Mapped: Income Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities

Ranked: The Income Needed to Be Happy in 19 Canadian Cities

Researchers call it the satiation point: the income level beyond which additional earnings no longer improve a person’s overall life evaluation. The threshold varies by location and, among the Canadian cities analyzed, is highest in Victoria.

This graphic ranks 19 major Canadian cities by their estimated income satiation point using data from Remitly.

Remitly adapted Purdue University research on income satiation, adjusting for purchasing power and inflation before scaling Canada’s national figure to each city using Numbeo’s cost-of-living index. Figures are in Canadian dollars and current as of March 2026.

Victoria Edges Out Vancouver and Toronto

Victoria’s threshold of $169,951 CAD ($124,047 USD) is less than 2% higher than the $166,982 CAD ($121,881 USD) shared by Vancouver and Toronto, making the top three effectively a three-way tie.

The table below shows the estimated income needed for happiness in each city and how much higher Victoria’s threshold is by comparison.

Victoria’s top ranking reflects its high everyday costs. Living Wage BC puts the city’s 2025 living wage at $27.40 per hour, $9.55 above the provincial minimum wage, with housing, food, and child care among the fastest-growing expenses.

British Columbia is the only province with two cities in the top three. Kelowna gives the province a third entry in the top 10, ranking ninth at $156,098.

For context, Remitly estimates Canada’s national happiness threshold at $113,755 USD. Victoria sits about 9% above that figure, while the U.S. national threshold of $134,827 USD is nearly one-fifth higher.

Prairie cities also place near the top. Saskatoon ranks fourth at $159,808, while Calgary ranks fifth at $159,561. Both finish ahead of Ottawa in 13th at $152,634 and Montreal in 15th at $148,181. Montreal’s lower threshold reflects its comparatively affordable housing costs, an advantage that also appears in rankings of the world’s most and least livable cities in 2026.

A Much Narrower Spread Than the U.S.

At the other end of the ranking, Kingston has the lowest happiness threshold at $140,513 CAD ($102,560 USD). Ontario is the most represented province, with eight of the 19 cities spanning nearly the full ranking, from Toronto in second place to Kingston in last.

The gap between the highest and lowest thresholds is just 21%. By comparison, the same Remitly analysis found New York’s threshold to be 60% higher than Cincinnati’s in the United States, while London’s is 38.7% higher than Sheffield’s in the United Kingdom.

The figures do not represent recommended salaries, direct measures of happiness, or conventional cost-of-living estimates. Instead, they estimate the income level at which additional earnings stop improving overall life evaluation. A higher threshold generally signals a more expensive city, not a happier one.

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If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Money Can Buy Happiness After All on Voronoi.

Ranked: The World’s Most Livable Regions in 2026

Each year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) evaluates living conditions across major cities worldwide using its Global Liveability Index.

This regional comparison aggregates those city scores to show how livability varies across seven major regions in 2026.

The data for this visualization comes from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index. The index measures stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure, then aggregates the results into regional averages on a scale of 0 to 100.

Western Europe and North America Continue to Lead

Western Europe ranked as the world’s most livable region in 2026 with an overall score of 92, closely followed by North America at 90.

Both regions performed particularly well in healthcare, education, and infrastructure. North America received a perfect score of 100 in education, while Western Europe recorded the highest healthcare and infrastructure scores.

Stable institutions, mature public services, and extensive transportation networks continue to support high living standards across many cities in both regions.

Asia Records the Biggest Improvement

Asia posted the largest year-over-year improvement among all regions, reaching an average livability score of 74.

According to the EIU, stronger performances by cities in China and Japan helped drive the gains.

Despite this progress, Asia continues to trail Western Europe and North America. Its lowest category score was in culture and environment, while infrastructure performance varied across its rapidly developing economies.

Conflict and Development Gaps Shape the Bottom of the Rankings

The Middle East and North Africa experienced the largest regional decline in 2026, with its average score falling by one point following the Iran war.

Stability remained the region’s weakest category, contributing to an overall score of 61.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranked last with a score of 55. Healthcare, infrastructure, and stability were its lowest-scoring categories.

Latin America and Eastern Europe occupied the middle of the rankings. Both posted relatively strong education scores, but weaker stability results held down their overall averages.

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If you enjoyed today’s post, check out How Happy Are the World’s Population Giants? on Voronoi.