The top cities to buy real estate in Canada were ranked and Montreal did surprisingly well

Between inflation, rising rent, and the cost of living, owning your own house remains a dream for the majority of folks.

But if you’ve been thinking about buying a home in Canada but aren’t sure where your money actually goes the furthest, a new report might help you figure that out.

MoneySense and Zoocasa have released their 2026 Where to Buy Real Estate in Canada report, ranking 44 markets across the country on a mix of factors that go beyond just the listing price.

To build the rankings, the two outlets looked at each market’s average benchmark price, how much that price has grown over one, three, and five years, median after-tax income, safety, healthcare access, and overall affordability relative to the national benchmark of $683,567.

The idea is to capture not just where homes are cheap, but where buying actually makes sense long-term.

Here’s how the full national ranking shakes out:

1. Fredericton, NB — $344,467
2. St. John’s, NL — $381,042
3. Edmonton, AB — $420,825
4. Saint John, NB — $339,675
5. Calgary, AB — $572,500
6. Saskatoon, SK — $420,633
7. Regina, SK — $330,658
8. Ottawa, ON — $628,633
9. Montreal CMA, QC — $571,450
10. Rideau-St. Lawrence, ON — $530,600

Atlantic Canada dominated the top of the list, with Fredericton holding the number one spot for the second year in a row. Its average benchmark price of $344,467 sits nearly $340,000 below the national benchmark, which goes a long way toward explaining the ranking.

St. John’s came in right behind it at second, driven by the strongest three-year price growth of any market on the list, up 23% since 2022. Saint John rounded out Atlantic Canada’s presence at fourth.

Alberta had a strong showing too, with Edmonton landing third and Calgary fifth. Edmonton stood out in particular, combining a median after-tax income of $84,000 with a benchmark price of $420,825, making it the report’s pick for buyers who want big-city life without the price tag that usually comes with it.

That brings us to Montreal. The city came in ninth overall, with a 2025 benchmark price of $571,450, one-year growth of 7%, and five-year appreciation of 48%. It’s the only Quebec market to crack the top 10, and while it sits above the more affordable Atlantic and Prairie markets, it still comes in below the national benchmark. For buyers thinking long-term, the report’s metrics suggest it holds up reasonably well.

For some context on where things get a bit more painful, Greater Toronto averaged $986,308, down 5% over the past year and 14% over three years. Greater Vancouver came in as the most expensive market analyzed at $1,155,575.

“After years of rising costs, affordability remains one of the biggest barriers for Canadians looking to enter the housing market,” said Brittany Kostov, industry relations officer at Zoocasa. “Fredericton, St. John’s, and Edmonton continue to stand out as places where that goal is still realistic.”

The full rankings and methodology are available at MoneySense.ca.