CA flag
Ottawa

Canada

vs
CA flag
Québec

Canada

Climate

Ottawa logs 9 hot days a year to Québec's 4 — Québec wins by 5. Québec also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 1.

OttawaQuébec
Sunny days
158164
Hot days
94
Frost days
147152
Rain days
108109
Snow days
4151
Outdoor dinner months
4/125/12
Avg wind
2.9 m/s2.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,9442,007
Darkest month sun
55 hrs/mo82 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.05.3

Ottawa

Feels-like °C

-11
-11
-2
5
15
22
27
23
17
9
-3
-10

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Québec

Feels-like °C

-13
-13
-6
3
14
21
25
22
17
8
-4
-12

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Québec is $531/mo cheaper

Ottawa runs about $2,521/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Québec's $1,990/mo — Québec comes in $531 cheaper each month, roughly 27% less.

Ottawa

$2,521

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,939Comfort $4,619
Cheaper than 87%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Québec

$1,990

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,527Comfort $3,569
Cheaper than 98%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Ottawa scores 3.2 vs Québec's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public transit. Québec still holds an edge on motorbike/scooter efficiency.

3.2/5
vs
2.8/5
OttawaQuébec
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport
WalkabilityCyclingCar EfficiencyAirport
Ottawa leads

Culture

Ottawa and Québec score neck-and-neck on culture (3.8 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).

3.8/5
vs
3.6/5
OttawaQuébec
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenues
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Ottawa leads

Nature & Outdoors

Ottawa's nature & outdoors score of 4.7 sits well above Québec's 4.0, with the biggest gap on forest access. Québec still holds an edge on mountain access.

4.7/5
vs
4.0/5
OttawaQuébec
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiing
Ottawa leads

Safety

Québec's safety score is ~1.4× Ottawa's — near the top of our scale, while Ottawa lands in the upper band, with the biggest gap on wildfire safety.

3.5/5
vs
4.8/5
OttawaQuébec
WildfireFlooding
Québec leads

Career

Ottawa's career score of 3.8 sits well above Québec's 2.7, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.8/5
vs
2.7/5
OttawaQuébec
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Coworking
Ottawa leads

Social & Community

Ottawa's social & community score is ~1.8× Québec's — in the upper band, while Québec lands below average, with the biggest gap on everyday english. Québec still holds an edge on urban energy.

3.9/5
vs
2.2/5
OttawaQuébec
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Urban EnergyGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Ottawa leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Ottawa scores 3.6 vs Québec's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

3.6/5
vs
2.6/5
OttawaQuébec
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
BrunchDelivery
Ottawa leads

Family

On family, Ottawa scores 3.5 vs Québec's 2.9 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

3.5/5
vs
2.9/5
OttawaQuébec
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Ottawa leads

Healthcare

Ottawa and Québec score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.0 vs 2.0, 0–5 scale).

2.0/5
vs
2.0/5

Air Quality

Ottawa averages 6.6 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Québec's 6.9 µg/m³ (good) — Ottawa breathes ~4% cleaner air (0.3 µg/m³ lower).

Ottawa

Québec

6.6µg/m³
6.9µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Ottawa (605K) and Québec (619K) sit at a similar population scale; on land area Québec spans roughly 1.3x more ground.

1.2x

Québec is roughly 1.2x the scale of Ottawa

Combined population & area comparison

CA flagQuébec
1.2x
CA flagOttawa
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CA flagQuébec619K1x
2.CA flagOttawa605K1x
Area
1.CA flagQuébec275 km²1.3x
2.CA flagOttawa208 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
20 km17 km

CA flagOttawa

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
26 km21 km

CA flagQuébec

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Ottawa vs Québec

Which is cheaper, Ottawa or Québec?
Québec is approximately $531 per month cheaper. Ottawa averages $2,521/mo while Québec averages $1,990/mo.
How does the climate compare between Ottawa and Québec?
Sunny days: 158 vs 164 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,944 vs 2,007 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 55 vs 82 hrs/day — Québec higher Hot days (>30°C): 9 vs 4 d — Québec lower Frost days: 147 vs 152 d — Ottawa lower Rainy days: 108 vs 109 d — Similar Snowy days: 41 vs 51 d — Ottawa lower
Is Ottawa or Québec safer?
Québec scores higher on safety. Ottawa rates 3.5/5 while Québec rates 4.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Ottawa or Québec?
Ottawa and Québec are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Québec is generally more affordable, while Ottawa may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Ottawa and Québec stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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