Condo or plex to invest in Quebec in 2026: the head-to-head in 13 cities, cash flow, down payment and resale time

Investing · Condo or plex · 13 cities · 2026

One page per city, same grid: the median rental condo against the 2026 median duplex and triplex, at the same rent, the same rate and the same 20% down, with the entry ticket, the return per dollar invested and the resale time. Labelled assumptions, reproducible math.

Across the 13 cities tracked, at the January to September 2026 median price and each city's median rent of signed leases, with 20% down and a loan at 4.24% over 25 years, the triplex has better cash flow than the rental condo in 11 of 13 cities and the duplex in 8 of 13; the condo is the best of the three in 2 cities. Median monthly cash flow: condo −$119, duplex +$42, triplex +$785; per $100,000 down, condo −$169, triplex +$689. The median entry ticket is $67,000 for the condo against $127,033 for the triplex (1.9 times more). The plex resells faster than the condo in 11 of 13 cities (13 days against 25). Assumptions set by the team, not financial advice. Source: Centris (Matrix) and the site's rent and condo-fee pages, compiled October 13, 2026.

The 13 cities, from the largest gap in favour of the plex to the smallest

Monthly cash flow of the rental condo, the duplex and the triplex at the January to September 2026 median price and the city's median rent, with 20% down and a loan at 4.24%; triplex minus condo gap; 20% down payment on the condo and the triplex; 2026 median days on market of the condo and the plex; the best of the three on cash flow.

What the table says

At equal rent, equal rate and equal down payment, the plex earns more than the condo almost everywhere: the triplex has better cash flow than the rental condo in 11 of 13 cities, and it is cash-flow positive in 11 cities when the condo is in only 3. The reason is mechanical: three rents on a price per unit lower than the median condo's, and expenses proportional to the price rather than fixed condo fees; the median triplex cap rate (6.8%) exceeds the condo's (4.8%) and the 4.24% mortgage rate. The duplex sits in between (8 of 13 cities ahead of the condo, median cash flow +$42). The condo keeps two arguments the table measures: the entry ticket, $67,000 down in median against $127,033 for the triplex, and management, one tenant and a syndicate rather than three leases and a roof. It loses one: liquidity, since the plex resells faster than the condo in 11 of 13 cities in 2026 (13 days against 25 in median). In the large cities of the Montreal area, where neither pays for itself, the choice comes down to principal repaid and appreciation, not the monthly cheque. The plex math on its own is in is a plex profitable by city"+(f", the condo math on its own in investing in a rental condo by city and borough" if ok('condo-rental-investment-quebec-50-cities-boroughs-2026') else "")+(f", and the plex file by city in investing in a plex by city" if D.HUBS[423][1] else "")+f".

How to read the table

Cash flow is rent minus the mortgage (20% down, 4.24%, 25 years, compounded monthly) minus expenses: the city's median condo fees for the condo, 2% of the price for the plex (taxes, insurance, maintenance). The condo's taxes and insurance are not counted, as in our rental condo series; adding 1% of the price moves the median triplex minus condo gap from +$1,002 to +$1,267 a month and the triplex wins in 13 cities. The median rent of broker-signed leases is applied to the median condo and to each unit of the median plex. Days on market is the 2026 median of the city's condo (Condominium) and plex (Income property) sales. No vacancy, no work: optimistic on both sides.

Method

No new query: the figures already published (median condo, duplex and triplex prices, median rents, condo fees, days on market) are put side by side in a single grid. The cities compared are those where we publish both the rental condo and the plex by type: 13 cities; Montreal, Laval and Longueuil are tracked by borough or sector in our condo series and by city in our plex series, so they are not compared here. Our rental condo page uses the 2026 contracted rate of 4.14%; the condo is recalculated here at 4.24%, which changes its median cash flow by −$19 a month. The assumptions are set by the team for illustration: this is not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

Condo or plex to invest in Quebec in 2026?

The plex, for cash flow: the triplex beats the condo in 11 of 13 cities (+$785 against −$119 a month in median) and the duplex in 8. The condo, for the entry ticket ($67,000 against $127,033) and simpler management. The largest gap in favour of the triplex is Lévis (+$2,150 a month), the smallest Mirabel (−$106).

Which earns more per dollar invested?

Per $100,000 of down payment, in median across the cities, the condo loses $169 a month, the duplex clears $46 a month and the triplex clears $689 a month, before tax, principal repaid and appreciation. Median gross yield: condo 5.7%, duplex 7.3%, triplex 8.8%.

Which resells faster?

The plex, in 11 of 13 cities: 13 days in median in 2026 against 25 for the condo. The median condo finds its buyer among first-time buyers, more numerous but more rate-sensitive; the plex among investors and families who want a unit paid for by the neighbours.

My city is not here?

We compare the cities where both our series exist; Montreal's boroughs and the sectors of Laval and Longueuil have their rental condo page, and Montreal, Laval and Longueuil their plex page. A broker from the team can redo this head-to-head for any municipality, on specific properties.

Source: Centris (Matrix), January to September 2026 median prices (Condominium; Income property by type), median days on market; median rents of broker-signed leases and median condo fees published on our pages; Loaa & Manseur team assumptions, compiled October 13, 2026. This calculation is not financial advice.

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.