Ottawa Tops North America in Quality of Life (2026 Ranking)

Key Findings

• Ottawa has been named the most livable city in Canada for 2026 and ranks first across all of North America in the Quality of Life Index.

• Globally, Ottawa placed 28th out of 304 cities evaluated.

  
  

What the Ranking Is Based On

• The data comes from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database that compares cities on factors like cost of living, safety, traffic commute time, healthcare, pollution, and housing affordability.

  
  

Canadian Cities in the Rankings

• A total of 17 Canadian cities made the 2026 quality-of-life list, spanning seven provinces. Ontario had the most cities featured.

  
  

• The national top five were:

  1. Ottawa, ON

  2. Nanaimo, BC

  3. Victoria, BC

  4. Vancouver, BC

  5. Quebec City, QC 

     
     

Year-to-Year Changes

• Ottawa climbed from second place last year to number one.

• Calgary — the previous top Canadian city — dropped multiple spots.

• Some cities like Brampton, Hamilton, and Nanaimo are new to this year’s list.

  
  

Global Context

• Six Canadian cities ranked among the top 100 worldwide, though that’s one fewer than in 2025.

• European cities dominated the very top global positions.

Here’s a breakdown of how Ottawa scored across the key Numbeo Quality of Life sub-indices that helped it earn the top spot in North America for 2026:

📊 Ottawa’s 2026 Quality-of-Life Sub-Scores 

(Compared with global data where available)

Index Category	Ottawa Score	What It Means
Overall Quality of Life Index	≈198.1	Very high overall livability, combining many quality-of-life factors.
Purchasing Power Index	≈162.4 (very high)	Residents have strong ability to buy goods and services relative to costs — a key part of lifestyle comfort.
Safety Index	≈69.0 (high)	Reflects generally low crime and a strong sense of personal safety in the city.
Health Care Index	≈68.7 (high)	Indicates good access to and quality of healthcare services.
Cost of Living Index	≈61.7 (moderate)	Cost of everyday living (excluding housing) is moderate — lower than many large global cities.
Property Price to Income Ratio	≈5.05 (low)	Housing is relatively affordable compared with resident incomes — a big boost for livability.
Traffic Commute Time Index	≈32.7 (low)	Shorter average commutes and less time stuck in traffic improve day-to-day life.
Pollution Index	≈24.1 (low)	Low pollution levels contribute to environmental comfort and health.
Climate Index	≈44.5 (moderate)	Ottawa’s climate is moderate in livability terms — colder winters temper overall enjoyment compared to places with milder climates.

📌 Why These Scores Matter

• High purchasing power + affordable housing means residents can maintain a comfortable standard of living without extreme financial pressure.

• Strong safety and healthcare scores are core to long-term wellbeing and make Ottawa attractive for families, professionals, and newcomers alike.

• Low commute times and low pollution help make daily life smoother and healthier compared to many bigger cities.

• Moderate cost of living and climate mean Ottawa isn’t the cheapest place to live, nor the mildest weather, but its overall balance keeps it highly livable.

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🧠 In Context

These detailed scoring elements explain why Ottawa came out on top across North America: it doesn’t just do well in one area but performs strongly across a range of factors that matter to residents’ everyday lives.

Source: https://www.cicnews.com/2026/01/ottawa-takes-top-spot-in-north-america-for-quality-of-life-0165651.html/amp