Live in Canada in the Top 3 Cities

In this article, we take a look at what the top cities in the country are actually like. Find out what you can expect as an immigrant from rent prices and grocery costs to transportation and so much more.

We kickstart our list for the best cities in Canada in 2018 with:

• Ottawa, Ontario;
• Gatineau, Quebec; and
• Waterloo, Ontario

Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa, Ontario makes our list of the top cities in Canada for many reasons. The city is a humming metropolis that is filled with famous museums and a variety of outdoor activities designed for those cold winter days, like the famous Winterlude and ice skating on the 7km Rideau Canal. Ottawa is a great city for any new arrival and here’s why:

Rent in Ottawa

On average you can pay:

• $1,443 for a one bedroom apartment;
• $1,566 for a two bedroom apartment; and
• $1,589 for a three bedroom apartment

The average cost for utilities in Ottawa sits around heating, parking and electricity. If you want to be connected you can pay around $71 a month for uncapped internet.

The City’s Economy

Ottawa has a low unemployment rate of 5.5% with the average person pulling in a healthy $53,053 a year.

The city is known to be one of the largest technology hubs in North America. Currently, the city employs over 70,000 people in over 1,750 knowledge-based companies like Amazon, Apple, Ford and Legend.

Some of the largest industries include:

• Life Sciences;
• Software;
• Clean Technology; and
• Aerospace Defence and Safety

Living Expenses

If you want to go out on the town then you have to know what it will cost. On average you can pay:

• $15.50 for a meal at a basic restaurant for one
• $30 for a meal at a restaurant for three courses for one person
• $10 for a McDonalds meal
• $7 for a beer
• $3.70 for a coffee

Basic Groceries

On average you can pay these prices:

• $2.60 for bread
• $2.60 for 12 eggs
• $2.10 for milk
• $2.14 for 1kg potatoes
• $2.20 for onions 1kg
• $11.00 for 1kg cheese
• $13.00 for 1kg Chicken
• $15.50 for 1kg beef
• $15 wine
• $2.55 for .5l beer

Transportation Costs in Ottawa

You can pay:

• Monthly travel pass $116
• Tax 1km $1.80
• Gasoline 1l $1.20

Gatineau, Quebec

Next up we have Gatineau in Quebec. The city used to be called Hull until it was renamed in 2002. This French speaking city is a hot spot of history, since the city was first built in the early 16 century. Today, you can wander across to the Canadian Museum of History or make your way to the Mackenzie King Estate to really get to grips with the city’s culture.

Rent Cost in Gatineau

On average you can could pay:

• $794 for a one bedroom apartment
• $1,001 for a two bedroom apartment; and
• $1,077 for a three bedroom apartment

Utilities like water, electricity and heating come to an average of $125 a month, and if you want fast, uncapped internet connection you pay $53 a month.

Economy of Gatineau

The city’s economy has experienced a great growth of 2.8% this year, especially in the fields of technology and sciences.

Some important companies like Shopify have been at the head of this growth while the advancements of products, like the Blackberry QNX, has helped to further improve it.

Gatineau is also known for its federal job industry. 1 out of 5 jobs in the city involves federal work which employs 119,000 of the local population. The city is also a tourist spot that currently employees around 24,000 people from hotel staff and travel agents to guides and marketing specialists.

The city has also seen a drop in unemployment rates from 5.8% at the beginning of the year all the way down to 4.4% in June.

Living Expenses

On average you can pay:

• $15 for an average meal at a normal restaurant for one person
• $25 for an three course meal at a restaurant for one person
• $9 for a McDonald combo meal
• $5.50 for a beer
• $4 for a coffee

Basic Groceries

When you go out shopping, you need to know how far your wallet can stretch. Here are some grocery prices:

• $3.10 for bread
• $2.70 for 12 eggs
• $6 for rice
• $1.80 for milk
• $7.80 for cheese
• $12.50 for chicken
• $21 for beef
• $15 for wine
• $1.65 for beer

Transportation Costs in Gatineau

You pay:

• $95 for a Monthly travel pass
• $2.10 for a taxi per 1km
• $1.10 for 1l gas

Waterloo, Ontario

Located in the southern corner of Ontario is the city of Waterloo. This small city only has a population of less than 500,000, but do not underestimate it. Waterloo is at the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle and has continually been called one of Canada’s smartest cities. Not to mention that the city has over 500 technology companies from Google, IBM, Blackberry and RIM.

Waterloo is also a great hub for education and boasts three great universities, namely the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Guelph.

Rent in Waterloo

Waterloo has seen a drop in its rental prices in 2017 which is great news for your wallet. Here is a new updated list of the prices you can pay for an apartment in Waterloo. On average you can expect to hand over:

• $917 for a one bedroom apartment
• $1,093 for a two bedroom apartment
• $1,292 for a three bedroom apartment

Average utility costs also round up to around $218 a month, this includes heating, cooling, water and electricity.

Living Expenses

Average living expenses in Waterloo when you go out for the evening are around:

• $15 for an average meal at a normal restaurant for one person
• $35 for a three course meal at a restaurant for one person<
• $8.50 for a McDonald combo meal
• $6.50 for a beer
• $4.20 for a coffee

Basic Groceries

Your basic list of food can cost around:

• $2.5 for bread
• $3.35 for 12 eggs
• $2.55 for rice
• $3.30 for milk
• $13.70 for cheese
• $9.40 for chicken
• $11.30 for beef
• $15 for wine
• $4.20 for beer

Transportation Costs in Waterloo

You have to know how to budget for travelling in and around this city. On average you can expect to pay:

• $82 for a Monthly travel pass
• $2.10 for a taxi per 1km
• $1.15 for 1l gasoline

Learn More About Canada!

There are a number of reasons to make Canada your new home. We make the process simple. Choose to sober immigration with our easy visa application process. See what your options are!