When thinking of where to live, some of the most important factors to consider will be the cost of living and climate. While Canada is generally seen as a very cold country, there are still warm places. So, what’re the warmest and cheapest places to live in Canada?
If you’re planning to live in Canada. There are wonderful and livable places for you. They include Halifax, Cornwall, Sarnia, Saint Georges, Prince George, Brockville, and London. These cities offer cheap living costs and temperature that doesn’t reach double digits negative even in the winter.
Finding a warm and cheap city in Canada might be challenging given that places with the warmest weather tend to have a high population density.
But the cities below represent the rare gems in the country.
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1. Cornwall Ontario
Cornwall is right Saint Lawrence River and on the border of the United States.
It’s Ontario’s easternmost city, and residents enjoy a cost of living that’s substantially below both Canada’s and Ontario’s average.
The rent is also one of the lowest in the country, which means housing won’t be a problem if you move here. In terms of weather, the city is quite warm for at least eight months of the year.
Residents also enjoy much as 4 hours of sunlight, even during its coldest month of January.
2. Saint Georges, Quebec
It’s not every time you find warmth and affordability combine so perfectly as it does for Saint Georges. Even though it’s in Quebec, the average weather is still relatively warm.
The coldest month is January, where the temperature is around -6 °C. Even then, there’s still an average of 5 hours of sunshine daily.
Summer lasts through four months, from June to September. Living costs are very low too. Housing is much more affordable.
The average cost of living monthly for a single person without rent is $1164, while a family of 4 spends less than $3000.
3. Sarnia, Ontario
Located at the point where St. Claire River meets Lake Huron, Sarnia is a wonderful city with agriculture and petrochemicals as its major industries here.
Living in Sarnia is more affordable compared to the Ontario or Canada average. Living expenses with rent are $1431 for a single person and $3331 for a family of 4.
The median salary after tax is also sufficient to meet living expenses beyond a month.
What further makes the city a lively place to live in the mild weather conditions. The average temperature is -4.6°C during the coldest month and can be as high as 22.6°C in the summer.
July is the hottest month in Sarnia, and residents can enjoy up to 11 hours of sunlight on average this month.
4. Prince George, British Columbia
The biggest city in northern British Columbia is also one of the country’s cheapest and warmest places to live. Residents here spend 30% lesser on living costs compared to the British Columbia average.
For example, a single person will need $1523 to pay all basic expenses here, including rent, while a family of 4 will require $3384. Not only is the cost of living cheaper, but the median after-tax salary is also high.
The weather in Prince George is quite okay too, even though it’s nothing close to Victoria.
Winters here can get as cold as -7.2°C on average in January, but other cold months are lower.
Even though it’s coldest in January, the average daily sunlight is for 6 hours which means most of the cold comes at night.
Summer here is also mild, with the average weather in the hottest month being 16.5°C. So, if you’re looking for a comfortable and cheap place, try Prince George.
5. Brookville, Ontario
Brockville is one of the most beautiful places in Ontario. While tourism might be a big part of what makes this city tick, it’s also quite livable, offering both warmth and affordability for residents.
Canadian winters are generally cold, and Brockville isn’t any different. But it’s significantly warmer than many other areas.
The average temperature in January is 6.9°C and 6.1°C in February. In these two months, which are the coldest by far, Brockville gets around 4 hours of sunshine daily.
Summers are very comfortable, with the temperature not exceeding the mid-20s even on the hottest days.
The cost of living is comparatively lower than the national and Ontario average, with a single person requiring $1540 while a family of 4 needs $3571.
However, the wages are a little as the median salary is sufficient to cover one month of expenses.
6. London, Ontario
Another city on the list is London. Living costs here are significantly lower than the national and Ontario average despite its high median salary.
For example, a single person needs $1563 to cover monthly expenses, including rent, and a family of 4 will spend $3667. Even though this seems high compared to other places, it’s still cheap when considering London as one major urban area in Canada.
It also helps that the weather is excellent. January is the coldest month of the year with an average of -5.4°C, and July is the hottest with 21.7°C.
The temperature is generally negative for four months, but most of the cold comes at night. Apart from December and January, when daily sunlight hours are an average of 3 hours, in other months, you’ll enjoy at least 5-6 hours of sunshine.
The summer months peak with 11 hours of sunshine daily, so you have all the warmth you desire.
7. Halifax, Nova Scotia
As the capital city of Nova Scotia, Halifax is a commercial hub and economic center of eastern Canada. There are several industries within the city, ranging from agriculture to fishing to mining.
Despite its status as a commercial hub and center of government in the Maritime, the cost of living is significantly compared to other major cities in Canada.
The cost of living for a family of 4 is CAD4,320 without rent, while CAD1,208 for a single person.
Rent is also slightly affordable even though it costs more than ever before, but this is a general thing. Not only is Halifax a cheap place to live, but the weather is quite comfortable too.
The winters aren’t so bad here, and summer is quite comfortable. It gets coldest in January when the weather can drop to around -7 degrees Celsius, but from April to November, the weather is mostly warm, and the temperature isn’t negative.
In Conclusion
Finding a warm and cheap place in Canada can be a little challenging.
Most of the country’s population resides in warmer areas, which means the cost of living is usually higher in these parts.
But the cities above offer relatively low cost of living and plenty of sunshine for most months of the year.