Best places to live in Canada

In Canada, Burnaby ranks highest for livability among major cities (68/100). Smaller, lower-cost towns can score higher — sort and filter all 30 cities below by cost, climate and disaster safety.
Major cities in Canada by livability
54Toronto57Montréal59Calgary57Ottawa56Edmonton53Winnipeg65Mississauga58Vancouver62Brampton63Hamilton67Surrey57Québec

Living in Canada: the overview

Across the 30 Canada cities we score, livability averages about 61/100 — cost 44, climate 73 and safety 67 on our 0–100 scales. The most affordable city is Chilliwack (cost 50/100), and the warmest is Windsor (warmest-month highs around 22.5°C). Cost is anchored to Canada's World Bank price level, climate to WorldClim normals, and safety blends USGS/FEMA disaster exposure with World Bank homicide rates. National averages hide big within-country gaps, so the table below lets you sort all 30 cities by whichever factor matters most to you — budget, weather or safety — rather than trusting one headline number.

The spread is real: livability runs from 52/100 in London up to 68/100 in Burnaby, a 16-point gap across Canada. Warmest-month highs across these cities range roughly 15.6–22.5°C, and the leading natural-disaster exposure is earthquake in the flagship city — check each city page for its own hazard breakdown before deciding.

Scores are 0–100, higher = better. Cost = affordability (higher = cheaper) · Climate = year-round comfort · Safety = natural-disaster + crime safety · Livability = the three combined.

CityLivabilityiOverall score, 0–100 = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety.CostiAffordability, 0–100. Higher = cheaper. = 100 − (country price level vs US × a city-size premium). Source: World Bank PPP ÷ exchange rate (US = 100).ClimateiComfort, 0–100, from WorldClim monthly temperatures. Penalises hot summers (above ~24°C), cold winters (below ~6°C) and too-cool summers (below 15°C). Higher = milder.Safetyi0–100. Higher = safer. Blends 55% natural-disaster safety (8 hazards — earthquake from real USGS records, plus flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and 45% crime safety (homicide rate).Summer°CTop risk
Showing top 30 of 30 cities by population. Climate: WorldClim (real). Cost: World Bank. Disaster/crime: USGS/FEMA/INFORM. Livability = 0.35·cost + 0.30·climate + 0.35·safety.

🌪 Natural-disaster risk in Canada → 🏖 Best places to retire in Canada → 💻 Digital nomad guide to Canada →

FAQ

What is the best place to live in Canada?

Among major cities, Burnaby ranks highest for livability (68/100); smaller, cheaper towns can score higher still — sort the full table by your priorities.

How many cities in Canada are ranked?

30 cities, scored on cost of living, climate and natural-disaster safety.

Is Canada safe from natural disasters?

It varies by city — each city page shows the full breakdown. Burnaby scores 66/100 for safety.

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