Ottawa now stands as the most livable city in Canada for 2026, according to newly released global data. The city also claimed first place among all North American cities and ranked 28th worldwide. The results highlight Ottawa’s strong performance in everyday living conditions that matter most to residents and visitors.
The study measured quality of life by looking at factors such as housing costs, safety, healthcare, pollution levels, traffic times, and climate comfort. Ottawa’s steady balance in these areas helped it move up from second place last year to the top spot this year.
The rankings placed 17 Canadian cities among the world’s most livable for 2026. These cities came from seven provinces, showing that quality living stretches across much of the country. Ontario led the way with the highest number of cities on the list, including London, Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, and Hamilton.
British Columbia followed closely with Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver, and Kelowna earning spots. Alberta saw Calgary and Edmonton make the list, while Quebec featured Quebec City and Montreal. Regina, Winnipeg, and Halifax also secured places, representing Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.
On the national list, Ottawa ranked first, followed by Nanaimo and Victoria. Vancouver placed fourth, while Quebec City rounded out the top five. Calgary, which held first place last year, dropped to sixth. Edmonton slipped to eighth, and Mississauga recorded the largest fall, landing at 12th after ranking fifth in 2025.
Several cities showed gains, while others faced declines, reflecting changes in costs, traffic, and local conditions over the past year.
The rankings reviewed 304 cities across 95 countries. Six Canadian cities placed within the top 100 worldwide, one fewer than last year. European cities dominated the highest positions, particularly those in the Netherlands and nearby countries.
Some Canadian cities shared the same overall scores as cities in other parts of the world. For example, Nanaimo matched Colorado Springs, while Vancouver and Quebec City tied with Auckland. These ties showed similar overall living standards, though scores varied across specific areas like safety and healthcare.
The data came from Numbeo, a global database that compares living conditions across cities. Numbeo gathered information from both public submissions and verified sources such as government data, transportation costs, and food prices. Collected data received more weight to ensure accuracy.
The final score combined several indexes, including cost of living, housing affordability, pollution, safety, healthcare quality, climate, and daily commute times.
These rankings offer insight into how cities perform in daily life. For Ottawa, the results reflect steady planning and balanced growth that continue to attract people looking for safety, comfort, and opportunity.
Having an 'Identity Verified' badge or being 'Identity Verified' simply indicates that an individual has submitted information to complete our identity verification process or we have conducted internal verification using various authorized websites. While this process includes safeguards, it does not guarantee that the person is who they claim to be.
If you encounter any issues with this profile, please report them here. While all consultants who are verified have RCIC ID, we may not have the latest data in terms of their renewal/cancellation/discontinuation of their RCIC ID.
The "Verified Consultants" profiles are created using publicly available information, including data from the IRCC website, official consultant sites, other listing platforms, and social media. Immiperts.com is an independent platform, not affiliated with IRCC or any registered immigration consultants. To update, claim, or remove your profile, please contact us at [email protected].
╳
