The 5 Best Places To Live In Canada
Canada ranks as one of the best countries in the world to live in, behind only Germany and Switzerland. Whether you’re the type that prefers to live in a major city or like the laid-back rural life, there are plenty of great options throughout Canada. With that in mind, which cities were ranked as the best to live in? Here are the five cities in Canada that had the highest scores.
5. Quebec City, QC
Affordability is one of the biggest reasons that people move to any city, and Quebec City has that in spades. With some of the lowest utility bills and rent for a major city, Quebec also has plenty of natural beauty with its many surrounding national parks. While it does get cold in the winter, Quebec City does allow people to experience all four seasons instead of a long winter and a cooler summer.
Among the safest cities in Canada, Quebec City is also a great place to make a living. The average salaries in QC are well above the national average, allowing people to put money into savings as they also pay lower bills.
4. Halifax, NS
While it has the feel of a big city, Halifax, Nova Scotia doesn’t quite have the same hustle and bustle, so it puts those that are laid back more at ease when living there. As a result, the cost of living is much cheaper in Halifax compared to many of the other major cities, and the weather is much warmer than in places like Calgary throughout the year.
While living in Halifax, you can expect an extremely low crime rate with a lot of natural beauty and things to do. The people are incredibly friendly in Halifax and traffic is almost nonexistent, with plenty of great educational options for those with children.
3. Calgary, AB
With one of the strongest urban areas in Canada and much friendlier housing prices compared to the rest of the big cities in the country, Calgary is the top destination in Alberta. Calgary is one of the cleanest cities in the world and has in fact been named the cleanest in years past. The local government has made sure that it will stay that way, with heavy regulations being put into place.
Calgary also has a lower sales tax, and the infrastructure makes it so that you don’t have to spend much time outside during the winter months. There are plenty of walkways between buildings downtown and a lot of public transportation options for those that don’t want to deal with traffic.
2. Vancouver, BC
If you want to move to a city that has great healthcare and education, Vancouver is a top option not only in Canada but one of the best in the entire world. Receiving perfect marks in these categories by the Global Livability Index, Vancouver has been amongst the world’s fastest-growing cities for quite some time now.
The surrounding natural beauty of Vancouver alone has people flocking to the city, and living downtown is an ideal setting to be close to it all. Another big positive for Vancouver is the weather. While it does have winters, they’re basically considered summers for much of the rest of Canada with less than eight centimeters of snowfall on average each year.
1. Ottawa, ON
Another one of the cities that’s considered to be among the cleanest in the country also happens to be the capital: Ottawa. There’s a lot of natural space to enjoy while living in the Ottawa area, which is ranked at the top for greenery above even the likes of Vancouver. Another big reason to move to Ottawa, especially for younger people, is the impressive work-life balance that gets high rankings.
Among the major cities in Canada, Ottawa has the lowest percentage of people who are working more than full-time hours. There are a lot of job opportunities thanks to Ottawa being the nation’s capital, and a high walkability score with low crime to boot.