Life on the Edge
St. John’s is a vibrant and colourful city, built by the ocean that surrounds it. Known for its old-world charm, distinct neighborhoods with breathtaking vistas, St. John’s offers its residents, businesses and industries alike a one-of-a-kind life on the edge.
An advantage all its own, in St. John’s, you can work on cutting edge innovations during the day and spend your evenings on the edge of the best coastal trails the world has on offer, all within 10 minutes. Whatever your passion and interests, St. John’s is an edgy, innovative and modern City, ripe with opportunity for future generations. Check out our Neighbourhoods to see what suits you.
Outdoor Adventure
Nestled in a region that boasts some of the world’s most impressive coastal and inner-city park and trail systems, St. John’s metro is Canada’s outdoor adventure hidden gem!
Ranked by National Geographic as the No. 1 coastal destination in the world, with its East Coast Trail as one of the 10 best adventure destinations in the world – there’s no question, this place is a sanctuary for superior seaside hiking, mountain biking, trail running, exploring and more.
With approximately 33 km of the East Coast Trail wilderness trail located within city boundaries and 125 kms of Grand Concourse walking trails- for outdoor enthusiasts, life in St. John’s is a life on the edge!
Stay connected and grow your community – join organizations in support of the region’s outdoor adventure growth and development.
Community
Community is life in St. John’s. It’s what makes this place tick – by supporting one another during the bad times and uniting to celebrate the good. Over 80% of residents report a positive view of the ‘people, hospitality, safety, and quality of life’ in St. John’s.
We’re proud of this strong sense of community. The city is committed to building upon this advantage by fostering new and innovative ways to instill pride of place and engagement into everything we do – by focusing on a suite of programs and initiatives aimed at healthier communities and facilitating connection. Check out opportunities to volunteer.
Cost of Living
The Canadian Real Estate Association stated in December 2022 that St. John’s is one of the five most affordable housing markets in Canada. The St. John’s real estate market recorded gains, but they were still within the level of affordability. The overall MLS® Housing Price Index composite benchmark price for homes in St. John’s averaged $327,942 in 2023, up 3.1% compared with 2022. By comparison, the MLS® Benchmark Price, which measures the price of a “typical” home in Canada, stood at $710,300 in December 2023. Inflation in St. John’s averaged 3.7% in 2023, down from a 32-year high of 5.9% in 2022.
Housing
|
Median resale price of a single-family home (CREA) |
$343,000 |
|
Average new housing price of a single-family home (CMHC) |
$465,046 |
Rental Costs
|
Average monthly rent: 1 bedroom (city centre) |
$886 |
|
Average monthly rent: 1 bedroom (outside St. John’s metro) |
$873 |
|
Average monthly rent: 3 bedroom (city centre) |
$993 |
|
Average monthly rent: 3 bedroom (outside city centre) |
$957 |
Source: CMHC Housing Now & Rental Market Data Tables
Visit the Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) website to get a free copy of the Newcomers Guide to Canadian Housing. Unless otherwise noted in $CDN
Transportation Costs
|
Public Transportation (Metrobus) |
|
|
Single Fare |
$2.50 |
|
Monthly Pass (average) |
$78.00 |
|
Taxi |
|
|
Taxi Start (normal tariff) |
$4.50 |
|
Taxi 1 km (normal tariff) |
$2.50 |
|
Taxi 1 hour waiting (normal tariff) |
$40.50 |
Utilities
|
Telephone, Internet and Television The main Internet and television providers in St. John’s Bell Aliant and Rogers both provide landline/mobile telephone and internet services that can be purchased for residential or business purposes. Xplore LTE is the other Internet provider in St. John’s. Depending on the company you choose and package purchased, speeds of up to 1 Gig symmetrical (1 Gig upload, 1 Gig download) are available. Other cell phone providers include: Eastlink, Telus. Fido, Virgin mobile, koodo |
|
|
Electricity – Newfoundland Power |
$13.256 cents per kilowatt hour (as of July 1, 2023) |
|
Basic television, basic landline telephone, Internet, and mobile (unlimited voice & SMS and 5GB of data) CRTC 2018 |
$198.13 a month |
Other Costs
Childcare
Newfoundland and Labrador has a new $25 per day childcare program
Taxes
A value added sales tax of 15% is automatically added to the price of items at the checkout.
Property Taxes
City of St. John’s uses a mil rate method to determine the taxes that are to be paid on a property.
- Click here to search St. John’s assessment information by specific address.
Food and Shopping
Click here for average retail prices for selected products in Newfoundland and Labrador from Statistics Canada.
Click here for the 2023 edition of Canada’s Food Price Report.
Restaurants
St. John’s has a diverse selection of restaurants and cafes. From traditional Newfoundland food to Korean, Japanese, Indian and Afghan, St. John’s has it all. For information about St. John’s as a dining destination visit. destinationstjohns.com.