What is the average rent in Edmonton in 2026?
The answer depends on which market you measure. For listed (currently advertised) units, Zumper's July 2026 research puts the city-wide median at CA$1,500 a month across all bedroom types, down 3.2% from a year earlier.
For a single one-bedroom, liv.rent's April 2026 Calgary & Edmonton report lists the city-wide average at CA$1,241 a month, CA$59 lower year-over-year. The gold-standard occupied-stock figures come from CMHC's October 2025 survey (published December 2025): a studio averaged CA$1,108, a one-bedroom CA$1,301, a two-bedroom CA$1,598, and a three-bed-plus CA$1,802 — an overall average of CA$1,493.
Listed rents run lower than CMHC's occupied averages because they capture today's advertised prices, not the full rented stock. Both point the same direction: Edmonton is cheap by Canadian standards, and softening.
Why is Edmonton so much cheaper than Calgary?
📷 Kamille Mendoza / Pexels
Same province, same oil-linked economy — but Edmonton has structurally lower rents. In liv.rent's April 2026 data, an Edmonton one-bedroom averaged CA$1,241 versus CA$1,440 in Calgary. That's a CA$199 monthly gap on identical methodology (listed, unfurnished), or nearly CA$2,400 a year.
Edmonton has historically carried a larger public-sector and university base as the provincial capital, which tempers the boom-bust swings Calgary sees. It also built aggressively: CMHC notes Edmonton is Canada's highest per-capita user of the MLI Select affordable-housing loan program, which has fed a supply pipeline that keeps prices in check.
That gap is not a rounding error — it's persistent and structural. Both cities ride the same energy economy, so when oil moves, both feel it; yet Edmonton has consistently listed below Calgary, and April 2026 was no exception. For a renter choosing between the two, the arithmetic is simple: the same unfurnished one-bedroom saves you close to CA$2,400 a year in Edmonton.
If you're weighing the two Alberta cities, our companion piece on the Calgary rent picture and the oil slowdown covers the other side of that gap.
How does Edmonton rent compare to the rest of Canada?
📷 Jigar Patel / Pexels
Strikingly well. Edmonton's CA$1,500 median is about 23% below the national average, according to Zumper combined with Neobanc's Canada Rent Report — Canada's national average asking rent hit CA$2,123 a month in September 2025, its 12th consecutive month of decline.
The contrast with pricier markets is stark. A one-bedroom in Edmonton at roughly CA$1,241–1,301 sits far below what you'd pay in Vancouver or Toronto. If you want the comparison, see our looks at which Vancouver neighbourhood actually dropped and Toronto rooms one income can afford.
Affordability shows up in the income math too. CMHC's 2025 Mid-Year Rental Market Update pegged Edmonton's rent-to-income ratio at 12.5% as of March 2025 — among the lowest of any major Canadian CMA, meaning rent eats a smaller slice of local pay here than almost anywhere else.
That ratio is the number that matters most for cost of living. At 12.5%, an Edmonton renter keeps far more room in the budget for everything else — and it pairs with a national average that keeps falling.
What is a room or roommate share renting for in Edmonton?
Edmonton doesn't publish a clean city-wide "average room rent" figure, so the honest way to estimate is from the whole-unit numbers. CMHC's October 2025 survey put a two-bedroom at CA$1,598 and a three-bed-plus at CA$1,802.
Split a two-bedroom between two roommates and you're near CA$800 each before utilities; a larger three-bedroom shared three ways lands well below that per person. Whether utilities are included varies by lease — always confirm before signing, because heating a unit through an Edmonton winter is not trivial.
Sharing is where Edmonton's value really compounds: starting from one of the lowest big-city baselines in Canada, a roommate arrangement here can put your housing cost among the most affordable in any major market. Listings on rooms and roommate platforms move fast when priced at that level.
The studio route is worth weighing too. CMHC's October 2025 survey put a studio at CA$1,108 — cheaper than most one-bedrooms but pricier per person than sharing. For anyone comfortable with a roommate, the two-bedroom split wins on cost every time, and Edmonton's soft market means more of those units sit available than in tighter cities.
Which Edmonton areas are dropping the most in 2026?
The softening is broad, and downtown submarkets have led the decline. liv.rent's February 2026 report tracked year-over-year drops in listed one-bedroom unfurnished rents: Downtown fell from CA$1,353 to CA$1,249 (down 8%), the Southwest from CA$1,387 to CA$1,298 (down 6%), and the Southeast from CA$1,373 to CA$1,294 (down 6%).
By April 2026, liv.rent showed downtown one-bedrooms averaging CA$1,238 and the southwest CA$1,334, both down 1–2% from March. The direction is consistent: prices are easing across the map, not just in one pocket.
The driver is supply. CMHC reports rental construction completions hit record highs in Edmonton, pushing the purpose-built vacancy rate up and giving renters real negotiating room. Downtown, with the most new towers coming online, is where that shows up first.
Why are Edmonton rents actually falling right now?
One word: supply. Edmonton's purpose-built rental vacancy rate reached 3.8% in October 2025, up from 3.1% in 2024 and just 2.4% in 2023, per CMHC's 2025 Rental Market Report. Rising vacancy is a renter's tailwind.
The cause is a record wave of new construction. CMHC's 2025 report and Spring 2026 Housing Supply Report note rental starts hit record highs, and landlords are now offering incentives — free internet, free-rent periods — to fill units. That's the clearest possible signal of a market tilting toward tenants.
Edmonton also has the smallest turnover premium of any major Canadian city: CMHC's mid-year update found only a 5% gap between vacant-unit and occupied-unit rents, versus 44% in Toronto. Landlords here simply can't jack up rent sharply when a tenant leaves — there's nowhere for the price to go.
Does Alberta have rent control, and what should renters know?
Alberta has no rent control. There's no cap on how much a landlord can raise rent, according to tenantrights.ca's summary of the Residential Tenancies Act. The guardrails are procedural: increases are limited to once every 365 days, and month-to-month tenants must get at least three full tenancy months' written notice.
In a rising market that's a real risk. In today's soft, high-vacancy market, it matters less — and it actually gives you leverage to negotiate at renewal or walk to a cheaper unit down the street.
On deposits: the maximum damage (security) deposit is one month's rent, per the same source. Landlords must hold it in an interest-bearing trust account within two banking days, pay you the annual interest, and return the deposit within 10 days of move-out — or 30 days if they're claiming deductions. Get your move-in condition documented.
One more Edmonton-specific advantage: CMHC's mid-year data showed only a 5% gap between vacant-unit and occupied-unit rents — the smallest turnover premium of any major Canadian city. Moving rarely costs you a big jump here, and the whole negotiation tilts your way.
What is the average rent in Edmonton in 2026?
Edmonton's median asking rent is CA$1,500 a month as of July 2026, down 3.2% year-over-year, according to Zumper. CMHC's October 2025 survey put the occupied-stock overall average at CA$1,493, with a one-bedroom at CA$1,301.
Is Edmonton cheaper than Calgary for renters?
Yes. In liv.rent's April 2026 report, an Edmonton one-bedroom averaged CA$1,241 versus CA$1,440 in Calgary — about CA$199 less per month on the same listed-market methodology.
Are Edmonton rents going up or down in 2026?
Down. Zumper's July 2026 median is off 3.2% year-over-year, and liv.rent's February 2026 data showed downtown one-bedrooms falling 8%. CMHC attributes the softening to record rental completions pushing vacancy to 3.8%.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Edmonton?
Roughly CA$1,241 a month as a listed average in April 2026 (liv.rent), or CA$1,301 as CMHC's October 2025 occupied-stock average. Downtown listed one-bedrooms averaged about CA$1,238 in April 2026.
Does Alberta cap how much rent can increase?
No. Alberta has no rent control, so there's no cap on the increase amount, per tenantrights.ca. Increases are limited to once per 365 days, and month-to-month tenants are owed at least three full tenancy months' written notice.
Where can I find a room or roommate in Edmonton?
Local classifieds, Facebook groups, and dedicated room apps all work. One option is Coinquilino, a free room and roommate app from Italy, now available in Canada (full disclosure: Coinquilino is our app). With shared two-bedrooms landing near CA$800 per person before utilities, splitting a place is where Edmonton's value really shows.
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This article was produced with the help of AI tools and reviewed by the Coinquilino editorial team.
