True Income
St. John's cityscape

City snapshot

Cost of living in St. John's

St. John's offers colorful culture, coastal living, and unique Newfoundland character on Canada's eastern edge.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026St. John's CMA

3-category planning baseline

$1,548

Total annual: $18,576

Balanced salary needed

$42,000

Balanced

Population

243,478

2025 · St. John's (CMA), Newfoundland and Labrador · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

77.0

St. John's CMA

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,244
2 people$3,173
Family of 4$4,487

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 92% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartmentNo current published observation
1-bedroom apartment$1,250

2026-01 · St. John's, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$1,570

2026-01 · St. John's, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$1,940

2026-01 · St. John's, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$240

2025 · Newfoundland and Labrador

Local Indicators

Employed people126,500
Median after-tax income$68,000
Crime Severity Index77

St. John's, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$1,064
Groceries$389
Transport$95
Total monthly$1,548

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$1,250
Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$1,250
Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500
Basic household setup$600
Estimated setup total$5,600

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculatorSee salary neededRent affordabilityMortgage affordabilityCompare citiesCar costsProvince tax calculatorAfter-tax income guide

City profile

GeographySt. John's CMA
Common languagesEnglish, French, Arabic
Community contextSouth Asian, Chinese, Black

Housing and rent

Island logistics and local supply shape rent, utilities and transport costs.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $1,064 · Total monthly: $1,548

Commute and daily life

Car-first commutes with Metrobus service

Safety context

St. John's's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for St. John's CMA. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index
77.0
Violent CSI
94.2
Non-violent CSI
70.7

How this city compares

St. John's ranks #45 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$616 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164
Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for St. John's.

Essentials$30,800
Balanced$42,000
Comfortable$54,000

Best for

St. John's is strongest for easternmost city in canada and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $1,548 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $5,600 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 69% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$616.

Living in St. John's: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for St. John's: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

St. John's is Canada's easternmost city, famous for colorful row houses and Irish-Newfoundland culture.

The city offers affordable living compared to major centers, though isolated from mainland Canada.

Major employers include the offshore oil industry, Memorial University, and healthcare.

The rugged coastal landscape provides stunning natural beauty and outdoor activities.

Highlights

  • Easternmost city in Canada
  • Colorful Jellybean Row houses
  • Offshore oil industry
  • Unique Newfoundland culture
  • Spectacular coastal scenery

Common questions

What is included in St. John's's monthly baseline?
The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?
National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the St. John's salary estimate?
Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

  • Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
  • Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
  • Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.
Sources and methodology
Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent
January 2026 · St. John's, Census metropolitan area (CMA)
Planning baseline
Estimated rent + groceries + local transport
Not used
Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs
Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.
Sources and methodology