Buying a house in Montreal in 2026: the budget by borough, the steps and the traps

Buying · Montreal · QPAREB Q2 2026 figures

An island median of $834,250, but a threefold spread between boroughs: here is how to buy a house in Montreal in 2026.

Buying a house in Montreal in 2026 means buying on an island where the single-family median reached $834,250 (up 4% over one year, up 21% over five years) in 41 days, while a condominium trades at $483,000. The budget starts around $600,000 for a house in Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies or Saint-Léonard (about $2,875 a month with the minimum down payment, household income of roughly $129,000), runs through $800,000 for a cottage in Rosemont, Villeray or Ahuntsic ($3,790, $168,000) and passes seven figures in NDG, Verdun, the Plateau and the West Island ($4,706, $208,000). On this island the real question is not only price, it is property type: many buyers looking for a house end up in a condominium or a plex, and those are three different financings.

The Montreal market in 2026, from a buyer's point of view

The island of Montreal sold its median single-family house at $834,250 in the second quarter of 2026, up 4% over one year and 21% over five years, in 41 days; a condominium trades at $483,000 in 54 days. The gap between boroughs is the dominant fact: the east end (Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies, Saint-Léonard, Anjou) stays under $700,000, the central ring (Rosemont, Villeray, Ahuntsic, Mercier) sits around $800,000, and the centre-west (NDG, Côte-Saint-Luc, Outremont, Westmount, Mount Royal) runs well past a million.

Area (QPAREB, Q2 2026)House, median1 year5 yearsDays on marketActive listings
Island of Montreal, overall$834,2504%21%41 days2
Rosemont$1,138,00010%46%41 days40
Villeray, Saint-Michel, Parc-Extensionn/an/a24%n/a days38
Anjou, Saint-Léonard$712,500-2%23%33 days41
Montréal-Nord$525,000-6%35%24 days43
NDG, Montreal West$1,247,000-5%18%49 days94

Island of Montreal: balance of power by price range (single-family)

Price rangeMonths of inventoryMarket
Under $410,0003.0 monthsSeller's market
$410,000 to $610,0002.7 monthsSeller's market
$610,000 to $1,010,0004.3 monthsSeller's market
$1,010,000 to $1,220,0004.9 monthsSeller's market
$1,220,000 and up9.0 monthsBalanced

What it costs per month in Montreal

Purchase priceMinimum down paymentMonthly payment at 4.24%, 30 years (CMHC premium included)Gross household income required (approx.)
$600,000$35,000$2,875$129,000
$700,000$45,000$3,332$149,000
$850,000$60,000$4,019$178,000
$1,000,000$75,000$4,706$208,000
$1,200,000$95,000$5,622$248,000

Assumptions: five-year fixed rate of 4.24%, stress test at 6.24%, down payment of 5% up to $500,000 and 10% on the portion above, CMHC premium added to the loan, municipal and school taxes at 0.9% of the price, heating at $1,800 a year, gross debt service ratio of 39%. Your own file may produce a different result.

Which area to buy in in Montreal

The east end is the entry budget for an actual house: Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Saint-Léonard and Anjou sell post-war bungalows and cottages under $700,000, with the blue line extension under construction toward Anjou. The central ring (Rosemont, Villeray, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Mercier) sells cottages and converted duplexes around $800,000, with services within walking distance and the métro. The centre-west (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Côte-des-Neiges, Côte-Saint-Luc, Hampstead) and the linked cities pass a million. Verdun and Nuns' Island trade on the REM and the waterfront. The West Island (Pointe-Claire, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Beaconsfield) offers the lot size and the English school network.

The eight steps of a purchase, in order

  1. The real budget: down payment, CMHC premium, notary fees ($1,500 to $2,500), inspection ($500 to $800), welcome tax (roughly 1% to 2% of the price, refundable up to $5,875 for a first-time buyer in Montreal), tax adjustments and moving.
  2. The written pre-approval, with the rate held for 90 to 120 days. Without it, no serious offer in an area that sells in under a month.
  3. Choosing the area on closed sales, not on asking prices: two or three areas compared on price, days on market and commute.
  4. The showings, grouped into the first weekend on the market when it is a seller's market.
  5. The promise to purchase, conditional on inspection and financing. Short and clean in a seller's market, negotiated in a buyer's market. The price is documented on the last three comparable sales on the street.
  6. The pre-purchase inspection, plus reading the declarations by the seller, the certificate of location and, outside the urban perimeter, the well and septic reports.
  7. Confirmed financing and the lifting of conditions, 10 to 15 days after acceptance.
  8. The notary, 30 to 60 days after acceptance. That is when the property changes hands.

The traps specific to Montreal

Property type first: on this island a large share of what looks like a house is a plex or a divided co-ownership, and the financing is not the same. A duplex you occupy needs 5% down up to $500,000 and 10% above; an owner-occupied triplex, 10%; a building you do not live in, 20%. Zoning and non-conforming units: a basement rented without a permit counts as zero income to a lender. Pyrite in the 1960s to 1980s backfill of the east end. Asbestos and vermiculite in pre-1980 attics. The 2026-2028 assessment roll, whose reference date is 1 July 2024, is not market value: see our guide to the assessment roll. And Montreal's welcome tax, the most expensive in Quebec, which climbs to 4%.

For the budget, first-time home buyer in Montreal; for the tax, the welcome tax in Montreal; for co-ownership, buying a condo in Montreal; for the team, a real estate broker in Montreal.

Frequently asked questions

What budget do you need to buy a house in Montreal?

Roughly $129,000 of gross household income for a $600,000 house in the east end, $178,000 for $850,000 in the central ring and $248,000 for $1,200,000 in the centre-west, on a 30-year amortization with the stress test at 6.24%.

Do you have to offer above asking in Montreal?

It depends entirely on the borough and the property type. An east-end house priced at its street's level moves quickly; a downtown condominium, with heavy supply and a 54-day median, is negotiable. Always document your offer on closed sales from the street, never on other offers.

Is this a good time to buy in Montreal?

Published forecasts (Desjardins, QPAREB, CMHC) point to stable to modestly rising prices in 2027 and a policy rate around 2.75%: waiting does not make the price go down. The right moment is the one where your budget, your pre-approval and your target area are ready. In a seller's market, the buyer who is ready beats the buyer who waits.

What does a broker cost for the buyer?

Usually nothing. The buyer's broker is paid out of the seller's brokerage contract when the sale closes. A buyer's brokerage contract spells out what happens if the seller does not provide for it, and we explain that before anything is signed. See our guide to real estate commission in Quebec.

Our sources

The median prices, days on market, active listings and months of inventory quoted here come from the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers, for the second quarter of 2026, by area. The monthly payments come from our own calculation on the assumptions listed above. Market figures move every quarter: the date is on this page so you can tell whether you are reading something current.

Our proof, not our promises

The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.

Also available in French: version française de ce guide.

Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.

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