Miramichi vs San Antonio, TX

Miramichi is a small, safe, affordable river town that punches above its weight for budget-conscious expats and early retirees. A one-bedroom outside the centre runs $650/mo, utilities $124/mo, and a public transport pass $51/mo, so the $894/mo budget tier is genuinely livable. The catch is scale: 18 thousand people, a small expat community, 55 Mbps internet, and a retiree score of 68 mean you trade urban buzz for quiet and cheap. If you want low crime (20/100) and a 77/100 overall score without big-city rent, it delivers.

Canada taxes hard: expect 33% federal plus up to 21.8% provincial, a real drag on FIRE math. A retirement visa exists, so retirees do have a potential entry path, though it's not always straightforward. But remote workers and digital nomads should look past this, given a 9/10 expat friendliness score and 379.96 Mbps average internet. A 1BR apartment averaging $1,304.56/mo confirms the tax hit is the real cost center here, not rent.