Quebec City
Canada · North America · 540K people
Fortified French-speaking capital with a distinctly European old town.
Ranked #131 of 303 overall · 46.81, -71.21
Overview
Quebec City sits in Canada, on the North American continent, home to roughly 540,000 people. Its reputation is built on history, architecture and a dense cultural calendar. It has a reputation as a solid, practical choice for raising a family. People who choose to settle in Quebec City tend to point to a strong sense of safety, solid infrastructure for remote work, and reliable healthcare as the deciding factors. Against its 48 tracked peers in North America, Quebec City's 6.7/10 overall score sits 0.4 points above the regional average of 6.3. On CityMatch, Quebec City scores 6.7/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #131 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is internet & connectivity at 9/10, while climate is its softest spot at 3/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Comfortable on a moderate budget.
Consistently rated among the safer picks.
No major pollution concerns on average.
Workable without being exceptional.
A genuine trade-off if climate matters to you.
A strong pick if healthcare matters most to you.
Fast, reliable connectivity.
Is Quebec City right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
Internet and connectivity score 9/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
A 8/10 safety score puts Quebec City among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Healthcare scores 8/10, a meaningful factor for families, retirees, or anyone planning to stay long-term.
Trade-offs
Climate is the hardest trade-off here at 3/10 — expect genuinely difficult weather for part of the year.
Cost of living is Quebec City's comparatively softest spot at 6/10 — still a workable budget, just not its standout strength.
Is Quebec City safe?
Quebec City scores 8/10 on safety — one of the more reassuring cities in our database. Most residents and visitors report feeling comfortable with ordinary city awareness rather than specific precautions.
At night
Walking at night is generally low-stress here, though sticking to lit, populated streets is always sensible advice anywhere.
For tourists
Tourists rarely report serious issues beyond the ordinary pickpocket risk that exists in any well-visited city — normal vigilance in crowded areas is enough.
For families
Combined with a healthcare score of 8/10 and environment score of 7/10, Quebec City looks like a genuinely solid pick for raising a family.
For solo travelers
Cities scoring this well on safety (8/10) are generally considered comfortable for solo travelers, though — as anywhere — checking current, specific local advice before a trip is always worth the ten minutes it takes.
On public transport
Transport is reasonably safe day-to-day; late-night service quality and crowd levels are worth checking if you'll rely on it after dark.
Practical tips
- →Standard city awareness is genuinely enough here — no need for unusual precautions.
- →Keep half an eye on belongings in busy tourist spots, the same as anywhere.
What's the climate like in Quebec City?
At 3/10, Quebec City's climate score is among the lower end of our database; this is worth weighing seriously if weather affects your day-to-day mood.
Seasonal character
Expect a genuinely challenging season — whether that's extreme heat, cold, or a prolonged wet period depends on the region, but it's a real factor in daily life here.
Comfort level
Comfort is inconsistent enough that climate should factor into any decision to move here, not just visit.
Best time to live here
Timing matters a lot — the toughest stretch of the year is worth identifying and planning around specifically before moving or booking a long stay.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Quebec City
Put together, quality of life in Quebec City is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: quebec city tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's more mixed and transport that's genuinely workable.
Pace & lifestyle
Quebec City tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor and green-space time comes with more caveats here — environment (7/10) and climate (3/10) scores suggest it's more weather- and air-quality-dependent than in higher-scoring cities.
Getting around
Transport (6/10) covers most needs reasonably well, with occasional gaps a bike or rideshare fills in easily.
Culture & leisure
Quebec City is specifically known for its cultural and historical scene — museums, architecture and a dense calendar of things to do are part of its identity, not an afterthought.
Based on its actual score profile, Quebec City tends to suit people who prioritize internet & connectivity and safety over climate — see "Who Quebec City suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Quebec City?
Environment scores 7/10 here, solidly average: no particular pollution concern, but not a headline strength either.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Quebec City suits
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 7.2/10 here).
Safety-first mover
Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (fit score 7.0/10 here).
Young family
Young familys — households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (fit score 6.8/10 here).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs — founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (fit score 6.8/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
At 6/10 for cost of living, Quebec City lands in a middle ground where costs are manageable without being a bargain.
Safety
At 8/10 on our safety score, Quebec City ranks among the more secure cities we track, which tends to matter most for families and first-time movers.
Climate
Quebec City's 3/10 climate score reflects genuinely difficult stretches of weather for a meaningful part of the year.
Quality of life
Quality of life in Quebec City is uneven rather than uniformly good or bad — a 6.7/10 average built on a clear high point in internet & connectivity and a clear weak point in climate. The average across all seven criteria is 6.7/10.
Transport
At 6/10 for transport, Quebec City covers the basics reasonably well without being a transit showcase.
Internet & remote work
At 9/10 for internet, Quebec City is squarely in "video-call without worrying about it" territory.
Why choose Quebec City?
The short version: choose Quebec City for its internet & connectivity, and go in with clear eyes about climate. Its 6.7/10 overall score reflects that balance rather than an unqualified recommendation.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Quebec City safe?
Yes — Quebec City scores 8/10 on safety, among the higher end of the 303 cities we track. Normal city awareness is enough for most visitors and residents.
What budget do I need to live in Quebec City?
Quebec City scores 6/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Quebec City good for families?
Quebec City works well for families: safety (8/10), healthcare (8/10) and environment (7/10) average out to a strong combination for raising kids.
Is Quebec City a good city for students?
Quebec City isn't an obvious student pick: affordability (6/10) and transport (6/10) average out lower than the cities we specifically tag for students.
Is Quebec City suitable for digital nomads?
Quebec City isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 9/10 and cost of living 6/10.
What's the climate like in Quebec City?
Quebec City scores just 3/10 on climate — genuinely harsh weather is part of the deal for part of the year here.
Is Quebec City pleasant to live in year-round?
Not entirely — Quebec City's climate score of 3/10 reflects a difficult stretch of weather for part of the year, even if other seasons are pleasant.
Is Quebec City a good choice for a first move abroad?
It's a reasonable choice for a first move: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to 7.3/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Quebec City?
Yes — Quebec City scores 9/10 on internet and connectivity, comfortably enough for video calls and day-to-day remote work.
Is Quebec City a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 6.3/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Quebec City?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Calgary and Chicago are the closest matches to Quebec City in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Quebec City worth living in?
Reasonably — Quebec City scores 6.7/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Quebec City?
Based on its score profile, Quebec City suits people who value internet & connectivity and safety more than the average mover — see the "Who Quebec City suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Quebec City walkable, and is public transport good?
Reasonably — Quebec City scores 6/10 on transport, covering most day-to-day needs without being a standout transit city.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Quebec City?
Internet & connectivity is Quebec City's standout strength, scoring 9/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Quebec City?
Climate is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 3/10 — the lowest of Quebec City's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.