This exquisite palatial destination is loved and adored by many, which is among the most talked-about and still gets innumerable migrants. The cities smell like history and tell us unheard stories, even sometimes coming from the jagged mountains that stand tall marking the world’s longest bi-national border of about 8,891 kilometers. This North American country is a massive landmass, ranked just after Russia, and accommodates a decent horde. Here we will read all about the major places to live in Canada, Let’s get started!
“ Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world”
– Jack Layton
Canada accommodates an ample crowd including migrants every year and what every one of us cross-checks? Obviously, the best places to live in Canada. Separate tabs open up in no time looking for the cheapest place to live in Canada, affordable places to live in Canada, and so on. Some look for the best views, some go with food, some migrate and pick a place accordingly, etc. Let’s dive into all of this in one place, here, and explore Canada by the scrolls and the few best province to live in Canada.
Where to Live in Canada?
The concept of residence can be subjective and a lot of factors determine the same. No matter how much someone raves about a place, the self-satisfaction comes in when we are actually aware of all the key pointers and then make an informed decision.
Beginning with the prime location, Ontario
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Ontario
Now moving on, we can talk about the city of opportunities, the economical hub, and the one that would make a “nemophilist” happy, because of its holistic location and appreciating the “greens”. The area dwells the natural and cultural diversity in one unit, becoming one of the most liveable areas in Canada. Ontario addresses almost all types of housing typologies including Bungalows, Semi-detached, and multi-story housing.
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- Great job opportunities with a good payroll
- Affordable housing and living
- Good quality of life
- Natural and Cultural diversity
Ottawa, Toronto, and Oakville are some of the best cities to live in Ontario, Canada and drives the maximum population.
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Capital city- Ottawa
Ottawa is definitely one of the best cities to live in Canada and here are your reasons:
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- Pleasant neighbourhood
- Easy commute and smooth connectivity
- Cleanliness
- Cultural Diversity
- Youthful and Prosperous city
- Bilingual- French and English
- Affordable – CAN$700-1400/month
- Opportunities catering to above-average payroll.
Some of the best neighbourhoods in Ottawa are listed below and are sorted on the basis of the quality of surroundings, the connectivity, the affordability of the area, etc.
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Kanata Lakes- Marchwood Lakeside
The areas of Kanata Lakes and Morgan’s grant are the best neighbourhoods in Ottawa and house almost all the well-to-do families. Its prime location makes it highly desirable and is always high in demand. Along with the exclusivity, comes recreation and some green masses for the purpose of recreation. Who doesn’t like a deluxe neighbourhood with a park to stroll in the warm evening sun?
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Hunt Club Woods- Revelstoke
The neighbourhood brings in the opportunity to explore the holistic well-being of the area including the Rideau river and other accentuating nodal points along with the vibrance of cultural diversity. If you love those long walks by the river, this might be the place for you.
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Riverside South Leitrim (Something We can Call Home)
If you are a youngster looking to move to Canada, this can be one of the best places to live in Canada in the Ottawa neighborhood. This area is undergoing development and is on the path of growth and expansion. The area basically houses young families, catering to a healthy community with an average family income of $115,000.
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Orleans
If you are someone who is looking for an affordable neighborhood with basic connectivity, a healthy community and are someone who is fond of street sidewalks, this one can be your next home. This part of Ottawa encompasses Creole-type housing typology, which gives that typical “French colonial” infusion to the same. Still cannot imagine yourself walking down those streets or riding aback in those colonies? Why not try it for real.
All of the above-listed neighborhoods are some of the best ones that Ottawa, Ontario encloses. There are also many other areas of the city that would offer a specific type of housing, with certain benefits and specifications. For e.g., Merivale Gardens offer detached and separate homes with multiple recreational opportunities. One’s needs might affect the type of neighborhood one might want to live in. Make sure you take everything into consideration, this is your new home, that we are talking about.
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- Cons of living in Orleans
- Not a great place for nightlife
- If you’re someone who is a summer person, this place can be a real challenge for you because of the long winters.
- This area accommodates more families, rather than bachelors.
- Cons of living in Orleans
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Toronto
The city that houses the majority of the population and still has people coming in, choosing to live in Toronto because of the diversity and the richness that the city offers. The reason for it being the 4th most livable city would highlight the factor of it being able to cater to the lifestyle of multiple user groups by offering amenities in variant forms.
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- Rich in culture
- Livable city
- Cleanliness
- All types of housing- for variant user groups
- Easy commute and transportation
- Open spaces for recreation
- Safety
Moving on, let’s explore a little more about the neighbourhoods of Toronto and dive into the literal image coming with it.
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Kensington Market
Most of us, who move out of our houses for the first time and are in that “independent spirit” to explore every nook of a city and be out there. One can get it all here, amidst the one that encompasses culture, variant outlets, open spaces, thrift stores, hence catering to almost all types of user groups. Although the narrow streets of the area make it a bit tricky to access the drive-throughs, isn’t there a specific essence in exploring a place on foot? This part of Toronto focuses on residential areas, having the commercial area in close proximity.
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Mimico
Imagine yourself sitting in a beach house, having the time of your life, sipping that margarita, and what makes it more relaxing is the price at which you bagged the beach house. Weird example, right? But I guess that just explains what Mimico stands for Lifestyle and affordability. This can be one opportunity for young opportunists who are willing to relocate and wish to have a lifestyle that also says, “I’m affordable”! This part of Toronto is not just picturesque, but also encloses opportunities like small businesses and other economic opportunities, along with affordable housing.
These were a few options that one could explore looking for settling life in Toronto. But, like everything else, this also comes with its own cons,
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- Attracting multiple user groups leads to the crowding of a place. So, this can be a drawback for someone who is fond of soothing silences. But one can always live in those secluded beach houses. (Hinting Mimico)
- One might face some traffic issues during rush hours. Although, this issue is being looked after.
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Oakville
Situated in the southern part of Ontario, this city offers the perfect balance between the crowded, bustling city life and the serene, calm, and slow-paced areas chosen for getaways. One of the prime cities to live in with exotic, breath-taking recreational areas with open green spaces and its proximity to Lake Ontario adds up to the benefits of the city, hence catering to the high-end lifestyle.
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- Picturesque
- Vibrant shopping districts
- A handsome percentage of the population are sports-devoted including hockey, skating, lacrosse, canoeing, soccer, etc.
- Best place to live in
- Richest town. Luxury housing
- Lake view
- Vintage old-city aesthetics and architecture
If you are looking for something high-end, chic, and classic, I believe Old Oakville can be your destination. One can avail of multiple activities by living in this area including bakery shops, cafes, and restaurants walking along a street. Apart from that, the shopping complexes and malls add up to the recreation element of the neighborhood. Every day brings some new beginning and if one decides to step up to explore the area, I’m sure everything would feel refreshing including the Art galleries, Lakeside parks, multiple restaurants, and eating outlets.
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Some cons addressing Oakville:
- Some overpriced restaurants
- Not the best place for freshers, it’s a good place to settle down instead.
- Construction goes on throughout the year.
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Alberta
Thinking of a city where families could grow old knitting dreams on that porch swing, or walking down those green parks, or maybe having a home with a balcony view that one would die for! Alberta might just be something you are looking for. Covering the bandwidth from Luxury housing to affordable and low-cost housing, the city invites all user groups. And not just that, the 6th largest province in Canada offers the obvious like healthcare, economic benefits, safe communities, school systems, etc. Although the user group it mainly caters to is the high-income families, there are different neighbourhoods and other affordable alternatives for the same.
Other features of Alberta include:
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- Natural Diversity
- Multicultural
- A strong economy and work culture
- Safe communities
- Innovative business spirit
- Excellent healthcare and school system
- Connected and easily accessible
I know, it was obvious that I was targeting only one user group in the above segment, but wait, if you’re someone who is looking to move to Alberta and is about to begin your career or want to make a fresh start, I might have an alternative for you. Settling in a particular neighborhood is challenging in its own ways, so let us handle the research part of it.
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Fort McMurray (Best place to live in Alberta)
Known earlier for Athabasca Oil sands made the prices of housing high in the previous days, but sooner due to the developing residential settlements, the housing cost charts started coming down and now it is one of the most affordable neighborhoods in Alberta. All of this also led to Alberta is known as the “Boomtown”. If peace and nature bring you happiness and you feel tired of the city’s bustle, the urban area of McMurray might be the perfect place for you. Wouldn’t it feel nice to have a backyard opening to breathtaking views and your kids to ride bikes on the street right outside the house? Go ahead now, Rent/Buy your dream home!
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Cons of living in Alberta:
- Can get really cold in winters
- If you are someone who likes to explore the nightlife in a city, this might be a piece of bad news for you. The nights of Alberta can be dull.
- Maintenance is underway.
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Stepping ahead, let’s explore the last province in this segment, Nova Scotia.
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Nova Scotia
Shaped by the sea, Nova Scotia comes with lush greens, river valleys, sandy beaches, rugged hills, etc. It would be interesting for one to know that this is the only place that produces tidal bay wines in the world. Accommodating a diverse culture and people from various races and cultures makes Nova Scotia one of the most vibrant and best places to live in Canada.
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- Variety of Landscapes
- Diversified culture
- High-skilled worker
- Family-friendly
- Affordable living- one of the lowest in Canada.
Coming to exploring the cities, Halifax NS is one of the best places to live in Canada (Nova Scotia). Now let’s dive into the streets of the city. Driving through the vintage lanes, Halifax can be defined as the perfect blend of something suburban and citylike. Towards the coast, sandy beaches, medium-sized rivers, and more natural diversity can be witnessed. Contrasting to this comes the economic and the literal cityscape of Nova Scotia. This part of the city handles the business-oriented and the working user group, also providing luxury to affordable housing. The low property tax, government jobs, and healthy environment come along with it.
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Cons of living in Nova Scotia:
- Maintenance and construction are underway
- Travel and commute might be tricky.
- Unfavorable Climate
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Where to live in Canada with Family?
Out of the above-listed cities and neighborhoods, there are many options open to accommodate families of all sorts of incomes, but Calgary, Alberta can be one of the top locations for residential purposes, and here are your reasons.
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- Houses the Educated and Young minds
- Most Head Offices are in Calgary, hence giving away more opportunities and employment.
- Gets the most sunshine. Yes, it’s a thing. It’s the sunniest city.
- Easy commute and travel. The system has improved more because of the downtown Walkway system.
- Is the hub of festivals and events.
- Multicultural
- Safe and affable community.
- Developing skyline.
- High quality of living
The above-listed reasons are the key pointers to move or start a family in Calgary, Canada. And that’s not just me saying, it has been ranked #1 place to raise a family by “MoneySense” Magazine. Hence, it goes without saying that Calgary is the best place to live in Canada, especially if you are looking forward to moving with a family.
Canada’s Most Popular Cities
Every province and city carry their own essence and reasons to attract a certain group of people. The silhouette of every city is drawn by its residents and vice-versa. Every city is known for its own set of specifications and characteristics and many of them have been defined and kept noted until now. Based on the scale of popularity, the three cities that attract the crowd and diffuse them further are:
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- Toronto
- Montreal
- Vancouver
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Toronto, Ontario
Not just Toronto, even Ontario is one of the most popular residential provinces and is commercial especially amongst South-Asian migrants. The economical city of opportunities attracts young minds and accommodates user groups from variant categories. The vibrant and multicultural lingo of the city puts it forth on the chart of “Most popular cities in Canada”.
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Montreal, Quebec
Carrying the tagline of being a major industrial, commercial, and financial hub, Montreal contributes a lot to the economy of Canada. Apart from this aspect, the city also speaks the work-life language and not just lodges opportunities, but also appreciates the night-life culture and diverse communities. The city that can be explored, with pathways that makes you want to stroll and sigh at the architecture and urban streetscape. The bandwidth of housing that it comes with attracts user groups from varying financial backgrounds. Some even say that Montreal is a better place to live than Toronto. All of these points add up to it being the most affordable city in Canada and that is definitely one of the pros if you are looking for something good and vibrant at an affordable value.
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Vancouver, British Columbia
“And live while we’re young” by One Direction is the one song that hits my conscience when I think about Vancouver. Join the wave of chill and work in Vancouver, without stressing about the commute. We can certainly think of two types of people in this case, the ones who would go for a stroll by the beach and the ones who would attend events and parties after office hours. Vancouver has got both of you. Famous for “9 beaches” Yep. 9 beaches could actually end your day in the perfect way that you want it to.
The city with the perfect blend of nature and urban living would definitely allure you! There are some of the best places to live in Canada on Vancouver Island. The city has the most expensive Places to live in Canada, but as they say, the most beautiful city would obviously come at a price. No, that’s not what they say, they say “Beauty comes at a cost, I guess?” Anyway, that was all about the famous cities, but like Selena once said, “The heart wants what it wants..”, choose what feels right for you.
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Cultural Life
Overshadowed by the US’ culture, the Canadian government started focusing on Mass Media and Canadian Content, which led to the cultural boom in Canada. People from all over the world came together bringing their own essence and a bit of their country and culture in terms of architecture, music, cuisine, and language. Every street of Canada tells us a different story coming from British, French, American, and Indian influences. It’s almost beautiful seeing all these distinct and diverse cultures blending together into something that’s one. The streets might speak British, the cafes and restaurants might utter Italian or French, the cuisine pronounces it all. Vancouver’s Chinese population came in with their folk opera and puppetry, adding to the cultural aspect of Canada. The Sundry cultures also reflect their art and literature which comes through the numerous galleries that Canada houses.
Work Opportunities
Canada lodges many cities focusing on work opportunities and economic growth. Some of the best places to live in Canada to look for work opportunities can be:
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- Ottawa, Ontario with an employment rate of 67.7%
- Quebec City, Quebec with an employment rate of 67.0%
- Calgary, Alberta with an employment rate of 68.8%
- Halifax, Nova Scotia with an employment rate of 64.7%
- Toronto, Ontario with an employment rate of 63.1%
(Last updated in 2020)
Conclusion
Canada is one of the most popular countries in the world for the lifestyle and diversity that it has to offer. This multicultural place is the second largest in the world on the basis of landmass, but what pulls people is the jar of opportunities and exclusivity that it offers. Do you see yourself living in Canada yet?
You May Also Read :
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Guide To Living in Barrie |
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All About Places To Live in Alberta |
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Know The Small Backyard Ideas |
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Explore Canada’s Most Expensive Cities |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Montreal, Quebec is the most affordable place to live in Canada.
Ontario is the best place to migrate to Canada.
A lot of it depends on the reason and the amenities one is looking forward to avail. But, statistically and generally, Ontario or Alberta would be nice to move to Canada, even if one is looking to start a family.
Calgary, Alberta is the best city to live and work in. Where is the most affordable place to live in Canada?
Which is the best place to migrate to Canada?
Where should I move to in Canada?
Which is the best city to live and work in Canada?
