Want to live and work in Quebec?

Among Canada's large provinces, Quebec stands out for its relatively lower cost of living. Rent in Montreal is considerably less expensive than in Toronto or Vancouver, allowing families and early-career professionals to achieve a higher quality of life from the very first years of residence.

Neighbourhoods such as Rosemont, Verdun and Plateau-Mont-Royal offer well-located apartments at moderate prices by Canadian standards. Quebec City, being smaller, has costs even lower than Montreal's, with quiet residential neighbourhoods close to the city centre.

Income tax in Quebec is the highest in the country, which reduces take-home pay compared to other provinces. On the other hand, public services such as subsidized childcare (CPE), universal healthcare and public transit in Montreal help balance the financial picture for families.

Montreal has established itself as one of the world's leading artificial intelligence hubs, with Mila (the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms) and companies such as Ubisoft, CAE, Bombardier and Element AI attracting skilled professionals. The city is also an important centre for video game production and digital animation.

The aerospace sector is historically strong and significant in Greater Montreal, with companies such as Pratt and Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aeronautique and Bell Textron. Healthcare and life sciences also employ many professionals, with major university hospitals such as CHUM and the McGill University Health Centre.

French proficiency is an essential requirement for the vast majority of positions in the province. IT, engineering and healthcare professionals with functional French have broader access to the labour market. Those who arrive without the language generally need several months of intensive coursework before competing more effectively.

The Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec (RAMQ) is the provincial health plan covering medical consultations, tests and hospital admissions for permanent residents and citizens. Newcomers to Canada under certain immigration programs may have a waiting period of up to three months before accessing the public system.

Montreal is home to reference university hospitals such as CHUM (Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal) and MUHC (McGill University Health Centre), with high capacity in medical specialties and technology. Quebec City has the CHU de Quebec as its main hospital centre.

Access to a family doctor is a recurring challenge in the province, with long waiting lists. Walk-in clinics and digital platforms such as Bonjour-sante help address part of this demand in the short term, especially for those who are still getting established.

Montreal has one of Canada's best public transit systems, operated by the STM (Societe de transport de Montreal). The metro connects the island's main neighbourhoods and integrates with the bus network, with extensions to Laval and Longueuil. The REM (Reseau express metropolitain) is a new electric train that expands the metropolitan network to the airport and suburbs.

For cyclists, Montreal has one of Canada's largest cycling lane networks, with the BIXI bike-sharing system active from May to November. In winter, the underground passage system (RESO) connects dozens of downtown blocks without having to face the outdoor cold.

Outside Montreal, cities such as Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Gatineau have more limited public transit, making a car indispensable for daily life. Well-maintained highways connect the province's main cities. Quebec City has urban transit through the RTC (Reseau de transport de la Capitale), which is functional but less extensive than the STM.

Quebec culture is a unique blend of French heritage, North American influence and immigrant diversity. Montreal hosts internationally renowned festivals: the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Just For Laughs (a comedy festival), Osheaga (music) and the Festival du Nouveau Cinema draw international audiences every year.

Local gastronomy has a strong identity. Poutine, with french fries, cheese curds and gravy, is the most iconic dish. Maple syrup (sirop d'erable) permeates everything from breakfast to sophisticated desserts. Tourtiere, cretons and Montreal-style bagels complete the typical culinary repertoire.

Quebec City has a more intimate cultural scene, centred around the Carnaval de Quebec in winter and the Festival d'ete de Quebec in summer, along with museums such as the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec. The Vieux-Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a constant presence in the capital's daily life.

Quebec is home to roughly 1.2 million immigrants, around 14% of the population, with a unique profile in Canada due to provincial selection based on French-language knowledge. Montréal concentrates almost all newcomers. Haitians form one of the largest communities, with a strong presence in Montréal-Nord, Saint-Michel, and Rivière-des-Prairies, roots dating back to the 1960s and new arrivals after the 2010 earthquake. Algerians, Moroccans, and Tunisians make up the second largest block, settled in Côte-des-Neiges, Saint-Laurent, and Villeray, with French fluency and a marked presence in tech, healthcare, and education. The French form a large community on the Plateau Mont-Royal and Le Sud-Ouest. Lebanese (Laval, Saint-Laurent), Colombians, and Brazilians round out the picture. Laval is rising as a second hub. Quebec City and Gatineau receive smaller flows, especially francophone Africans and Europeans.

Maison d'Haïti in Montréal-Nord is the historic reference for the Haitian community. Centre R.I.R.E. 2000, the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes, and the Centre des femmes de Montréal offer legal orientation, French classes, employment mentoring, and support for immigrant women. Montréal hosts the Consulate-General of France in Montréal (the largest French consular representation in the Americas), the Consulate-General of Haiti in Montréal, the Consulate-General of Lebanon in Montréal, the Consulate-General of Algeria in Montréal, the Consulate-General of Morocco in Montréal, the Consulate-General of the United States in Montréal, the Consulate-General of Mexico in Montréal, the Consulate-General of China in Montréal, and the Consulate-General of Brazil in Montréal. Mosques in Saint-Laurent, Haitian churches in Montréal-Nord, and the French parish on the Plateau anchor religious life.