Canada is known for its high standard of living, as well as being one of the easiest places in the world to emigrate to. Those factors combined drive up Canada’s housing costs and make it one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in. But which are the most expensive cities to live in?
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Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is Canada’s second biggest city, after Toronto, which we’ll talk come back to later. The average cost of a house is $435,000 CAD, and a studio apartment will cost you about $950 monthly.
Quebec, Montreal’s province, is distinctly different from the rest of Canada in that its primary language is french. In fact, it’s the second largest french speaking city in the world after Paris. But it’s not just the language that’s Parisian – walk in and around the buildings in Montreal and you’ll be dazzled by the architecture and style encapsulated in this 378-year-old city.
Calgary, Alberta
Alberta is the foremost of the prairie provinces (provinces characterized mainly by their flat, grassy landscapes) and Calgary is one of its main hubs. An average house in Calgary will go for around $410,000, while renting an apartment is around $1200.
Alberta has a respectable population of around 1.3 million people, but almost doubles those numbers every year with its annual Calgary stampede, which brings in around 1.2 million people.You can use an online service like REP Calgary Homes search to find the best property at the best rate.
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa is Canada’s capital city, and there you can see such patriotic sights as the Parliament Building, the Government House, and the National Gallery of Canada. If you get bored of that, you can go to the largest ice skating rink in the world, the Rideau canal.
The average house is around $410,000 and an apartment’s rent will run you around $1400. This price may be a little steep, but Ottawa boasts the second highest quality of life in any city in the world.
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto is Canada’s metropolitan center. It was listed as one of Forbes’s top ten most economically powerful cities – right up there with London, New York, and Milan.
The city has grown rapidly over the last few years, being shouted out by Drake and becoming Canada’s central hub for music, movies, and art. Because of this, its cost of living is just as high. The average house will fetch you around $850,000, and a one-bedroom about $1300.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is notorious for being an extremely expensive city to live in, and the cost only seems to get higher. It wasn’t long ago that Toronto would’ve topped this list but as of 2020, Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada to live in with the average house costing a whopping $1,036,000, and an apartment $1450.
Vancouver has grown a lot in recent years, and has become something of a hotspot for celebrities. Its gorgeous mountainous landscape, lavish heritage buildings, and sleek modern buildings, make it super versatile and ideal for filming some of your favorite shows and movies. It also has a growing art scene that makes it a beautifully colorful city to live in, if you can afford it.