First-time buyer · Quebec City · 2026 programs and QPAREB Q2 figures
How much you need to earn, how much you need set aside, which programs to stack and which sectors to look at: the first purchase in Quebec City in 2026, in numbers.
A first purchase in Quebec City in 2026 starts under $500,000: a condo in Charlesbourg ($285,500 median in the second quarter), Beauport ($310,000) or the airport sector ($330,000), a house in Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($460,000), Beauport ($467,000) or Charlesbourg ($470,500). At $400,000 with 5% down, the monthly payment is about $1,933 at 4.24% over 30 years and the household must earn about $88,000 to pass the stress test; at $500,000, $2,417 and $109,000. Quebec City's trap is speed: 10 to 19 days in the family sectors, the fastest in the country, which makes pre-approval before the first showing a must.
The Quebec City agglomeration sold its median house for $485,000 and its condo for $335,000 in the second quarter of 2026, in 15 and 23 days, with 643 houses and 505 condos active (+33% and +26%); in August, the CMA was at $450,000 for the house in 28 days and $345,000 for the condo, with 2,162 listings (+27%). For a first-time buyer, the entry point is the condo between $280,000 and $350,000 (Charlesbourg, Beauport, Les Rivières, the airport sector) and the house between $430,000 and $500,000 (Val-Bélair, Beauport, Charlesbourg, Lebourgneuf); Sainte-Foy, Cap-Rouge and Upper Town are out of reach for a first purchase. The table below puts numbers on the minimum down payment, the premium, the monthly payment and the income required; the welcome tax refund (Quebec City surcharges at 2.5% above $500,000) covers the whole tax under $500,000.
| Purchase price | Minimum down payment | CMHC premium (added to the loan) | Monthly payment at 4.24 %, 30 years | Payment at the stress-test rate (6.24 %) | Gross household income required (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $15,000 | $11,400 | $1,450 | $1,808 | $67,000 |
| $350,000 | $17,500 | $13,300 | $1,692 | $2,109 | $78,000 |
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $15,200 | $1,933 | $2,410 | $88,000 |
| $450,000 | $22,500 | $17,100 | $2,175 | $2,712 | $98,000 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $19,000 | $2,417 | $3,013 | $109,000 |
| $550,000 | $30,000 | $20,800 | $2,646 | $3,298 | $119,000 |
Assumptions: five-year fixed rate of 4.24 % (September 2026), stress test at 6.24 %, 30-year amortization (allowed for first-time buyers on insured loans), CMHC premium of 4 % for a down payment under 10 %, municipal and school taxes estimated at 0.9 % of the price, heating $1,800 a year, gross debt service ratio capped at 39 %. Every file differs; the pre-approval gives the real number.
| Program | Amount | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| FHSA | $8,000 a year, $40,000 lifetime, deductible at contribution, tax-free withdrawal, never repaid | open the account now to accumulate room; see the FHSA maximum |
| HBP | up to $60,000 withdrawn from the RRSP, repayable over 15 years; combines with the FHSA | contribute to the RRSP at least 90 days before the withdrawal |
| Welcome tax refund (Quebec) | up to $5,875 for a first residence, since January 1, 2026 | the claim is filed after the tax bill; see the welcome tax refund |
| First-time buyer tax credits | about $2,900 (federal and Quebec together) | claimed in the year of purchase |
| 30-year amortization | on first-time buyers' insured loans and on new homes | simulate the effect on qualification (table above) |
| GST eliminated on new homes | up to one million in purchase price | compare new and resale for an equal budget |
| Down payment | 5 % up to $500,000, 10 % on the portion from $500,000 to $1.5 million (since December 15, 2024) | count the CMHC premium and its 9 % tax payable in cash |
Note: since Finances Québec's Information Bulletin 2026-2 (April 2026), the $5,875 credit is reduced by 2.35 % of the portion of the price above $750,000 and disappears at $1,000,000 ($4,700 at $800,000, $2,350 at $900,000).
The full list and conditions are in first-time buyer programs in Quebec 2026; the first-time buyer guide (free PDF, in French) gathers the steps.
| Segment and sector (QPAREB, Q2 2026), cheapest first | Median price | Days on market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| House, Haute-Saint-Charles | $448,950 | 17 days | 101 |
| House, Airport sector, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Val-Bélair | $460,000 | 11 days | 82 |
| House, Beauport | $467,000 | 19 days | 152 |
| House, Charlesbourg | $470,500 | 14 days | 102 |
| Condo, Charlesbourg | $285,500 | 19 days | 122 |
| Condo, Beauport | $310,000 | 16 days | 173 |
| Condo, Haute-Saint-Charles | $320,000 | 17 days | n/a |
Charlesbourg (house $470,500 in 14 days, condo $285,500) and Beauport ($467,000 in 19 days, condo $310,000) are the affordable family sectors, with schools, the Laurentienne and Dufferin-Montmorency highways to downtown in fifteen minutes. Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($460,000 in 11 days, condo $330,000) offer the house on a lot and the largest sales volume. Les Rivières ($500,000 in 10 days, condo $345,950) is the geographic centre, where everything is ten minutes away. Limoilou and Lower Town, at the city's lowest median ($325,000), are the market of plexes and urban condos, to compare building by building. Lévis, across the bridges, sells its house for $438,000 and its condo for $295,000: at equal budget, it is the other entry door.
Before making an offer in Quebec City, our figures drawn from actual sales:
All four pages are built on listings sold over the last twelve months, not on regional averages. They exist to put a number on an offer rather than guess at one.
Before you sign: Certificate of location in Quebec City: cost, timing and when to redo it
The owner-occupant's plex: Plex prices in Quebec City: $227,167 per door, GRM 15.8x
Bungalow or two-storey home in Quebec City:
Single-storey homes make up 55% of sales in Quebec City over ten years; our page gives both price series, the second-floor premium and who the bungalow is for.
What one more bedroom costs in Quebec City:
Three price series (3, 4, 5 or more bedrooms) over ten years, the fourth- and fifth-bedroom premiums, and the size that rose the most in Quebec City.
What one more bedroom costs in a condo in Quebec City:
The median price of 1-, 2- and 3-plus-bedroom condos over ten years, the second- and third-bedroom premiums, and the size that rose the most in Quebec City.
Days on market in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Median days for a house and a condo by year since 2016, the decade's four markets and what today's delay changes when selling in Quebec City.
The number of sales in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Houses, condos and plexes sold per year since 2016, the record year, the high-rate trough and what today's volume changes when selling in Quebec City.
Plex prices in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The median price of a plex per year since 2016, next to houses and condos, the frenzy, the rate brake and what the plex-to-house ratio tells a buyer in Quebec City.
How many homes are for sale in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Month-end inventory and new listings per year since 2016, the frenzy trough, absorption, months of inventory and why prices doubled in Quebec City.
Sale price relative to asking price in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
At what percentage of asking houses have sold since 2016, the 2021 bidding wars, the return of negotiation and what the gap is worth in dollars in Quebec City.
Houses that do not sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Listings expired without a sale per year since 2016, the failure rate against sales, average days next to median days and what today's rate tells a seller in Quebec City.
The average house price in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The average sale price per year since 2016, next to the median and the asking price, why the average is higher and which of the three prices to use to set yours in Quebec City.
How many dollars of houses sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The total sale prices per year since 2016, next to the number of sales and the average price: whether the rise comes from price or from the number of buyers in Quebec City.
House appreciation in Quebec City by year of purchase:
What a house bought in 2016, 2019, 2021 or 2024 is worth today at the median price, in dollars, in percent and per year, house and condo, and what is left for those who bought at the peak in Quebec City.
From condo to house in Quebec City, the gap to close:
The median price of the house and the condo year by year since 2016, the gap between them, and whether the gain on a condo bought in 2016, 2019, 2021 or 2023 covers the jump in Quebec City.
The Quebec City market in one table:
Price, growth, sales, volume, days on market, inventory, over-asking, unsold, condo and appreciation, each with the city's rank among 50 and ten years of detail in Quebec City.
How much down payment to buy in Quebec City:
The legal minimum on the median house, the 20% that avoids the CMHC premium, the premium at the minimum, what a FHSA and an HBP cover, the condo, and ten years of perspective in Quebec City.
How many condos are for sale in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Condominium inventory at each month-end and new listings per year since 2016, absorption, months of inventory, and the comparison with single-family houses in Quebec City.
When to sell in Quebec City, ten years of sales month by month:
The month with the most home sales, the quietest month, spring versus winter, the best-paying month and when to list to sell at the right time in Quebec City.
Condos that do not sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Condo listings expired without a sale per year since 2016, the failure rate against sales, the same rate for houses, and what it tells a condo seller in Quebec City.
How many plexes are for sale in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Plexes for sale at each month-end and new listings since 2016, absorption, months of inventory, and the comparison with houses and condos in Quebec City.
When to sell a condo in Quebec City, ten years of sales month by month:
The month with the most condo sales, the quietest month, spring versus winter, the best-paying month, houses alongside and when to list in Quebec City.
Plexes that do not sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Plex listings expired without a sale per year since 2016, the failure rate against sales, the same rate for houses and condos, and what it tells a building seller in Quebec City.
How much buyers negotiate a condo in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Sale price as a percentage of asking for condos, year by year since 2016, the ratio on the original price, houses alongside and the dollar gap on the median condo in Quebec City.
How much buyers negotiate a plex in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Sale price as a percentage of asking for plexes, year by year since 2016, the ratio on the original price, houses and condos alongside and the dollar gap on the median building in Quebec City.
What the median house costs a month in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The monthly payment on the house in the middle every year since 2016 with the Centris price and the 5-year rate actually charged, the share of price and the share of rate, the renewal shock and the income it takes in Quebec City.
What the house really gained in Quebec City, once inflation is removed:
Each year's median price converted to 2026 dollars with the Quebec CPI, the real increase, the years of real decline, the peak in purchasing power and the condo alongside in Quebec City.
What the median condo costs a month in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The monthly payment on the condo in the middle every year since 2016 with the Centris price and the 5-year rate actually charged, the share of price and the share of rate, the renewal shock and the income it takes in Quebec City.
How long to sell a plex in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Median and average days on market of plexes year by year since 2016, the house and the condo alongside, market periods and the weight of buildings that sit in Quebec City.
How much is a duplex, a triplex, a quadruplex in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The median price by building type year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the price per unit, what the extra unit costs and the house alongside in Quebec City.
How much is a lot in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The median price of lots and land sold on Centris year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the 2021 peak and the weight of the lot in the price of a house in Quebec City.
Quebec City or the city next door: where to buy in 2026, matchup by matchup:
Each matchup puts Quebec City and a neighbouring city side by side over ten years of Centris sales: house and condo prices, gap, days on market, inventory, bidding, unsold listings and monthly payment.
How much is a semi-detached or row house in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The median price by house type year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the shared-wall discount and how it moved in Quebec City.
How many houses still sell under $500,000 in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Sales under $500,000 and under $400,000 year by year since 2016, their share, the tipping year and what is still available under the threshold in Quebec City.
How many houses sell for over $1 million in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Sales at $1,000,000 and up year by year since 2016, their share, the first year with ten sales and what is paid above the million in Quebec City.
At what price houses sell in Quebec City, range by range:
The distribution of sales by price bracket in 2020, 2023 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $500,000 and above $750,000 in Quebec City.
How long to sell by price in Quebec City:
Median days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying in Quebec City.
How much the lot is worth in a house price in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The median price of houses on small lots and on large lots year by year since 2016, the large-lot premium and how it moved in Quebec City.
How many dollars of condos sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Condo sales volume year by year since 2016, the number of sales and the average price behind it, and the condo's share of the market in Quebec City.
The average condo price in Quebec City, and why it exceeds the median:
The average sale price of condos year by year since 2016, beside the median price and the asking price, and the gap between the two in Quebec City.
How long to sell a condo by price in Quebec City:
Median condo days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying a condo in Quebec City.
How long to sell a plex by price in Quebec City:
Median plex days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying a plex in Quebec City.
At what price plexes sell in Quebec City, range by range:
The distribution of plex sales by price bracket in 2020 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $450,000 and under $600,000 in Quebec City.
The average plex price in Quebec City, and why it exceeds the median:
The average sale price of plex year by year since 2016, beside the median price and the asking price, and the gap between the two in Quebec City.
How many dollars of plex sell in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
Plex sales volume year by year since 2016, the number of sales and the average price behind it, and the plex's share of the market in Quebec City.
Where the real estate money goes in Quebec City:
Sales dollars split between houses, condos and plexes every year since 2016, the category that weighs the most and the one that grew the most in Quebec City.
What sells at what price in Quebec City:
The 2026 sales crossed by price range and category: what sells under $300,000, who holds the million, where houses, condos and plexes compete in Quebec City.
Which sells fastest in Quebec City, house, condo or plex:
Days on market of houses, condos and plexes compared price range by price range over twelve months in Quebec City.
At what price condos sell in Quebec City, range by range:
The distribution of condo sales by price bracket in 2020 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $300,000 and under $400,000 in Quebec City.
The plex in Quebec City, the 2026 file:
Prices, door, days on market, volume, down payment and what the median does not say, on Centris sales.
Is a plex profitable in Quebec City in 2026:
The full math on the duplex, triplex and fourplex at the 2026 median price and the median rent in Quebec City, labelled assumptions.
Duplex or triplex in Quebec City, the 2026 comparison:
Prices, price per unit, minimum down payment to live in it and days on market, on Centris sales by type.
House or plex in Quebec City, ten years face to face:
Prices, change, days on market, negotiation, plex-to-house ratio and price per door, on Centris sales.
The market in Quebec City this month:
Days on market, sold against asking, inventory and September 2026 verdict in Quebec City, over the past twelve Centris months.
The condo market in Quebec City this month:
Days on market, sold against asking, median price and September 2026 verdict for the condo in Quebec City, compared with the house, over the past twelve Centris months.
The welcome tax on the median house in Quebec City, 2016 against 2026:
The tax computed year by year on the Centris median price with the city's 2026 grid, and what a first-time buyer pays net in Quebec City.
Condo or plex to invest in Quebec City:
The median rental condo against the 2026 median duplex and triplex in Quebec City, at the same rent, rate and down payment, labelled assumptions.
Which houses linger by price in Quebec City:
Average against median days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the ratio between the two and the bracket where listings linger the most in Quebec City.
How many foreclosures in Quebec City, ten years of perspective:
The number of houses sold as foreclosures year by year since 2016, their share of sales, their median price against all sales and the rebound from the trough in Quebec City.
Split-level, storey-and-a-half, bungalow or two-storey in Quebec City:
Four house types side by side over ten years: median price, gap between types, share of sales and the one that rose the most in Quebec City.
How much buyers negotiate on a house by price in Quebec City:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Quebec City.
How much buyers negotiate on a condo by price in Quebec City:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Quebec City.
How much buyers negotiate on a plex by price in Quebec City:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Quebec City.
Where the money goes by price in Quebec City:
Share of dollars against share of sales by price bracket over the past twelve months, the average ticket and the bracket that weighs the most in Quebec City.
How much condo sellers cut their price before selling in Quebec City:
Condo sale prices as a percentage of the original and of the last asking price, by price bracket over twelve months, and the bracket where sellers adjust the most in Quebec City.
What one more bathroom costs in Quebec City:
Three price series (1, 2, 3 or more bathrooms) over ten years, the second- and third-bathroom premiums, and the class that rose the most in Quebec City.
What the waterfront costs in Quebec City:
Median price of houses bordered by a body of water versus all houses, year by year since 2018, the waterfront premium and the share of sales in Quebec City.
Property taxes in Quebec City:
The tax bill, increase and rate published by the city for 2026, the assessment roll year and the school tax, with sources.
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 221 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.
Our pages on Charlesbourg, Beauport, the welcome tax in Quebec City and the FHSA maximum complete the file.
About $78,000 in gross household income for a $350,000 condo, $98,000 for $450,000 and $109,000 for a $500,000 house, with 5% down, a 30-year amortization and the stress test at 6.24%. A larger down payment or existing debts change the number.
Charlesbourg (condo $285,500, house $470,500), Beauport ($310,000 and $467,000) and the airport sector, Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($330,000 and $460,000) in Q2 2026; Limoilou for an urban condo under $325,000.
Yes: up to $40,000 from the FHSA (never repaid) and $60,000 from the RRSP through the HBP (repaid over 15 years), per person, for the same property. A couple can therefore gather up to $200,000 in tax-sheltered down payment.
Published forecasts (Desjardins, QPAREB, CMHC) expect stable to moderately rising prices in 2027 and a policy rate around 2.75%; waiting does not lower the price, but it gives time to fill the FHSA. Our page buy in 2026 or wait until 2027 puts numbers on both scenarios.
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.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.