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Rent is dropping across Canada but Montreal apartments just got more expensive

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-montreal-alley.jpg?id=61465141&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=45%2C0%2C45%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Across most of Canada, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/montreal-rent" target="_blank">renters</a> are finally catching a break, but <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tap-water-montreal-safe" target="_blank">Montreal tenants</a> aren't feeling any relief.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.zumper.com/blog/rental-price-data-canada/" target="_blank">Zumper's August 2025 Canadian Rent Report</a>, the national median price for a one-bedroom apartment fell 0.7% last month to $1,821, while two-bedrooms dropped 0.4% to $2,242. On an annual scale, both are down just over 4%, marking the tenth straight month of year-over-year declines.</p><p>The slowdown is hitting hardest in Canada's priciest rental markets. Vancouver's one-bedroom median fell 7.4% year over year to $2,500, while Victoria saw a 6.5% drop to $2,020. Toronto posted the steepest decline in the country, with one-bedroom rents down nearly 12% from last July to $2,220. Meanwhile, places like Quebec City, Regina, and Edmonton remain outside of the top 15 most expensive cities to rent an apartment in. </p><p>"The slowdown reflects a convergence of market dynamics," says rental trends expert Crystal Chen. "Growing housing supply, a moderation in population growth, and persistent affordability challenges are all putting downward pressure on rental costs."</p><p>As for Montreal, it ranked as the 12th most expensive city in the country, with one-bedroom units up 2.4% in July to $1,710 and two-bedrooms up 0.9% to $2,210. While we remain behind the likes of smaller Ontario cities like Barrie, Kingston, and Kitchener, Montreal's prices are not far from cracking the top 10.</p><p>Here's how the top 15 Canadian cities stacked up for one- and two-bedroom median rents in July:</p><li>Vancouver, BC – 1-bed: $2,500, 2-bed: $3,490</li><li> Burnaby, BC – 1-bed: $2,380, 2-bed: $2,900</li><li> Toronto, ON – 1-bed: $2,220, 2-bed: $2,810</li><li> Halifax, NS – 1-bed: $2,100, 2-bed: $2,610</li><li> Victoria, BC – 1-bed: $2,020, 2-bed: $2,790</li><li> Ottawa, ON – 1-bed: $1,980, 2-bed: $2,500</li><li> Kelowna, BC – 1-bed: $1,890, 2-bed: $2,380</li><li> Oshawa, ON – 1-bed: $1,790, 2-bed: $2,000</li><li> Barrie, ON – 1-bed: $1,760, 2-bed: $2,050</li><li> Kingston, ON – 1-bed: $1,750, 2-bed: $1,870</li><li> Kitchener, ON – 1-bed: $1,750, 2-bed: $2,120</li><li> Montreal, QC – 1-bed: $1,710, 2-bed: $2,210</li><li> Hamilton, ON – 1-bed: $1,700, 2-bed: $1,950</li><li> Calgary, AB – 1-bed: $1,670, 2-bed: $2,000</li><li> London, ON – 1-bed: $1,650, 2-bed: $1,970<br/></li><p>Whether the uptick is being driven by demand outpacing new construction or other local market factors, the gap between national and local trends is becoming harder to ignore.</p><p>Want to know how rent fits into Montreal’s bigger cost-of-living picture? Check out our full breakdown of<a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-cost-of-living" target="_self"> how much you really need to live in Montreal in 2025</a>.</p><p><br/></p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><br/></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>