Updated
Updated · MTL Blog · Jul 24
Montreal's Happiness Income Hits C$148,181, Ranking 15th in Canada
Updated
Updated · MTL Blog · Jul 24

Montreal's Happiness Income Hits C$148,181, Ranking 15th in Canada

3 articles · Updated · MTL Blog · Jul 24

Summary

  • C$148,181 a year is the income Remitly estimates for Montrealers to reach the city's “price of happiness,” placing Montreal 15th among 19 major Canadian cities.
  • Remitly derived the figure by converting Purdue University income-satiation research into local terms using IMF purchasing-power ratios, inflation through March 2026 and city cost-of-living data.
  • Montreal sits below Canada's national benchmark of C$155,850 and far under Victoria's C$169,951, while Toronto and Vancouver tie for second-highest at C$166,982.
  • Quebec City came in just above Montreal at C$149,913, while Kingston ranked lowest nationally at C$140,513, leaving Quebec's two biggest cities toward the more affordable end of the list.

Insights

With average salaries covering less than half the happiness threshold, is a joyful life becoming an exclusive luxury for the wealthy?
Could the secret to well-being lie not in a six-figure salary, but in stopping the toxic cycle of social media comparison?