Toronto, Montreal Vancouver?

Question

Which city is the best overall and why?

Answer 1

Toronto and Vancouver are VERY expensive.

I live in Montreal, so I can really only comment on that. Montreal has some of the cheapest rent in The Americas. I have a one bedroom, everything included (heat, water, electricity, garbage) for $660 a month. Thats considered somewhat expensive, but its a good building with a pool, sauna, nice patio, and bbq. Its also a good concrete building. You could easily get a 1 bedroom all included for $500 or less, depending on the area you chose (and that doesn't limit you to less than desirable areas). Montreal is very laid back and go with the flow with lots to see and do.  The city is rich in culture and heritage and absolutely beautiful! There is so much to see and do for everyone!

Toronto and and Vancouver you might be looking at rent of $800+ for a 1 bedroom, and the cost of living is very high in both cities.

Answer 2

I'm in Toronto, but love Vancouver, Montreal is great if you speak French

Answer 3

Toronto, bar none.

Answer 4

I can't answer this one because I've only been in Vancouver and I live there. There's one important thing however: I think Vancouver is probably the most expensive of the three just by looking at the ridiculous local real estate market that is basically a huge amount higher the national average and way higher than Toronto's prices.

Answer 5

Each city you mentioned has its pros and cons. I've tried to summarize them below:

Toronto

Pros: cultural and financial centre of Canada, diverse economy with jobs in many fields and sectors, diverse and walkable neighbourhoods provide a great deal of variety to the urban landscape, good airport with connections to many major world cities

Cons: winters can be harsh, cost of living is very high, job market is tight and competitive, traffic is atrocious, city is not very clean, summers are brutally hot and muggy, people who reside in Toronto tend to be "go-getters" so the lifestyle is far from laid-back

Montreal

Pros: cultural and financial centre of Quebec, highly walkable and diverse neighbourhoods surround the urban core, the city has a "European flair" that makes it distinct from other North American cities, the city is highly affordable in terms of rent and cost of living

Cons: you must be fluent in French to get a decent job, the language politics can sometimes be irritating, the winters are long and brutal, the job market is very limited

Vancouver

Pros: the city is aesthetically beautiful, it's a nature lover's paradise as great skiing and hiking and other outdoor activities are less than an hour away from downtown, the city is very walkable, transit is good, job market is generally favourable

Cons: rent and cost of living is very high, traffic is very bad, days and days of rain can get pretty depressing, the city lies in an earthquake zone and the region has had earthquakes measuring 5 or more on the Richter scale (enough to cause damage)

I'm sure others can come up with additional pros and cons for each city, but the point is that each city is very different. You have to evaluate which points are important to you to determine which of the cities is best for you.