Buying · 50 cities · cash 2026
One page per city, same calculation: all the money needed to buy the median house in 2026, item by item, with the 20% scenario, the condo and 2016 for comparison.
To buy the median house of the 50 cities tracked ($610,000 from January to September 2026), plan for a median $48,877 to $51,377 in cash with the minimum down payment: $36,000 of down payment, $8,416 of welcome tax, $2,045 of Québec tax on the CMHC premium and $2,300 to $4,800 for the notary, inspection and appraisal. The down payment is 71% of the total, the welcome tax 16%. A first-time buyer then recovers a median $5,218 through Québec's credit. With 20% down, the cash rises to $133,770. In 2016, the minimum down payment, premium tax and welcome tax added up to a median $16,238; in 2026, $46,577 (+178%). A full FHSA and the HBP maximum ($100,000) cover all the cash of a single buyer in 47 of 50 cities. The median condo ($397,000) takes $28,323. Source: Centris (Matrix) for prices, 2026 municipal grids, compiled October 29, 2026.
The 50 cities, from the most cash to the least
Median house 2026, minimum down payment, welcome tax (city's 2026 grid), total cash to plan for in 2026 (fixed costs as a range), calculated part in 2016 (down payment, premium tax, welcome tax), cash with 20% down (middle of the range) and cash for the median condo (middle of the range; n/p = fewer than 20 condo sales per year).
| City | House 2026 | Down payment | Welcome tax | Cash 2026 | Calculated part 2016 | With 20% down | Median condo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westmount | $2,272,500 | $454,500 | $58,786 | $515,586 to $518,086 | $306,860 | $516,836 | $80,006 |
| Saint-Lambert | $1,120,000 | $87,000 | $24,210 | $117,229 to $119,729 | $39,515 | $251,760 | $31,607 |
| Beaconsfield | $1,031,000 | $78,100 | $19,589 | $103,419 to $105,919 | $33,976 | $229,339 | n/p |
| Kirkland | $955,000 | $70,500 | $14,710 | $90,695 to $93,195 | $30,747 | $209,260 | n/p |
| Candiac | $866,000 | $61,600 | $16,590 | $83,386 to $85,886 | $27,189 | $193,340 | $33,728 |
| Rosemère | $845,000 | $59,500 | $15,960 | $80,588 to $83,088 | $24,072 | $188,510 | n/p |
| Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville | $819,500 | $56,950 | $15,196 | $77,191 to $79,691 | $22,058 | $182,646 | $34,960 |
| Boucherville | $810,000 | $56,000 | $14,910 | $75,925 to $78,425 | $23,046 | $180,460 | $37,769 |
| Dollard-des-Ormeaux | $792,500 | $54,250 | $13,136 | $72,343 to $74,843 | $24,452 | $175,186 | $32,634 |
| La Prairie | $740,000 | $49,000 | $12,810 | $66,598 to $69,098 | $20,265 | $164,360 | $29,538 |
| Brossard | $734,200 | $48,420 | $12,636 | $65,825 to $68,325 | $21,921 | $163,026 | $28,802 |
| Montreal | $755,000 | $50,500 | $10,449 | $65,785 to $68,285 | $24,110 | $164,999 | $33,735 |
| Blainville | $760,000 | $51,000 | $9,660 | $65,513 to $68,013 | $19,280 | $165,210 | $30,513 |
| Pointe-Claire | $745,500 | $49,550 | $10,766 | $65,121 to $67,621 | $23,768 | $163,416 | $45,776 |
| Dorval | $712,500 | $46,250 | $9,860 | $60,809 to $63,309 | $20,279 | $155,910 | $30,923 |
| Chambly | $689,000 | $43,900 | $11,280 | $59,803 to $62,303 | $18,547 | $152,630 | $29,384 |
| Sainte-Julie | $667,400 | $41,740 | $9,796 | $56,088 to $58,588 | $19,314 | $146,826 | $30,581 |
| Mirabel | $650,000 | $40,000 | $10,110 | $54,606 to $57,106 | $16,809 | $143,660 | $31,943 |
| Sainte-Thérèse | $650,000 | $40,000 | $10,110 | $54,606 to $57,106 | $16,056 | $143,660 | $26,647 |
| Varennes | $631,000 | $38,100 | $9,540 | $52,075 to $54,575 | $17,507 | $139,290 | $25,655 |
| Laval | $630,000 | $38,000 | $9,510 | $51,942 to $54,442 | $18,712 | $139,060 | $30,581 |
| Boisbriand | $630,000 | $38,000 | $8,860 | $51,292 to $53,792 | $17,332 | $138,410 | $42,680 |
| Beloeil | $630,000 | $38,000 | $8,210 | $50,642 to $53,142 | $16,302 | $137,760 | $30,239 |
| Saint-Constant | $620,000 | $37,000 | $9,210 | $50,609 to $53,109 | $17,301 | $136,760 | $29,521 |
| Mascouche | $615,000 | $36,500 | $9,060 | $49,943 to $52,443 | $15,858 | $135,610 | $26,476 |
| Terrebonne | $599,000 | $34,900 | $8,580 | $47,811 to $50,311 | $16,175 | $131,930 | $27,297 |
| Vaudreuil-Dorion | $605,000 | $35,500 | $7,186 | $47,036 to $49,536 | $17,443 | $131,736 | $27,502 |
| Longueuil | $602,000 | $35,200 | $7,140 | $46,681 to $49,181 | $16,794 | $131,090 | $27,502 |
| Magog | $600,000 | $35,000 | $7,110 | $46,444 to $48,944 | $13,543 | $130,660 | $24,081 |
| Repentigny | $588,000 | $33,800 | $8,250 | $46,346 to $48,846 | $16,073 | $129,400 | $23,808 |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | $577,000 | $32,700 | $7,920 | $44,880 to $47,380 | $14,462 | $126,870 | $26,750 |
| L'Île-Perrot | $561,500 | $31,150 | $7,456 | $42,815 to $45,315 | $14,904 | $123,306 | $28,836 |
| Saint-Jérôme | $547,500 | $29,750 | $7,036 | $40,949 to $43,449 | $13,152 | $120,086 | $22,713 |
| Châteauguay | $520,000 | $27,000 | $5,910 | $36,985 to $39,485 | $13,194 | $113,460 | $27,844 |
| Saint-Hyacinthe | $507,500 | $25,750 | $5,836 | $35,620 to $38,120 | $13,511 | $110,886 | $24,081 |
| Gatineau | $490,000 | $24,500 | $5,460 | $33,936 to $36,436 | $14,272 | $107,010 | $22,000 |
| Quebec City | $480,000 | $24,000 | $5,310 | $33,252 to $35,752 | $15,540 | $104,860 | $24,081 |
| Granby | $462,543 | $23,127 | $5,049 | $32,058 to $34,558 | $11,672 | $101,108 | $22,713 |
| Joliette | $460,000 | $23,000 | $5,010 | $31,884 to $34,384 | $12,179 | $100,560 | n/p |
| Sherbrooke | $458,500 | $22,925 | $4,988 | $31,781 to $34,281 | $11,640 | $100,238 | $22,918 |
| Lévis | $440,000 | $22,000 | $4,710 | $30,515 to $33,015 | $14,843 | $96,260 | $21,793 |
| Drummondville | $429,900 | $21,495 | $4,559 | $29,824 to $32,324 | $10,372 | $94,089 | n/p |
| Trois-Rivières | $410,000 | $20,500 | $4,260 | $28,463 to $30,963 | $9,072 | $89,810 | $22,396 |
| Val-d'Or | $400,000 | $20,000 | $4,110 | $27,778 to $30,278 | $13,353 | $87,660 | n/p |
| Rimouski | $395,000 | $19,750 | $4,036 | $27,436 to $29,936 | $11,038 | $86,586 | $20,747 |
| Sorel-Tracy | $391,750 | $19,588 | $3,987 | $27,214 to $29,714 | $9,833 | $85,887 | n/p |
| Rouyn-Noranda | $370,000 | $18,500 | $3,660 | $25,726 to $28,226 | $13,004 | $81,210 | n/p |
| Saguenay | $366,000 | $18,300 | $3,600 | $25,452 to $27,952 | $10,515 | $80,350 | $20,937 |
| Victoriaville | $366,000 | $18,300 | $3,600 | $25,452 to $27,952 | $8,881 | $80,350 | n/p |
| Sept-Îles | $275,000 | $13,750 | $2,436 | $19,426 to $21,926 | $10,721 | $60,986 | n/p |
What the table says
The down payment is the bulk of the cash (71% at the median), but the welcome tax has gained weight: its grid is progressive, and the median house is above the municipal rate threshold in 31 cities, against 2 in 2016. The calculated part has at least doubled since 2016 in 44 of 50 cities. It takes $100,000 or more in 3 cities (1 in 2016), mostly where the house is above $1M and the down payment rises to 10% on the portion over $500,000. The highest is Westmount ($516,836 at the middle of the range), the lowest Sept-Îles ($20,676). The FHSA alone covers a single buyer's cash in 17 cities for the house and 37 of 40 for the condo.
How to read the table
Assumptions: Centris median price of single-family houses and condos sold (January to September 2026), federal minimum down payment (5% of the first $500,000, 10% of the rest, 20% from $1.5M), CMHC premium on the schedule in force since 2017 (added to the loan), Québec's 9% tax on the premium (paid in cash), welcome tax on the city's 2026 grid, notary $1,800 to $3,500 for a house ($1,500 to $2,800 for a condo), inspection $500 to $800, appraisal $0 to $500 depending on the lender. Adjustments repaid to the seller (prepaid municipal and school taxes, heating oil, condo fees), home insurance, moving costs and a fund for first repairs come on top depending on the file. The first-time buyer credit on the welcome tax is claimed after the purchase: it is not deducted from the cash. The detailed rules are in the down payment by city and the welcome tax by city.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash do you need to buy a house in Québec in 2026?
At the median, $48,877 to $51,377 for the $610,000 median house, with the minimum down payment; $19,426 to $518,086 depending on the city.
My city is not listed?
We publish the 50 cities where the welcome tax grid and median prices are tracked. A team broker can run the same calculation for any area and any house.
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.