forested ridge known locally as “the mountain” and dotted with conservation areas and waterfalls, divides the city. The long-distance Bruce Trail runs along the escarpment. HMCS Haida, a naval warship on the city’s lakefront, and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in the south, trace Canada’s military past. 

Population: 536,917

Median Household Income: $88,124

Average Home Price: $504,101

Best City for: People who enjoy upcoming hot spots.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy hills and one-way streets.

City Hamilton, Ontario
Population (2016) 536,917
Land Area (km2) 1,117.29
Population density (per km2) 480.6
Minimum wage $14.00
Median household income (2017) $88,124
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 4.9%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 11.3%
Average house price $504,101
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $1,367
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,280
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 3,953
Median age 49.1
Average yearly rainfall 516mm
Average yearly snowfall 97cm
Temperature high and low 29C to -23C

#9 Ottawa

Ottawa is Canada’s capital, located in the eastern part of southern Ontario near the city of Montreal and the US border. Sitting on the Ottawa River, it has at its centre Parliament Hill, with grand Victorian architecture and museums such as the National Gallery of Canada, with noted collections of indigenous and other Canadian art. The park-lined Rideau Canal is filled with boats in summer and ice-skaters in winter. 

Population: 934,243

Median Household Income: $85,981

Average Home Price: $575,600

Best City for: People who enjoy celebrating Canadian culture, including a huge Canada Day display complete with incredible fireworks.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy a small city atmosphere, despite its higher population.

City Ottawa, Ontario
Population (2016) 934,243
Land Area (km2) 2,790.3
Population density (per km2) 334.8
Minimum wage $14.00
Median household income (2017) $85,981
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 4.2%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 9.2%
Average house price $575,600
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $1,600
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,784
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 3,898
Median age 40.1
Average yearly rainfall 882mm
Average yearly snowfall 279cm
Temperature high and low 34C to -26C

#10 London

London is in southwestern Ontario, just north of Lake Erie and the US border, and home to the University of Western Ontario. Among the city’s range of museums are Museum London, a showcase for regional art and historical artefacts, and the interactive Children’s Museum. The city centre features numerous parks and greenways along the Thames River. 

Population: 383,822

Median Household Income: $62,011

Average Home Price: $484,884

Best City for: People who enjoy nature by the city.

Worst City for: People who don’t enjoy a university town.

City London, Ontario
Population (2016) 383,822
Land Area (km2) 420.35
Population density (per km2) 913.1
Minimum wage $14.00
Median household income (2017) $62,011
Unemployment rate (Feb 2020) 4.9%
Unemployment rate (Jul 2020) 10.5%
Average house price $484,884
Average monthly rent (1 bed) $1,230
Estimated cost of living (single person, with rent) $2,202
Crime rate (incidents per 100,000) 5,963
Median age 39.3
Average yearly rainfall 846mm
Average yearly snowfall 194cm
Temperature high and low 33C to -25C

Ready to get started?

In just a few clicks, you can see our current rates. Then apply for your mortgage online in minutes!