Living in Gatineau

In Gatineau, unemployment is 9.3% (2021).

In May 2021, 15.8% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing. Foreign-born residents accounted for 18.2% of the population in 2021. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 28% in 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2421 sources

Population292,524people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary3,622EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)

Unemployment rate9.3%country median 8.4% — 11% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population

Recorded crime3,756offences per 100,000country median 4,873 — 23% belowIndependent source · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024

PM2.5, annual mean3.86µg/m³country median 3.6 — 6% aboveOfficial source · Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Gatineau?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Gatineau.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€425

Utilities, 85 m² flat€83

Transport pass€70

Internet, 60 Mbps€45

Fitness club€40

Mobile plan, 10 GB€32

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	39.72 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	44.62 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	424.6 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	20.99 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	31.7 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Gatineau. Jun 2026. Prices in Gatineau¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	69.99 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	83.28 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁰Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	15.8 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Dwellings	133,225 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁶Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	865 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023¹Official

Is Gatineau a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–62%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–66%

Student39%strong on education, weak on work · range 32–46%

Family49%strong on family, weak on cost · range 41–57%

Retirement58%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 48–68%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 9.3% in May 2021.

What is the typical salary in Gatineau?

The median gross salary is about 3,622 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,622 EUR/month · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴
Median gross salary (regional): 2,898 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca¹⁸

What is the unemployment rate in Gatineau?

The unemployment rate is 9.3 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Gatineau is 9.3%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

125

108

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–22

Gatineau 9.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,622 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,898 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca¹⁸Official
Unemployment rate	9.3 %country median 8.4%	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Gatineau. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support

Open official service

Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Gatineau. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Gatineau?

Police recorded 3,756 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 3,756 offences per 100,000 · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024²¹

Recorded crime across major citiesGatineau highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Winnipeg7,894

Edmonton7,108

Halifax6,020

Vancouver5,438

Calgary4,796

London4,743

Québec4,630

Ottawa4,298

Hamilton4,257

Toronto4,177

Gatineau3,756

Montreal3,674

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	3,756 offences per 100,000country median 4,873	31 Dec 2024	Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024²¹Independent

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Workers commuting by bicycle	1.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Workers commuting by public transport	10.7 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Workers walking to work	4.4 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Nearest airport	YRO	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁵Official
Distance to nearest airport	4.8 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁵Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Gatineau. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, FrenchFree

Open official information

Open the full Canada section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Gatineau.

Find courses near Gatineau

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 3.86 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 6.06 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Gatineau?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 3.86 µg/m³ · Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.³

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

-5°-14°

-3°-13°

3°-7°

11°1°

19°8°

24°13°

27°16°

26°14°

21°10°

13°4°

6°-2°

-2°-9°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.53.9WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1012WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂6.1WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Gatineau is 3.9 µg/m³. Of 123 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1113–1415–1616–1717–1820–2140–41

Gatineau 3.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	6.06 µg/m³country median 7.0	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met.⁴Official
PM10 — annual mean	12 µg/m³country median 10.5	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.²Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	3.86 µg/m³country median 3.6	2024	Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.³Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan -5.2 · Feb -3.3 · Mar 2.5 · Apr 11.2 · May 19.4 · Jun 24.2 · Jul 26.7 · Aug 25.6 · Sep 21.1 · Oct 13.3 · Nov 5.8 · Dec -1.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁵Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -14 · Feb -12.9 · Mar -6.9 · Apr 1.1 · May 8.1 · Jun 13.3 · Jul 15.7 · Aug 14.5 · Sep 10.1 · Oct 4.1 · Nov -1.8 · Dec -8.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -9.6 · Feb -8.1 · Mar -2.2 · Apr 6.1 · May 13.8 · Jun 18.8 · Jul 21.2 · Aug 20.1 · Sep 15.6 · Oct 8.7 · Nov 2 · Dec -5.1 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official

Similar climate. In Canada: Barrie ±1.1 °C. Elsewhere: Rochester (United States) ±0.8 °C, Green Bay (United States) ±0.9 °C, Fargo (United States) ±1.7 °C, Manchester (United States) ±1.9 °C, Cedar Rapids (United States) ±2.3 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 342 km² in 2021. Population density was 851.4 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Gatineau?

The published population was 292,524 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada⁷

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 18,265 is not 15.5% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport93.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	342 km²	2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Gatineau, CSD 2481017)¹⁰Official
Foreign-resident share	15.46 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁸Official
Foreign residents	18,265 people	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status.¹¹Official
Population density	851.4 people/km²	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 6: population density per square kilometre at CSD grain. This is the exact CSD value; it is not a CMA or province observation.¹¹Official
Population	292,524 people	1 Jul 2022	Statistics Canada⁷Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	18.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	28 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree¹³Official
Median age	40 years	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Gatineau

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Burlington as a Gatineau alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

Nearest airport: 20.0 km Burlington vs 4.8 km Gatineau+317%
Foreign residents: 25.7% Burlington vs 15.5% Gatineau+66%
Median gross pay, city: €4,412 Burlington vs €3,622 Gatineau+22%
Unemployment: 10.7% Burlington vs 9.3% Gatineau+15%
Residents: 194,175 Burlington vs 292,524 Gatineau−34%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €99 Burlington vs €83 Gatineau+19%
A meal out: €16 Burlington vs €21 Gatineau−25%

Full comparison More about Burlington

Alternative cities in Canada

Other cities in Canada to compare with Gatineau, nearest in population first.

All Canada cities

Saskatoon266,141 residents Kitchener256,885 residents Longueuil253,413 residents Markham338,503 residents Vaughan338,891 residents Burnaby249,125 residents

How does Gatineau compare?

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Open the full comparison

Gatineau in rankings

#18 of 30 in Largest cities in Canada

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Gatineau when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Gatineau's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Gatineau?

The published population was 292,524 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Gatineau?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate..

How safe is Gatineau?

Police recorded 3,756 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024.

What is the typical salary in Gatineau?

The median gross salary is about 3,622 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Gatineau?

The unemployment rate is 9.3 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Gatineau?

The median gross salary is 2,898 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

Is Gatineau a good place to live?

Gatineau may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Gatineau, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b9022b53e173be4877f1a67814ae3be8]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/gatineau/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gatineau-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_4259846ef01c,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Gatineau, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b9022b53e173be4877f1a67814ae3be8},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/gatineau/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Gatineau, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/gatineau/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b9022b53e173be4877f1a67814ae3be8; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Gatineau, CSD 2481017) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14

Show 11 more sources

Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status. api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2021-05-11
Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Gatineau. Jun 2026. Prices in Gatineau numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024 Statistics Canada · www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26

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