Kingston (Ontario) vs Ottawa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kingston (Ontario) edges it, 69 to 67, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kingston (Ontario) is stronger on getting there & around; Ottawa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Limestone university town between Toronto and Montréal
Full Kingston (Ontario) profile →Where to stay in Kingston (Ontario) →Bilingual capital with parks and a canal
Full Ottawa profile →Where to stay in Ottawa →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 19 | 19 |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 91 | 91 |
| Internet | 84 ✓ | 83 |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 73 ✓ | 58 |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 93 ✓ | 91 |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,850 | $2,850 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.98 | 1.98 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.8 | 79.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 92 | 92 |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 81.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 82 Mbps ✓ | 79.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 28.7 Mbps ✓ | 24.1 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 201 ✓ | 47 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kingston (Ontario) | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8 µg/m³ ✓ | 9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kingston (Ontario) or Ottawa?
- Ottawa is cheaper: about $2,850 per month versus $2,850 for one person.
- Is Kingston (Ontario) or Ottawa safer?
- Kingston (Ontario) scores higher on safety (76 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kingston (Ontario) or Ottawa?
- Kingston (Ontario): a measured median of 82 Mbps versus 79.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kingston (Ontario) vs Hamilton (Ontario)
- Kingston (Ontario) vs Rotterdam
- Ottawa vs Quebec City
- Ottawa vs Nanaimo
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.