It's no secret that rent in Canada has skyrocketed over the last few years, but new data has revealed just how much it's risen.
If it feels like everything from groceries to gas to apartments for rent is way more expensive than it used to be, you're not imagining it. The Canada housing market has seen massive price hikes in recent years, and rent is no exception.
According to new data from Statistics Canada, the average asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment across the country has jumped by nearly 50% since 2019 — and some cities have seen prices just about double.
This surge in the Canadian rental market reflects just how intense the cost of living has become. Whether you're looking for a studio apartment in Saint John or a three-bedroom penthouse in Vancouver, chances are you're paying way more than you would have a few years ago.
Rents are up for bachelors, two-bedrooms and even individual rooms — but for this comparison, we looked specifically at one-bedroom units. It's a common choice for solo renters and couples, and it gives us a good sense of what's happening in the rental scene overall.
To get a clear picture of what's happening, we looked at the numbers from Statistics Canada's new quarterly rent program. It tracks average asking rents — meaning what new tenants can expect to pay — for available apartments listed on major rental platforms.
We pulled data from the first quarter of 2019 and compared it to Q1 of 2025, focusing on one-bedroom units only, since that's a common choice for singles and couples and makes for a consistent comparison.
The data focuses on census metropolitan areas (CMAs), which group together large core cities with surrounding communities that have a "high degree of integration" with the main city. For example, the Toronto CMA stretches west to Oakville, east to Ajax and north to Lake Simcoe, encompassing 24 municipalities in the area.
Across the 39 major population centres analyzed, the asking rent for a one-bedroom jumped from an average of $1,050 to $1,554 — a 48% spike in just six years. But not every city has felt the pressure the same way. Some of the priciest markets, like Toronto and Vancouver, actually saw more modest increases over that time. Meanwhile, cheaper markets in Quebec and on the East Coast have been hit especially hard.
Here's how one-bedroom rent has changed across the country — from the smallest jumps to the biggest hikes.
Toronto, ON
CMA population: 7,106,379
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,990
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $2,170
Increase: 9%
While it might feel like rent in Canada's biggest city has gone through the roof, Toronto actually saw the smallest rent increase in the entire country over these six years — by a long shot. In fact, back in 2019, it was the most expensive CMA, but it was overtaken by Vancouver in late 2020.
That said, Toronto's rent has been anything but steady. The city had the biggest single-year drop on record, falling 14% between 2020 and 2021. Then, from that low point to its peak in 2024, prices climbed by a whopping 33.1% in just three years.
Edmonton, AB
CMA population: 1,631,614
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,030
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,280
Increase: 24.3%
Vancouver, BC
CMA population: 3,108,941
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,870
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $2,380
Increase: 27.3%
Canada's most expensive city for rent didn't start out that way — it officially passed Toronto in late 2020. While Vancouver is still notoriously pricey, its overall six-year increase was surprisingly modest. Like Toronto, though, the real action happened between 2021 and 2024, when rents spiked by 37.5%.
Kelowna, BC
CMA population: 251,756
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,320
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,740
Increase: 31.8%
Winnipeg, MB
CMA population: 941,641
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $960
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,270
Increase: 32.3%
Red Deer, AB
CMA population: 112,759
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $890
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,180
Increase: 32.6%
Hamilton, ON
CMA population: 860,266
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,320
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,800
Increase: 36.4%
Belleville - Quinte West, ON
CMA population: 123,572
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,140
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,560
Increase: 36.8%
Regina, SK
CMA population: 282,032
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $890
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,230
Increase: 38.2%
Saskatoon, SK
CMA population: 367,336
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $910
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,270
Increase: 39.6%
Lethbridge, AB
CMA population: 139,844
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $890
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,260
Increase: 41.6%
Calgary, AB
CMA population: 1,778,881
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,150
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,630
Increase: 41.7%
Calgary's rent roller coaster has been one of the wildest. After holding relatively steady for years, prices suddenly surged 20% between 2022 and 2023, followed by another 16% jump in 2024. Then came the cooldown — a 6.3% drop in 2025 that brought prices back down slightly.
Barrie, ON
CMA population: 245,586
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,260
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,800
Increase: 42.9%
Victoria, BC
CMA population: 441,491
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,440
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $2,090
Increase: 45.1%
Peterborough, ON
CMA population: 148,027
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,100
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,600
Increase: 45.5%
Oshawa, ON
CMA population: 482,359
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,180
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,720
Increase: 45.8%
Kingston, ON
CMA population: 192,389
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,170
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,710
Increase: 46.2%
Ottawa, ON
CMA population: 1,287,592
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,360
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $2,010
Increase: 47.8%
Brantford, ON
CMA population: 173,530
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,110
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,650
Increase: 48.6%
Kamloops, BC
CMA population: 128,233
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,040
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,550
Increase: 49%
St. Catharines - Niagara, ON
CMA population: 492,480
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,060
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,580
Increase: 49.1%
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, ON
CMA population: 696,417
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,200
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,810
Increase: 50.8%
St. John's, NL
CMA population: 239,316
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $800
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,210
Increase: 51.3%
Thunder Bay, ON
CMA population: 133,063
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $910
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,410
Increase: 54.9%
Guelph, ON
CMA population: 183,224
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,230
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,910
Increase: 55.3%
Montreal, QC
CMA population: 4,615,154
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $980
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,540
Increase: 57.1%
Montreal saw the biggest increase in rent of any Canadian population centre with over a million people. Prices rose by over 57% from 2019 to 2025 — a major spike for the country's second-largest metro area.
Abbotsford - Mission, BC
CMA population: 220,786
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,040
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,650
Increase: 58.7%
Nanaimo, BC
CMA population: 128,371
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,050
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,670
Increase: 59%
London, ON
CMA population: 626,260
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,030
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,640
Increase: 59.2%
Windsor, ON
CMA population: 483,556
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $930
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,490
Increase: 60.2%
Saint John, NB
CMA population: 142,433
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $720
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,180
Increase: 63.9%
Halifax, NS
CMA population: 530,167
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $1,040
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,770
Increase: 70.2%
Quebec City, QC
CMA population: 900,343
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $710
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,210
Increase: 70.4%
Sudbury, ON
CMA population: 191,902
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $880
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,540
Increase: 75%
Fredericton, NB
CMA population: 122,500
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $750
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,320
Increase: 76%
Fredericton holds the record for the largest single-year rent increase in the last six years. Between 2019 and 2020, the average asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment jumped by a massive 24% — in just one year.
Moncton, NB
CMA population: 188,036
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $750
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,320
Increase: 76%
Gatineau, QC
CMA population: 372,677
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $830
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,520
Increase: 83.1%
Trois-Rivières, QC
CMA population: 173,288
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $480
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $910
Increase: 89.6%
Renters in Trois-Rivières paid the least for a one-bedroom in 2019, and that hasn't changed. It remained Canada's cheapest CMA for one-bedroom apartments in every single year of the dataset, even after rents nearly doubled.
Sherbrooke, QC
CMA population: 243,517
One-bedroom rent in 2019: $540
One-bedroom rent in 2025: $1,030
Increase: 90.7%
Finally, Sherbrooke saw the steepest rent climb of all. Prices for one-bedroom units soared by over 90% between 2019 and 2025 — and if rent had gone up just $50 more, it would have officially doubled.
While prices in Canada's most expensive cities have started to level off, many of the once-affordable spots are playing catch-up — slowly closing the gap as rents rise faster in places that used to be cheap.
Whether you're apartment hunting now or just trying to keep up with the market, one thing's clear: Rent in Canada isn't what it used to be, and it's changing fast.
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