Calgary and Edmonton are the most ‘renter friendly’ cities in Canada, according to a new report from the online real estate portal, Zoocasa, which measures markets across the country.
The cities have a lot going for them, says Zoocasa.
“There’s a reason Calgary and Edmonton keep drawing people in. Affordable homes, thriving job markets, low taxes, and more sunshine than you’d expect,” reads the report. “It’s no wonder Alberta’s biggest cities have become top choices for young professionals and families. Add in the fact that Alberta has the youngest population in the country, with the province’s median age of 38.4, and both cities feel built for people ready to start planting roots.”
Monthly rents in both cities are below the national average of $2,121, with Calgary coming in with a monthly average of $1,689 for a one-bedroom unit and Edmonton at $1,369 per month.
Many renters aspire to homeownership, says Zoocasa, which compared how long it would take for renters to save for a minimum downpayment for a single-family home, if they used their rent money for a downpayment instead.
“Minimum downpayments in Calgary vary by district,” says Zoocasa.
“In the East, renters could save the required amount in just one year, making it the fastest route to homeownership.”
“In the northeast, it would take 15 months and in the north,18 months, while in the city centre, it would take 20 months and, in the northwest, 24 months, with the west end topping the market at 28 months.”
Condos are a quicker entry point, averaging $329,600 and requiring just 10 months of saving for the minimum downpayment of $16,480.
Edmonton, says the report, “offers a quicker path to ownership. Every district in the city can be reached in under three years of saving, making it one of the more affordable major markets in Canada.”
“Edmonton’s average single-family home price is $569,000, with a minimum downpayment of $31,900 that can be saved in under two years at the city’s one-bedroom rent of $1,369,” says Zoocasa. “For condos, the path is even faster: an average price of $203,000 means a minimum downpayment of just $10,150, which could be saved in as little as seven months.”
As in Calgary, the downpayment varies by district.
“Central Edmonton is the most affordable option, with just about a year of saving required.” says Zoocasa, “The northeast is at roughly 16 months, while north central isn’t far behind at 18 months. The southeast comes in slightly higher at 19 months, and even the northwest stays under the two-year mark. Citywide, renters would typically need just under 23 months to reach a minimum downpayment of $31,950.”
Zoocasa methodology:
Data provided by local real estate boards and Rentals.ca, as of July 2025
Minimum Down Payment Requirements for homes priced at $500,000 or less, 5% of the purchase price; homes priced between $500,000 and $1.5 million, 5% of the first $500,000, plus 10% of the portion of the purchase price that exceeds $500,000, and homes priced at $1.5 million or more, 20% of the purchase price.
