Newly launched knowledge designates Ottawa as Canada’s most livable metropolis for 2026, offering a top quality of life for residents and guests alike.
Rating 28 on a world scale, Ottawa additionally takes the highest spot throughout all of North America for high quality of life, primarily based on elements resembling price of residing, security, and visitors commute time.
In complete, 17 Canadian cities had been lauded for his or her high quality of life, together with Nanaimo and Victoria in British Columbia, and Calgary in Alberta.
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This knowledge was revealed by Numbeo, a crowd-sourced database used for worldwide location comparisons of price of residing, high quality of life, and different socio-economic indicators.
Which Canadian cities made it on the listing?
On this world high quality of life rating, a complete of 17 cities throughout seven Canadian provinces ranked among the many most livable for 2026—with Ontario having the best variety of featured cities.
The desk beneath reveals which cities had been featured by province, ordered by the variety of cities that made an look.
| Province | Canadian metropolis |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Ottawa |
| London | |
| Mississauga | |
| Toronto | |
| Brampton | |
| Hamilton | |
| British Columbia | Nanaimo |
| Victoria | |
| Vancouver | |
| Kelowna | |
| Alberta | Calgary |
| Edmonton | |
| Quebec | Quebec Metropolis |
| Montreal | |
| Saskatchewan | Regina |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax |
In comparison with final yr’s rankings, solely 14 Canadian cities appeared on the 2025 High quality of Life Index, although the identical seven provinces had been featured. Brampton, Hamilton, and Nanaimo are new additions this yr.
How did the 17 Canadian cities rank nationally?
On a nationwide scale, cities primarily based in Ontario (one), British Columbia (three), and Quebec (one) ranked among the many prime 5 cities with the best high quality of life.
View the desk beneath to see the rankings for the 17 cities that made it onto Numbeo’s 2026 High quality of Life Index.
| Nationwide rank | Canadian metropolis |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 2 | Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| 3 | Victoria, British Columbia |
| 4 | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 5 | Quebec Metropolis, Quebec |
| 6 | Calgary, Alberta |
| 7 | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 8 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 9 | Kelowna, British Columbia |
| 10 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 11 | London, Ontario |
| 12 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 13 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 14 | Brampton, Ontario |
| 15 | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| 16 | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| 17 | Hamilton, Ontario |
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To distinction, right here’s how the highest 5 cities final yr did in 2026 in comparison towards different Canadian cities in Numbeo’s rating:
- Calgary dropped 5 spots this yr, having been in first place final yr;
- Ottawa took second place final yr, however climbed to primary in 2026;
- Vancouver rose to fourth place in 2026, up from fifth place final yr;
- Edmonton fell by 4 ranks in 2026, from fourth place in 2025 to eighth place;
- Mississauga was the fifth most livable metropolis in 2025; now it is available in at 12—the largest year-over-year drop.
How did the 17 Canadian cities rank globally?
The Numbeo rankings evaluated 304 cities throughout 95 nations/areas all over the world.
Six Canadian cities ranked among the many prime 100 most livable cities worldwide this yr—one lower than in 2025.
The desk beneath reveals how Canadian cities ranked globally, in addition to their total scores for high quality of life:
All cities forward of Canada this yr had been primarily based in European nations just like the Netherlands (prime 5 spots), Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland—amongst others.
Final yr, the US beat out Canada for the highest North American metropolis, with Boise, Idaho coming in because the thirteenth most livable metropolis worldwide—and Canada first showing on the listing at spot 74 with Calgary, Alberta.
A number of Canadian cities tied with worldwide cities primarily based on total high quality of life rating this yr, together with:
- Nanaimo (with Colorado Springs, US);
- Vancouver and Quebec Metropolis (with Auckland, New Zealand);
- Montreal (with Salt Lake Metropolis, US);
- Toronto (with Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel);
- Brampton (with Windhoek, Namibia); and
- Winnipeg (with Lisbon, Portugal).
Whereas the general high quality of life scores in these cities had been the identical, the scores every metropolis acquired in sub-categories resembling security or healthcare index various.
Methodology
Numbeo’s High quality of Life Index is an estimate of total high quality of life, bearing in mind the elements listed beneath, in addition to what is taken into account for every issue.
Numbeo compiles its database utilizing each user-submitted info and knowledge it collects straight from respected sources, together with grocery store and taxi firm web sites, in addition to authorities establishments.
The manually collected figures are up to date twice per yr and are weighted thrice extra closely than consumer enter to enhance reliability.
The standard of life index is derived by making use of an empirical formulation that prioritizes elements via assigned weights, consolidating the info right into a single quantitative rating.
Buying Energy Index (greater rating is best): Considers the worth of shopper items and providers, the price of renting an residence, the price of groceries, the worth of restaurant/bar meals and drinks, and many others., utilizing New York Metropolis as a baseline.
Value of Residing Index (decrease rating is best): Identical elements as buying energy index.
Air pollution Index (decrease rating is best): Considers air and water air pollution, rubbish disposal and cleanliness, noise and light-weight air pollution, availability of inexperienced areas, and total air pollution consolation.
Home Value to Earnings Ratio (decrease rating is best): Value to revenue ratio, mortgage as proportion of revenue, mortgage affordability, worth to hire ratio, and gross rental yield.
Security Index (greater rating is best): Common notion of crime ranges, perceived security (day and evening), particular crime considerations, property crime severity, and violent crime severity.
Well being Care Index (greater rating is best): Considers total high quality of a healthcare system primarily based on medical professionals, tools, workers, medical doctors, and prices (infrastructure, providers, sources).
Local weather Index (greater rating is best): Considers local weather desirability—temperature, humidity, excessive climate situations.
Visitors Commute Time Index (decrease rating is best): Commute time (a technique in minutes), dissatisfaction with time spent in visitors (as a result of lengthy commute instances), CO2 emissions, and total visitors system inefficiencies.
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