If you’re looking for one of the best places to live in Canada, look no further than the eastern Ontario region. An example of one of the many towns and cities that offer a high quality of life in the region is Kingston. In this blog post, we’ll highlight the city of Kingston. There are over 200 communities within the eastern Ontario region that offer similar opportunities.

Separated by just a couple of hours in the car from the nation’s capital, Kingston is a great city with its own unique appeal for work and downtime. Kingston is one of the best places to live in Ontario based on its lower cost-of-living rating. According to Expatistan December numbers, Kingston falls well below cost-of-living numbers for Toronto and Ottawa. With Lake Ontario at its feet, Kingston’s natural scenery and historic sites are numerous. You can get all the same amenities as larger cities with the bonus of waterfront trails and unique downtown shops and marketplaces.

Plus, its close proximity to more outdoor spaces - like the Frontenac Arch, Sandbanks Provincial Park and Big Sandy Bay on Wolfe Island - make family adventures easy. Even better, you can take in plentiful cultural experiences with music and film festivals, like the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and Reelout Queer Film Festival, plus Grand Theatre performances.

Kingston’s population of 136,685 (2017) makes it appealing because it’s got all the amenities you’d need to live comfortably but with room to breathe. With extensive outdoor opportunities, a historic downtown and world-renowned Queen’s University, the city is steeped in culture at a fraction of the cost of living in a city like Toronto.

Where Can You Work in the Best Places to Live in Canada?

If you look slightly outside of Kingston you’ll discover a new world of career opportunities in Manufacturing, Food Processing, Technology, Aviation, Travel and Tourism plus Transportation and Logistics. These opportunities come with an exceptional quality of life unique to eastern Ontario: affordable housing in good neighbourhoods, slower, shorter commutes, and diverse small communities.

And, Ottawa is a drivable distance to give you a big city fix when you want it.

Here’s a more detailed look at 9 reasons you should live in eastern Ontario.

In Kingston, and close by in the Bay of Quinte region of eastern Ontario, you’ll find extensive work opportunities matching work you do now. Or you can find new work after some skills training at one of the many local programs designed to help new Canadians and relocators find good paying work. Even better, you can choose to live in smaller comfortable communities with easy access to recreational activities and a quick zip up Hwy 401 to the GTA for even more diverse entertainment and cultural experiences.

Whatever you’re looking for from life in Canada, from big city living to small community tranquility, you can find it amongst the urban centres, small towns and rural opportunities in and around Kingston and Ottawa in eastern Ontario.