These cities and provinces in Canada are the most affordable places to live
We all know that Vancouver and Toronto are pretty unaffordable places to live, but is there anywhere left in Canada that’s cheap?
A recent report from Savvy New Canadians used Statistics Canada data to rank the country’s most (and least) affordable places to live, and it offers insight into where people can live for less in Canada.
Using an estimated income-to-expense ratio, the report ranked the 10 most affordable provinces. By comparing median household income to the cost of living, the most affordable province would have the highest income-to-expense ratio, meaning that once your basics were covered, you’d be able to keep more money in your pocket.
Most affordable provinces in Canada
- Quebec
- Prince Edward Island
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Alberta
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
- BC
By and large, Quebec is the most affordable province thanks to its education and childcare costs being heavily subsidized by the provincial government. The Maritime provinces made a strong showing at the top of the list, and BC ranks last. Here’s the full ranking, including data on income and estimated expenditures:
Savvy New Canadians
Cheapest cities in Canada
The report also adaptedĀ NUMBEO’s 2023 cost of living index to rank Canadian cities in terms of affordability.
Most of the affordable cities are in the Prairies, but a couple of Ontario spots like Windsor and Kitchener made the list.
- Regina, Saskatchewan
- Quebec City, Quebec
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Red Deer, Alberta
- Windsor, Ontario
- Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Montreal, Quebec
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Kitchener, Ontario
Any guesses on what the most expensive cities in Canada are?
Most expensive cities in Canada
- Vancouver, BC
- Toronto, Ontario
- Victoria, BC
- Markham, Ontario
- Nanaimo, BC
- Mississauga, Ontario
- Calgary, Alberta
- Surrey, BC
- London, Ontario
- Ottawa, Ontario
The first half of the list is dominated by Vancouver and Toronto, including cities nearby. Other Ontario locations, like London and Ottawa, were also remarkably unaffordable by comparison. For more information including specific stats, you can visit Savvy New Canadians’ report.
The affordability crisis in Canada has commanded plenty of attention in 2023 amidst surging inflation, grocery costs, and rent increases. How are you saving money and will you make a move to save even more?