Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver Named Three Of The Best WFH Cities
Publié le 2 August 2021
A new study resulted in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver named three of the best WFH cities, highlighting the benefits and advantages for remote workers across Canada.
Working from home is poised to remain the new normal for millions of workers in Canada. After over 18 months of remote work for millions, it appears that many want this to continue. This desire makes sense, especially now that a new study has Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver named three of the best WFH cities in the world.
Nestpick has produced their 2021 Work-from-Anywhere Index, highlighting 75 cities in countries around the world that offer the necessities and amenities for remote workers. The index features Montreal ranked 9th, Toronto ranked 12th and Vancouer ranked 39th. These ranks are the result of Nestpick’s analysis of each city through three large categories, with several subcategories in each.
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver Named Three of the Best WFH Cities – The Categories:
- Costs & Infrastructure
- Legislation & Freedoms
- Livability
Many Canadian companies transitioned to remote work in the spring of 2020, and it is clear that many employees wish for this form of working to continue, at least in a hybrid fashion. By taking a closer look at each of these categories, it is possible to see how these three cities can help continue their careers and enjoy their personal time while working remotely into the future.
“The last year has really proved to many companies that remote-working is not only a possibility, but actually something that can be beneficial to everyone involved,”
– Omer Kucukdere, Nestpick Founder and CEO
Costs & Infrastructure
Vancouver and Toronto are expensive cities, there’s no way around it. Montreal is more affordable, but not by any means cheap. Despite this fact, the three cities received relatively high scores in the Costs & Infrastructure subcategories of Home Office Room Rent, Accommodation Availability, Income Tax, and Internet Speed & Capacity. It is interesting to note that all these major Canadian do have fairly reliable access to high speed internet, an obvious necessity for people working from home, those in rural areas still face an unfair degree of difficulty. Even though reliable high speed internet access is available in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada does have some of the highest prices for internet and data use in the world.
The Cost of Office Rental
Taking note of office rental costs presents an interesting view of remote work. While it may not sound like working from home exactly, it does still fall under the umbrella of remote work. The survey finds that the average monthly cost of renting an office space differs in each of the three cities:
- Vancouver: $1253.22
- Toronto: $1136.47
- Montreal: $777.35
At these prices, renting a separate office space is certainly not an option available to everyone, but for those lucky enough to be able to do so it does have the potential to alleviate some of the negative effects of working from home. It creates a physical separation between work and home, making it easier to psychologically separate the two in order to create a more positive work-life balance, decrease long working hours, and reduce the chances of remote work burnout.
Legislation & Freedoms
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver received identical scores in the high 90’s for the subcategories of Remote Working Infrastructure, Safety, Freedom & Rights, Gender Equality and Minority Equality, and high but slightly differing scores for LGBT Equality.
All three Canadian cities received a score of 92.10 for Remote Working Infrastructure. This ranks the institutional infrastructure that is in place to facilitate remote work. When ranking by country, this places Canada as the 7th best overall in this category, highlighting the capabilities of large cities to support the abilities of residents to continue working remotely for as long as they wish. The infrastructure for remote work is much stronger than even a year ago, as workers in multiple industries have learned to adapt to all the advantages and drawbacks.
Livability
One of the strongest reasons for three Canadian cities to be named among the best globally for remote work is their sheer livability. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver have all been named among some of the most livable cities anywhere in the world. Each city receives high scores for Healthcare Access, Culture and Leisure, Weather and Pollution. All three cities are known for relatively mild winters, a wide variety of outdoor spaces and are home to some of the most famous cultural institutions in Canada, which offers great livability for residents even as they work remotely.
The one area where the scores dip slightly is the average Cost Of Living, where Vancouver and Toronto score 77 each, while Montreal has a much higher score of 87.75. The truth is that Toronto and Vancouver both have the highest real estate prices and rental rates in the country, especially in their respective downtown cores. The higher cost of living is a problem shared with several cities on the list, such as London, UK, which has a COL score of 66.91 despite being ranked as the fifth best WFH city. People considering fully transitioning to remote will have to decide for themselves whether the amenities of these major cities outweigh the slightly higher living costs.
Impact of COVID-19
One interesting stat that is included in the rankings is the percentage of city residents who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. This is obviously a very fluid number, which is thankfully and luckily increasing on a daily basis across Canada. Even though these rankings are for the best work-from-cities, most remote workers don’t want to spend 24/7 inside their home workspace or office. By taking the percentage of vaccinated people, it allows prospective residents to see when they may be able to enjoy further amenities and benefits of these cities, as long as all health and safety measures are adhered to.
Nestpick’s Work-From-Anywhere index is a very useful guide for professionals wishing to work from home and continue to build their professional careers. With Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver named three of the best WFH cities in the entire world, it makes it clear that remote work is the way forward for employers and employees alike across Canada.
