The Cheapest Cities to Live in Canada

Where are the cheapest cities in Canada? Using the cost-of-living data from Salary Expert, we compared the cost of living in all Canadian cities with a population of more than 100,000, as well as the capital and largest city in each province and territory (important note: the cost of living changes quickly, so be sure to check the current prices in the cities your interested in for the most up-to-date numbers). The most expensive cities are the larger cities, as well as those in the Prairie provinces and the North. If you want to find a cheaper Canadian city to put down roots, look towards smaller cities, especially in Quebec and Ontario.

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20. Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu lies on the banks of the Richelieu River at the northern tip of Lake Champlain. The city is home to more than 92,000 people, most of whom are French-speaking. Even though Montreal is a mere 40 km to the northwest, only a small percentage of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu’s inhabitants commute to work there. The majority work in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu itself, mainly in textile, food and wood products manufacturing. The average cost of primary real estate here is $315,632.

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19. Longueuil, Quebec

Longueuil lies across the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal and in effect it’s Montreal’s second largest suburb. Many of its nearly 240,000 inhabitants work in Montreal, but Longueuil also has some industries that provide jobs. In fact, Longueil is home to several aerospace companies as well as the John H. Chapman Space Centre, the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency. Primary real estate in Longueuil costs an average of $315,177.

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18. Lévis, Quebec

Quebec City may be one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, but you’ll live much more inexpensively if you move to the opposite bank of the Saint Lawrence River. In Lévis, primary real estate costs an average of $309,397. The city is home to nearly 144,000 people, about 97 per cent of whom speak French as their first language. The city has a diversified economy with a large refinery, a shipbuilding company and other major manufacturers. The Desjardins Group also has its headquarters here.

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17. Weyburn, Saskatchewan

Weyburn lies some 110 km southeast of Regina and 70 km north of the border with the United States. It’s the 10th-largest city in Saskatchewan, with a population of nearly 11,000. Weyburn used to be home to the Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital, which back in the day was the largest building in the British Commonwealth. Nowadays the economy is based on grain as well as oil and gas. Primary real estate in Weyburn costs an average of $301,846.

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16. Brockville, Ontario

Brockville lies on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region, one of the most beautiful places in Ontario. Naturally, tourism and other services form a big part of the local economy, but the main employers in Brockville are large industrial manufacturers. The city has a population of nearly 22,000 and primary real estate here costs $294,524 on average.

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15. Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia. It has a population of around 74,000 people. Forestry used to be the main industry here but nowadays the top employers in Prince George are the service and education industries. There’s a huge treatment centre for cancer, one of the most common health concerns in Canada. On average, primary real estate in Prince George costs $289,507.

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14. Sarnia, Ontario

Sarnia is located where the St. Clair River meets Lake Huron, on the border with the United States. The oil industry in Canada originated here and petrochemicals and agriculture still drive Sarnia’s economy. More than 71,500 people call Sarnia home and the average price of primary real estate here is $277,038.

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13. Val-d’Or, Quebec

Geoscientists and mining engineers have some of the highest-paying jobs for newcomers and Val-d’Or is the perfect city to get settled in Canada if you work in the mining industry. Primary real estate here costs an average of $276,810 and Val-d’Or’s economy is based mainly on gold and lithium mining. The city has a population of nearly 32,000, most of whom are French-speaking.

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12. Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Wetaskiwin lies some 70 km south of Edmonton and is home to around 12,600 people. Originally a siding town depending on the railways, Wetaskiwin’s economy is now based mainly on agriculture, oil and gas and tourism. Primary real estate here is much cheaper than elsewhere in Alberta, with an average cost of $257,962.

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11. Drummondville, Quebec

About 96 per cent of Drummondville’s roughly 68,600 inhabitants speak French as their first language, even though the city was originally founded to house British soldiers during the War of 1812. Drummondville is located due south of Trois-Rivières and northeast of Montreal and is home to the Village Québécois d’Antan, where you can see what life was like in Quebec in the 19th century. Drummonville also hosts an annual poutine festival. The average price of primary real estate here is $250,140.

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10. Sainte-Marie, Quebec

Nearly 13,000 people, most of whom are French speaking, live in Sainte-Marie. The city is located on the Chaudière River in southern Quebec, some 59 km southeast of Quebec City, one of the most beautiful places in Canada. Primary real estate in Sainte-Marie will set you back $243,980 on average.

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9. Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec

Located on the shores of Osisko Lake near the border with Ontario, Rouyn-Noranda is home to more than 42,000 people, more than 95 per cent of whom speak French as their first language. The local economy revolves around copper and the city is nicknamed the National Copper Capital. Primary real estate in Rouyn-Noranda costs an average of $240,191.

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8. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

The seat of the Algoma District, Sault Ste. Marie is the starting point for one of the best train trips in Canada: the trip to the Agawa Canyon. With a population of more than 73,000 people, it’s the third largest city in Northern Ontario. Steel, renewable energy and tourism are some of the industries that provide jobs to the city’s inhabitants. In Sault Ste. Marie, you can expect to pay an average of $238,013 for primary real estate.

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7. Rimouski, Quebec

With several marine research centres and the St. Lawrence Global Observatory located here, Rimouski is home to some of the best jobs for women in science and engineering. The city on the southern bank of the Saint Lawrence River is home to nearly 47,000 people and the average price of primary real estate here is $227,673.

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6. Saint-Georges, Quebec

About 31,000 people live in Saint-Georges, the largest city in southern Quebec. It’s an important centre for manufacturing and semi-trailer manufacturer Manac has its headquarters here. On average, primary real estate in Saint-Georges costs $219,124.

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5. Timmins, Ontario

The economy of Timmins is based on mining and lumber. Nearly 42,000 people live in Timmins and one the city’s claims to fame is that Shania Twain, one of the world’s richest singers, grew up here. The average price of primary real estate in Timmins is $212,922.

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4. Cornwall, Ontario

Located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River just where it starts forming the border with the United States, Cornwall is the easternmost city in Ontario. The nearly 47,000 people who live here work in a diversified economy, including lots of call centres. In Cornwall, the average price of primary real estate is $211,715.

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3. Quesnel, British Columbia

An overnight stop for the Rocky Mountaineer and located in the North Cariboo region, Quesnel is home to some 12,000 people, many of whom work in tourism. The average price for primary real estate here is $209,133 and Quesnel is also one of the places with the lowest taxes in Canada.

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2. Bécancour, Quebec

Like Trois-Rivières on the opposite bank of the Saint Lawrence River, Bécancour is very much an industrial city where producers of petroleum products, refractory metals and industrial parts have their plants. About 12,500 people call Bécancour home and many commute to Trois-Rivières for work in industries like aeronautics too.

Considering that petroleum and aerospace engineers have some of the highest-paying jobs in the world, salaries can go far in Bécancour, where the average price for primary real estate is $206,748.

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1. Sept-Îles, Quebec

Located in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region on the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Sept-Îles is a sprawling city with a population of around 28,500. The economy is largely based on iron and aluminium but as a major cruise port, Sept-Îles also has many jobs in the services sector. The vast majority of the city’s inhabitants are French speaking. The average price for primary real estate is $204,042.