Home » Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary – Which is Best?

Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary – Which is Best?

Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary are the most famous cities in Canada. In this article, we shall compare these cities to better understand their nature and peculiarity, especially for the traveler, explorer, or immigrant who wishes to visit or relocate to Canada, as the case may be.

Therefore, to better understand the peculiarities of these cities, comparisons will be made based on the following areas:

  • The cost of living
  • Popular job sectors
  • Geography
  • Weather
  • Transportation
  • Education

Cost of Living

Many people would be interested in this area. The cost of living is a significant place to begin from. This indicates what individuals need to survive and thrive in the city. It measures the ability or degree the city can sustain its citizens conveniently.

Many would be interested to know which of these cities is the most expensive and affordable.

numbeo.com will give you good information in detail on the cost of living for each of these cities in Canada and every other city worldwide.

Toronto: Monthly Cost, Rent, and Expenses

  • The estimated monthly cost for a family of 4 is C$4,534.05 without rent.
  • The estimated monthly cost for a single person is C$1,248.87 without rent.
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre C$2,132.23  1,850.00 – 2,500.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre C$1,765.87 1,500.00 – 2,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre C$3,471.86 2,900.00 – 5,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre C$2,708.11 2,100.00 – 3,700.00

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Montreal: Monthly Cost, Rent, and Expenses​

  • A family of four estimated monthly costs will be C$3,936.39 without rent.
  • Single individual estimated monthly costs will be C$1,074.60 without rent
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre C$1,284.84 995.00 – 1,650.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre C$838.08 700.00 – 1,200.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre C$2,257.26 1,800.00 – 3,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre C$1,464.71 1,100.00 – 2,000.00

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Vancouver: Monthly Cost, Rent, and Expenses​​

  • The estimated monthly cost for a family of four is C$4,352.32 without rent.
  • For a single person, the monthly estimated cost is C$1,181.52 without rent.
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre C$2,055.28 1,800.00 – 2,500.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre C$1,576.88 1,200.00 – 1,900.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre C$3,706.09 3,000.00 – 5,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre C$2,855.26 2,400.00 – 3,500.00

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Calgary: Monthly Cost, Rent, and Expenses​​

  • A family of 4 monthly estimated cost is C$4,243.61 without rent.
  • A single-person monthly estimated cost is C$1,193.93 without rent.
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre C$1,217.99 1,000.00 – 1,500.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre C$1,022.84 850.00 – 1,200.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre C$2,148.77 1,750.00 – 3,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre C$1,625.79 1,400.00 – 2,100.00

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Popular Job Sectors

Job is one significant factor for which people relocate or migrate from one place to the other, as it is the only avenue by which an individual’s livelihood is secured.

This brings us to jobs as a source of income for sustenance and creating a standard of living. Thus, what are the popular job sectors in the four cities?

There are a lot of job sectors in these four popular urban cities, which are also the top high-ranked cities in Canada; however, this is only a list of some of the key job sectors that drive these cities’ economies.

Toronto Jobs

Popular job sectors in Toronto are as follows:

  • Finance
  • Technology
  • Media
  • Tourism and
  • Life sciences

Toronto is Canada’s economic seat and hub, contributing about 20% to the GDP of Canada. Therefore, Toronto is a very significant economic city in Canada.

Montreal Jobs

Key sectors in Montreal are:

  • Aerospace
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Technology
  • Textile Manufacturing
  • Tourism
  • Transportation

Vancouver Jobs

The Province of Vancouver is also another economic hub of Canada, with key industries like

  • Technology
  • Trade
  • Film
  • TV
  • Tourism
  • Construction

Calgary Jobs

Popular job sectors in Calgary are:

  • Air space
  • Agribusiness
  • Energy
  • Financial services
  • Life sciences
  • Technology

See More Canadian Jobs

Geography

Location

  • Toronto is located towards the south of Ontario.
  • On the other hand, Montreal is only an overnight journey from Toronto and towards the south of Quebec.
  • Vancouver sits southwards of British Columbia.
  • Calgary also is located in the province of Alberta.

City Size

  • Toronto is by far the largest city in Canada and, by extension, the largest city in Ontario.
  • Meanwhile, Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada. However, the largest city in Quebec.
  • The third-largest city in Canada is Vancouver. Nevertheless, it is the largest city in the province of British Columbia.
  • Also, Calgary is the fourth largest city in Canada. However, the largest city in Alberta.

River or Lakes

  • The city of Toronto is enclosed by lake Ontario, Humber, don, and rough rivers.
  • Saint Lawrence and Riviera des Prairies rivers are located in Montreal
  • Surrounding Vancouver is the English Bay, Burrard inlet, and Fraser river.
  • Calgary has bow and elbow rivers.

Land

  • Toronto has flatlands, primarily.
  • Montreal, on the other hand, is flat and hilly
  • Vancouver, in the same vein, is also flat and hilly.
  • Calgary is quite hilly; however, not very flat.

Beaches

  • You will love Toronto because of its lovely beaches.
  • There are no beaches in Montreal.
  • Vancouver has many beautiful beaches.
  • Calgary, like Montreal, has no beaches either.

Mountains

  • If you are a mountain-loving or climbing person, Toronto will disappoint you.
  • However, Montreal won’t, as it’s got many beautiful mountains.
  • Vancouver and Calgary, in addition, do have beautiful mountains too.

Lifestyle

All four cities are urban cities, which are also very rich in natural beauty.

  • Toronto has a long stretch of lakeshore.
  • If you enjoy the French lifestyle and architecture, you will love it in Montreal.
  • Vancouver has been attributed to be supernaturally beautiful and scenic.
  • Calgary is a city surrounded by beautiful craggy mountains.

These cities present you with an actual urban lifestyle that you are certain to enjoy and natural beauties that are eye-catchy and awesome.

Weather

Weather or climate is undoubtedly one of the most crucial options when deciding the city you want to live in, especially if it’s Canada. But, unfortunately, Canada is world-famous for its harsh and often icy weather.

Weather in Toronto

  • In Toronto, from November to February, the temperature is usually shallow. The temperature here can sometimes fall even to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
  • The temperature can go up as high as 35 or 36 degrees Celsius in July.

Weather in Montreal

  • The weather in Montreal is relatively harsher than in Toronto; this is because in winter, in February, the temperature can go down to around minus degrees Celsius.
  • While in summer, especially in May, it can be up to 37 degrees Celsius high. It experiences such a vast fluctuation in temperature within a couple of months.

Weather in Vancouver

  • The best temperature among the four cities is probably Vancouver’s, especially during winter. However, the normal temperature in Vancouver is about zero degrees or, sometimes, – 1 to – 2 degrees Celsius.
  • Vancouver’s general summer temperature is between 24 – 26 degrees Celsius.
  • In addition, the maximum temperature is not up to 30 degrees. Thus, Vancouver boasts such lovely weather, particularly in the summer.

Weather in Calgary

  • Alberta, in which province Calgary is located, is famous for its cold weather. It can get brutally cold in January and February.
  • It can be as low as – 32 degrees in January.
  • Also, starting from October to March, it can be super cold in Calgary.
  • However, summers present some perfect weather.

Transportation

Excellent public transportation infrastructure is very important for a city. This is because when a city has good transportation infrastructure, people prefer public transport rather than personal cars or other vehicular means of transport.

Infrastructure

In this regard, all four cities have great public transportation infrastructure. Each has trains, which can take you to and from the cities and into other cities in Canada. In addition, they have local buses.

These four cities have real-time updates on apple maps and google maps.

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Metro service

  • There is an old metro service in Toronto. However, this is the lifeline of Toronto.
  • A sky train, a very automated service, is located in Vancouver.
  • In Montreal, there are metros as well.
  • Calgary has a C train which is also a metro service.

Streetcars

  • Toronto has a perfect streetcar system; it covers almost every part of Toronto, and it’s amusing to travel.
  • There are no streetcars in Vancouver and Montreal.
  • The C trains or metros in Calgary also serve as a streetcar, which goes underground and on the streets.

Water transport

  • Toronto has ferries that can take you from downtown Toronto to Toronto Islands.
  • Similarly, a sea bus in Vancouver can take you from the coastal Vancouver areas to several islands in Vancouver.
  • Montreal also has ferries for navigating across its rivers.
  • Calgary does not have any water transport.

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FAQ’S

Which is the best city in Canada to study?

  • According to the ranking, Montreal is the best city for study. Montreal is the number one university city in Canada, located in Quebec.
  • This means that the primary language in the province is French. Nevertheless, there are several English-speaking schools in Montreal. This includes one of the top-ranked universities in the world, “McGill University.” Vancouver follows it in the second position, and Toronto in the third.

Which is the most expensive city in Canada?

  • According to Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey and the 27th annual survey, Vancouver has been dubbed the most expensive place to live in Canada. The city has risen one spot to 93rd place in the world and consequently is the most expensive city in Canada.

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