Montreal or the North Shore: where to buy in 2026?

Comparison · Montreal vs the North Shore · 2026

Two rivers, Laval in between and a $234,250 gap: here is how to decide between Montreal and the North Shore, sector by sector, by profile.

Montreal and the North Shore are separated by two rivers, Laval and $234,250: an $834,250 median house on the island in the second quarter of 2026 (+4 % year over year, +21 % in five years) in 41 days, against $600,000 on the North Shore (+6 %, +52 %, the region's strongest rise) in 28 days. The condo is $113,000 cheaper on the North Shore ($370,000 vs $483,000) and faster (38 days vs 54). Behind the medians: Blainville ($800,000) costs the price of Lachine-LaSalle, and Montréal-Nord ($525,000) costs less than Terrebonne ($583,500) or Repentigny ($580,000), which are nonetheless the gateways to the island's east via the 40 and the Le Gardeur bridge. The choice is made on the commute (Saint-Jérôme or Mascouche train, tolled 25), the property type (recent home or plex) and the past rise: the North Shore caught up, the island barely moved.

The price: Montreal or the North Shore?

The island is $234,250 more expensive in median for a house ($834,250 vs $600,000) and $113,000 for a condo ($483,000 vs $370,000). But the sectors overlap: Blainville ($800,000) and Mirabel ($657,000) exceed Hochelaga-Mercier ($627,750) and Rivière-des-Prairies ($577,500); Saint-Jérôme ($573,000) and Terrebonne ($583,500) cost the price of Pointe-de-l'Île. In five years, the North Shore rose 52 % against 21 % for the island, the region's strongest and weakest rises: island families left for Terrebonne, Mascouche and Mirabel during the pandemic and stayed. The North Shore condo ($370,000) compares with Pointe-de-l'Île's ($345,000).

Days on market and choice

The North Shore sells in 28 days, the island in 41; the North Shore is seller's in every range (6.5 months of inventory even above $870,000), with high-end exceptions in Mirabel and Boisbriand; the island is seller's up to $1.22 million and balanced above, with boroughs where the buyer leads. For condos, the North Shore (38 days, 848 listings, +40 %) offers choice and speed; the island (54 days) has its towers that negotiate (Ville-Marie, 89 days) and its plex neighbourhoods that go in 28 days (Villeray, Rosemont).

Island of Montreal, all: balance of power by price range

North Shore, all: balance of power by price range

The living environment

Montreal has the metro, the REM, the hospitals, the universities, downtown, the plex neighbourhoods, Mount Royal and the river. The North Shore has two commuter trains (Saint-Jérôme via Blainville and Sainte-Thérèse; Mascouche via Terrebonne and Repentigny), Highways 15, 25 (tolled) and 40, the hospitals of Terrebonne, Saint-Jérôme and Saint-Eustache, the CEGEPs of Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Thérèse and Terrebonne, old villages (Vieux-Terrebonne), the Laurentians at the door, and ten sectors from $490,000 (Saint-Lin) to $800,000 (Blainville). Montreal is lived without a car; the North Shore by car and by train.

The verdict by profile

• Living without a car, neighbourhood condo, plex: Montreal.
• Recent home with garage under $650,000: Mascouche, Mirabel, Terrebonne (Lachenaie), Repentigny (Le Gardeur).
• Work in eastern Montreal: Repentigny or Terrebonne via the 40 and the Le Gardeur bridge, or Rivière-des-Prairies and Montréal-Nord on the island.
• Large home, standing, market that holds: Blainville (seller's even above $1.16 million), where NDG and the West Island are buyer's markets.
• Remote work and the Laurentians on weekends: Saint-Jérôme, Blainville, Mirabel.
• Condo under $350,000: Saint-Jérôme, Repentigny, or Pointe-de-l'Île on the island.

The full guides: living in Montreal and living in the North Shore; the monthly picture is on the island's August 2026 report and the North Shore's August 2026 report; prices by sector on house prices on the North Shore by sector.

Frequently asked questions

Montreal or the North Shore: which is cheaper?

The North Shore, by $234,250 on the median house ($600,000 vs $834,250) and $113,000 on the condo ($370,000 vs $483,000) in the second quarter of 2026.

Which rose the most?

The North Shore, +52 % in five years, the region's strongest rise, against +21 % for the island, the weakest.

Which sells faster?

The North Shore, 28 days vs 41 for houses and 38 vs 54 for condos.

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.