Is Ottawa a good place to live in? What is life in Ottawa like?

Last Updated on July 27, 2024 by William Alexander

Are you wondering what type of city Ottawa is and Is Ottawa a good place to live? As a local citizen, I will provide you with complete information about the capital city of Canada.  I will also discuss some pros and cons to help you decide whether you should live in Ottawa or not.

Hopefully, this guide will help you and clear all your doubts about the city. As a local citizen, I  have observed this city very keenly. so my recommendation will

 help you make the decision.

What is Ottawa known for?

As the capital city of Canada, Ottawa has many places of attraction that attract people from all over the world. This is because of its historic sites and landmarks, and also due to its art and culture. Ottawa is a city known for its beauty. 

Ottawa is also famous because it has Parliament Hill. Ottawa is also known as the home of Canadian politics.

How big is Ottawa?

Ottawa covers an area of about 2 thousand 7 hundred 9 hundred and 6 square kilometres. It is the fourth largest city in Canada. The city of Ottawa is home to over one million population. 

Ottawa provides day-to-day services that enhance the standard of living as well as sports and tourist attractions. Ottawa is a great place to live, work and play.

What is Ottawa close to?

It is situated in the south portion of the province of Ontario at the confluence of the Ottawa River and Rideau River. Gatineau, Kanata is close to Ottawa. Fort Cologne is only a 2 hour drive from Ottawa. 

Things to do in Ottawa

Whenever we are thinking about moving to Ottawa or any other new city, we are also considering what are the fun activities we can do in our free time. Outdoor or recreational activities can give peace of mind.

So, in this I will discuss some famous outdoor or recreational activities.

Let’s start

1. Cultural and Historical places of attraction

• Parliament Hill

This is the famous political building in Ottawa. The best time to visit this place in summer is at the changing of the guard ceremony.

• National Gallery of Canada

It has a huge collection of Canadian international art.

• Canadian Museum of Art

This museum discovers the rich history of the culture of Canada.

• Canadian war museum

Through this museum, you are able to learn about the history of the military of Canada.

2. Outdoor activities in Ottawa

• Rideau Canal

In this spot, you can enjoy boating in summer and skating in summer.

• Gatineau Park

Outside Ottawa, this park offers biking, walking, running, and cross-country skiing.

• Major’s Hill Park

This is one of the famous parks that offers you a stunning view of Parliament Hill and The Ottawa River.

3. Family-friendly activities

• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

In this museum, you can learn about farming and food production with your hands.

• Ottawa Children’s Festival

This is the best festival for your children. Children can enjoy performances, workshops, and other activities for children and families.

4. Shopping and Dining

• Elgin Street and Bank Street

You can visit this vibrant street that is filled with shops, restaurants and cafes.

• The Glebe

This shop of unique boutiques, and you can enjoy various dining options

5. Nightlife and Entertainment

• National art gallery
• Casino du lac-Leamy

These are some best spots in Ottawa that I recommend you to visit while living in Ottawa. 

Festivals and Fairs in Ottawa

In Ottawa, different types of festivals are celebrated in every season. Some events are also celebrated in Ottawa. 

Here I will provide you the information about the festivals and the seasons in which they are celebrated with the help of a table.

Name of festival	Season of celebration	Month	Description
Winterlude	winter	February	this festival offers Ice sculptures, skiing in Rideau canal
Canadian Tulip festival	Spring	May	it offers millions of blooming tulips and other cultural performance
Ottawa Children’s Festival	Spring	May	Different types of workshops and activities are designed for children and families.
Canada Day celebration	Summer	July 1st	different types of activities across the city, such as fireworks, parades, and concerts
Bluesfest	Summer	July	It is one of Canada’s largest musical festivals and offers different types of music for international and local artist
Ottawa International Jazz Festival	Summer	Late July to early July	Jazz performances from international and local artists.
Capital Pride	Summer	August	Different types of educational performances, parties, and Parade
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest	Summer	July	It is a major musical festival, and various types of artists attract a huge crowd
Ottawa international festival	Fall	September	Offers animated films around the world, workshops, and industrial events
CityFolk festival	Fall	September	Folk musical festivals, different types of food, and family-friendly activities
Carp Fair	Fall	September	Agriculture fair, different types of games, and local food
Ottawa Farmer’s Market	Year-round	various date and location	local produce, and seasonal activities
Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival	Special event	June	it offers dragon boat race family and cultural activities

These festivals show the rich culture of Ottawa that provides a variety of entertainment. 

Schooling Options in Ottawa

There are two types of schooling in Canada.

1. Private Schooling
2. Public Schooling

In public schooling, all expenses of education have been paid by the government.  On the other hand, in private schooling, all expenses of children’s education have been paid by parents. 

In Ottawa, there are four publicly funded school boards

1. English Public
2. English Catholic
3. French Public 
4. French Catholic

It is important to note that the service of two French boards expands Ottawa into Eastern Ontario. Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and home to several well-known educational institutions. 

List of famous schools in Ottawa

1. Elementary and Secondary Schools
   

• Lisgar Collegiate institute
• Colonial by Secondary School
• Canterbury High School
• Glebe Collegiate Institute
• Nepean High School
• Ashbury College
• Elmwood School
• Turnball School
• Sir Robert Borden High School
• Ashbury College
• Elmwood School
• Heritage Academy
• Turnbull School

2. French Language Schools

• Ecole secdonaire Da La Salle
• Ecole secondaire catholique Franco Cite
• Ecole elementaire publique Le Trillium 

These schools are well renowned in Ottawa due to their excellent performance.

List of some famous universities in Ottawa

• University of Ottawa
• Carleton University
• Saint Paul University
• Dominican University
  

Where to stay in Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. This is the best place to raise a family before shift in any new city. We should learn about the best places where you can live safely. In this guide I recommend you to the places of Ottawa with their rents. Hopefully, it will help you to choose the right spot where you can live?

To highlight the importance, I used a table.

Name of Places	Rent in USD dollars	Rent in Pakistani rupees	Rating
Holiday Inn Express	120.7 dollars	33,214 rupees	4.3 stars
Duvernay studios	77.4 dollars	21,030 rupees	4.4 stars
Fairmont Chateau	179 dollars	49,300 rupees	4.2 stars
Hyatt Place- Ottawa	130.3 dollars	36,000 rupees	4.3 stars
Lord Elgin Hotel	145 dollars	40,000 rupees	4.1 stars
Sandman Signature	121 dollars	33,400 rupees	4.5 stars
Les Suites Hotel Ottawa	126 dollars	34,700 rupees	4.0 stars
Ottawa Marriott Hotel	127 dollars	35,000	4.1 stars

Housing prices in Ottawa

On the other hand, if you want to buy a home in Ottawa, Then you need to know the average price of a home in Ottawa is about $681,089. It increases by 0,2 percent in June 2024.  Like other cities in Canada, houses in Ottawa are expensive due to the other advantages.  But the house price in Ottawa is lower than in Toronto.

Pros and Cons of living in Ottawa-Is Ottawa a good place to live?

Pros of living in Ottawa

There are many advantages to living in Ottawa. 

Let’s start

1. Quality of life

• Safest place

Ottawa is considered one of the safest places in the city. Ottawa offers a lower violent crime rate than other cities in Canada. Like every other city, there is also a place that needs to be more safe. As a local citizen, I consider the ByWard market to be more safe to travel to at night.

Overall, Ottawa is a safe place to live.

• Healthcare 

The city has access to high-quality healthcare services.  Ottawa has excellent medical facilities. Let’s discuss the major hospitals and other healthcare institutions in Ottawa with the help of the table.

Name of hospitals	Aspects	Detail
The Ottawa hospital	Major hospitals and healthcare	it is one of Canada’s largest teaching schools and has multiple campuses
Children’s hospital of eastern Ontario	Major hospitals and healthcare	it offers specialized services for children and youth
Queensway Carleton hospital	Major hospitals and healthcare	It provides emergency services, surgery, and specialized clinics
Montfort hospital	Major hospitals and healthcare	It provides services for bilingual health services
University of Ottawa Heart institution	Specialized care	Provide heart services famous for cardiac services
Royal Ottawa mental health care	Specialized care	Specialized in health care services
Family health team	Primary care	Provide services for whole families
Community health centers	Primary care	Provide health and social services, especially to marginalized populations
Ottawa public health	Public health care services	Provide community health services such as health promotion and environmental health programs

This city provides the standard health care services as I discuss in this table. That’s why it is the best city to raise a family. 

2. Standard Education

Ottawa provides standard education for those who live in Ottawa. This city is considered one of the most educated cities in Canada because of famous educational institutions such as the University of Ottawa and Carleton. 

Bilingual Education

Ottawa provides education in both languages such as English and French.

Worldwide famous universities

In Ottawa, there are two famous universities.

1. University of Ottawa

This university ranks in the top 20 institutions that provide quality education in healthcare and environmental public programs.

2. Carleton University

This university is also famous worldwide and offers different degree programs, especially in the film industry and engineering. 

3. Recreational, Cultural, and outdoor activities

• Different festivals 

In this city, various festivals are celebrated in every season, such as the Canadian Tulip Festival, which is celebrated in the spring season, Waterlude Festival, celebrated in winter; and Capital Pride in the summers and many other festivals. I discussed their festival before in this guide. 

These festivals can relieve the burden of work and give the feeling of refreshment.

• Museum and galleries

This city offers many museums and galleries, such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of History. Through the museums and galleries, we can learn about the rich culture of Canada. 

• Outdoor activities and different variety of parks

There are different parks throughout the city, such as Gatineau Park and Rideau Park. We can do different types of outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, skating, walking, and picnics. 

4. Transportation

Ottawa provides a variety of transportation options that make traveling easy. By using these transportation facilities, we can travel with in city and around the city. 

List of transportation options in Ottawa

• OC Transpo
• O-train 
• Societe de transport de I’Outaouais (STO)
• Veloso ( bike sharing)
• Communauto ( car-sharing)
• Uber
• Lyft
• VIA Rail
• Greyhound
• Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
• Ottawa River Ferries
• Taxi services

5. Multicultural City

Ottawa is a multicultural city with a mix of different cultures. Ottawa’s population comes from around the world, which makes Ottawa a multicultural city. The diverse culture of this city makes it my favorite city.

It is one of the reasons that make Ottawa Canada’s best place to live. This city is also bilingual. Both English and French are widely spoken in this city.

6. Affordable cost of living

Ottawa is considered one of the most affordable cities in Canada. This city is not much cheaper, but the expenses are quite reasonable. We can afford to live in this city, but it is based on our lifestyle and priorities. So, Let’s discuss the overall cost of living in Ottawa with a table. 

Name of things	Cost
Rent one bedroom in the city centre	1500-2300 dollars
Rent one bedroom outside the city centre	13,00-1600 dollars
Utilities	around 120-250 dollars
Internet	60-90 dollars per month
Monthly public transport pass	130 dollars
Gasoline 1 litre	1.20-1.40 dollars
Milk 1 litre	1.70-2.60 dollars
Bread (500g)	2.50-4.50 dollars
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15-30 dollars

These are approximate costs, and they may vary. Ottawa is more affordable than the other major cities of Canada, like Toronto. Ottawa has a low cost of living and an affordable place to live. 

7. Family-friendly environment

Ottawa is a good place for families due to the strong sense of community. 

• Safe neighbourhood

Ottawa has to offer a safe neighbourhood with standard educational institutions, as well as including the University of Ottawa and parks.

• Activities of all ages

Ottawa is the best place because it provides fun activities for all ages. 

8. Job opportunities or Employment opportunities

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. Due to this reason, there are many jobs in the government sector. In Ottawa, we can also get jobs in the field of technology.

List of jobs you can get while living in Ottawa.

In the government and public sector

• Communication officer
• Policy Analyst
• Program Manager
• Research Analyst
• Administrative Officer

In the field of technology and information technology

• Software Developer
• Network Engineer
• IT Project Manager
• Cybersecurity Analyst

In the field of education

• Teacher 
• Professor
• Researcher
• Academic Advisor

Healthcare

• Registered nurse
• Physician
• Pharmacist
• Public health specialist

In the field of finance and business

• Financial Analyst
• Accountant
• Marketing Manager
• Human resource specialist

Legal

• Lawyer
• Paralegal 
• Legal assistant
• Policy advisor

Hospitality and Tourism

• Hotel manager
• Event planner
• tour guide 
• Chef

These jobs reflect the strong economy of Ottawa. And also a lot of job opportunities in the fields of healthcare, education, finance, and business, especially in the fields of IT and Tech. This is the reason that Ottawa is a good city to live in. 

Cons of living in Ottawa

As we know, there are some pros and cons to living in any place. That’s why there are few cons to living in Ottawa. Let’s discuss

1. Harsh and long winter

Ottawa experiences a cold, harsh, and long winter. In winter, there is also snowfall. This place is not suitable for those who like moderate weather. But some people really like cold weather and snowfall, so Ottawa is a good place for those people.

2. Limited nightlife

Ottawa’s nightlife is less vibrant than other larger cities in Canada. There are only a few clubs and pubs for night entertainment. Ottawa is a slow-paced city. But it is a great place to raise a family.

3. Traffic Congestion

As we know, Ottawa is one of the largest cities in Canada. Due to this, it also has a larger population. That’s why, during peak hours, traffic can be heavy, especially on main roads such as highways and downtown Ottawa.

4. High job Market competition

Ottawa is considered one of the most educated cities in Canada due to the presence of highly qualified staff. The competition is very high for jobs in major fields like education, health care, IT, and Tech. 

5. High Taxes

In some provinces of Canada, there is no property and income tax like Alberta. But Ontario has relatively high income taxes and property taxes that can impact the overall affordability.

6. Distance from major cities

Ottawa is isolated from some major cities in Canada. Suppose you have to go to other major cities in Canada for a job and leisure. You must pay high rent or fare and time as well.

Summary of pros and cons of living in Ottawa

Pros	Cons
High quality of life	Harsh winters
Standard Education	Limited nightlife
Standard Healthcare	Traffic Congestion
Better facilities for transportation	High taxes
low cost of living	Distance from the other larger cities of Canada
Family-friendly environment	High job market competition
Multicultural city
Job opportunities
Recreational, cultural, and outdoor activities

FAQ’S

Final words

After reading this guide, you should decide whether Is Ottawa a good place to live?. There is a mixed balance of pros and cons, but the pros outweigh the cons. Overall, Ottawa is a great place to live.

As a local citizen, I recommend Ottawa as a good place to live. You should consider moving to this city. But make sure to read this guide carefully before making any decision.