If you're in your 20s and quietly questioning whether Montreal is still where you belong, it turns out one of the world's best alternatives is practically on your doorstep.
A new ranking of the best cities in the world for Gen Z to move to in 2026 has just been released — and the one Canadian city that landed in the global top 10 isn't necessarily where you'd expect.
To build the ranking, money transfer company Remitly analyzed more than 250 cities across nine factors that are particularly important when you're young and starting fresh: rent affordability, youth unemployment rate, safety, LGBTQ+ equality, broadband speed, the affordability of a night out, quality of life, average monthly salary, and the share of the population aged 20 to 29.
Globally, the results skewed heavily European, with Copenhagen, Denmark, claiming first place with a score of 76.67, followed by Bern, Switzerland (74.01), and Groningen, the Netherlands (73.44).
Of the top 10, only two spots went to cities outside Europe — Pittsburgh at #6, and Ottawa at #8.
According to the study, Ottawa's strengths are hard to argue with. The Canadian capital scored 68.77 out of 100 overall, leading all Canadian cities when it comes to safety and ranking among the highest in the entire study for LGBTQ+ equality.
Ottawa also offers one of the most affordable nights out of any major Canadian city — a meaningful distinction if you've spent time in Toronto or Vancouver.
That's not all. According to the research, average monthly salaries in Ottawa sit at around CA$5,500, and a youth unemployment rate of 13.8% points to a stable, if measured, labour market.
Remitly describes it as a city that "offers predictability even if it lacks the startup energy of Vancouver or Toronto," which, depending on where you are in your 20s, might sound less like a caveat and more like exactly what you need.
This isn't Ottawa's first strong showing, either. Canada's capital has been quietly stacking rankings for a while now, and it was recently named the best major city to live in Canada, ahead of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary.
For Montrealers, the obvious bonus is proximity to home. Ottawa is just a couple of hours down the 417 — close enough for a weekend visit, but far enough away to feel like a genuine fresh start.
As for Canada's other cities, several made the top 50, but none came close to Ottawa's result. Calgary landed at #21, Halifax at #22, Montreal at #28, Edmonton at #35, Toronto at #39, Vancouver at #43, and Victoria at #49.
If you're done with Canada altogether, the rest of the global top 10 has some genuinely compelling options.
Bern, Switzerland — ranked #2 overall — offers the highest average monthly salary in the entire top 10 at around Fr. 5,615 (CA$9,775), plus a youth unemployment rate of just 9%, though nights out don't come cheap.
Pittsburgh at #6 is worth a second look if North America is still on the table: rent averages around US$1,602 (CA$2,192) per month for a one-bedroom, salaries are roughly US$4,221 (CA$5,775) per month, and over a fifth of the population is aged 20 to 29.
Norway's Trondheim at #9 is one of the safest cities in the entire study (78.5/100) and scores 87 out of 100 for LGBTQ+ equality, with a strong student community and a reputation for innovation.
And if you're looking for the freshest of fresh starts, Wellington, New Zealand, offers stunning natural surroundings, a notably young population, and a tight-knit community that's hard to find in other big cities.
The top 10 best cities to move to in 2026
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Bern, Switzerland
- Groningen, Netherlands
- Bergen, Norway
- Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Pittsburgh, United States
- Utrecht, Netherlands
- Ottawa, Canada
- Trondheim, Norway
- Wellington, New Zealand
So, for Montrealers in their 20s weighing up their options, Ottawa keeps making a straightforward case for itself, promising good salaries, safe streets, a social life that won't empty your account every weekend, and a commute back home that's under two hours.
It's not the most glamorous pitch, but it's a solid one. And now it has a top-10 global ranking to back it up!
You can find the full Remitly report here.
