cost
Cost of Living Index
Ottawa72.8 / 100
Edmonton73.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Ottawa leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Ottawa leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Ottawa leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Ottawa leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Ottawa | 72.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Edmonton | 73.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Ottawa | 85.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Edmonton | 59.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Ottawa | $1,289 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Edmonton | $1,862 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Ottawa | 5.0x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Edmonton | 8.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Ottawa | $4,170/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Edmonton | $4,252/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Ottawa | 9.5% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Edmonton | 6.5% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Ottawa | 56.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Edmonton | 78 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Ottawa | 80.5 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Edmonton | 75.7 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Ottawa wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to Edmonton.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Ottawa leads cost, safety, and rent; Edmonton leads salary, jobs, and health.
cost
Ottawa
72.8
Edmonton
73.8
safety
Ottawa
85.4
Edmonton
59.3
housing
Ottawa
$1,289
Edmonton
$1,862
housing
Ottawa
5.0x
Edmonton
8.9x
jobs
Ottawa
$4,170/mo
Edmonton
$4,252/mo
jobs
Ottawa
9.5%
Edmonton
6.5%
health
Ottawa
56.7
Edmonton
78
health
Ottawa
80.5 years
Edmonton
75.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Ottawa
3.6%
Edmonton
2.9%
education
Ottawa
65.1
Edmonton
63.4
transport
Ottawa
48.7
Edmonton
46.7
safety
Ottawa
25.0 per 100k
Edmonton
15.5 per 100k
safety
Ottawa
67.4 per 100k
Edmonton
80.8 per 100k
health
Ottawa
23.4%
Edmonton
15.7%
quality
Ottawa
6.7
Edmonton
6.3
housing
Ottawa
$12,906/sqm
Edmonton
$10,881/sqm
religion
Ottawa
49.9%
Edmonton
30.5%
religion
Ottawa
52.2%
Edmonton
42.0%
religion
Ottawa
57.8%
Edmonton
34.0%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.