South Shore or North Shore: where to buy around Montreal in 2026?

Comparison · the South Shore vs the North Shore · 2026

Two rings, a $48,500 gap and the same speed: here is how to decide between the South Shore and the North Shore by commute, house type and profile.

The South Shore and the North Shore are Montreal's two suburban rings, and $48,500 separate them: a $648,500 median house on the South Shore in the second quarter of 2026 (+2 % year over year, +39 % in five years) in 30 days, against $600,000 on the North Shore (+6 %, +52 %) in 28 days. The condo is $33,000 cheaper in the north ($370,000 vs $403,000), equally fast (38 and 39 days). Both are seller's markets in every range. What sets them apart is access to downtown (the Brossard REM and the Longueuil metro in the south; the Saint-Jérôme and Mascouche trains and the tolled 25 in the north), the type of city (the established cities of the south, from Saint-Lambert to Boucherville; the new cities of the north, from Mascouche to Mirabel) and the geography (the river and Mont Saint-Bruno; the rivers and the Laurentians). In August, the South Shore sold for $655,000 in 37 days, the North Shore also in 37 days.

The price: the South Shore or the North Shore?

The South Shore is $48,500 more expensive in median ($648,500 vs $600,000) because its established cities (Saint-Lambert, Boucherville, Saint-Bruno, Candiac) pull the median up, and because the REM added a premium in Brossard. The North Shore rose faster (+52 % vs +39 % in five years) because it started lower and new construction drew families. Sector by sector, the two rings mirror each other: Boucherville-Saint-Bruno ($800,000) and Blainville ($800,000) are twins; Saint-Hubert ($602,500) and Terrebonne ($583,500) too; Châteauguay ($525,000) and Saint-Lin ($490,000) are the entry levels. The condo is cheaper in the north ($370,000 vs $403,000), with 848 listings (+40 %) in the north against a stock concentrated in Brossard (524) in the south.

Days on market and choice

Both sell in a month (30 and 28 days in the second quarter, 37 days for both in August) and both are seller's markets in every range, with two nuances: in the south, Châteauguay above $790,000 (11 months) and Sainte-Julie above $940,000 (balanced); in the north, Mirabel above $960,000 (10.7 months) and Boisbriand above $920,000 (13.2 months). The fastest: Boucherville (20 days), Longueuil (21), Sainte-Julie (22) in the south; Mascouche (23), Terrebonne and Repentigny (25) in the north. Supply jumped on both sides in August (+28 % in the south).

South Shore, all: balance of power by price range

North Shore, all: balance of power by price range

The living environment

The South Shore has the REM (Brossard, Du Quartier, Panama), the Longueuil metro, Quartier DIX30, the river in Saint-Lambert and Boucherville, Mont Saint-Bruno, Charles-Le Moyne and Pierre-Boucher hospitals, Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, the Université de Sherbrooke campus in Longueuil, and established cities with their old neighbourhoods. The North Shore has two commuter trains, Highway 15 to the Laurentians and the tolled 25 to Montreal, the hospitals of Terrebonne and Saint-Jérôme, the CEGEPs of Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Thérèse and Terrebonne, Vieux-Terrebonne, the Mille Îles and L'Assomption rivers, and new neighbourhoods in Mascouche, Mirabel and Terrebonne. The south is lived by car and REM; the north by car and train.

The verdict by profile

• Downtown job, fast transit: the South Shore (Brossard REM, Longueuil metro).
• New or recent home with garage under $650,000: the North Shore (Mascouche, Mirabel, Lachenaie, Le Gardeur).
• Established city with an old quarter, river, schools: the South Shore (Saint-Lambert, Boucherville, Vieux-Longueuil).
• Work in eastern Montreal: the North Shore (Repentigny, Terrebonne) via the 40; or Boucherville and Varennes in the south via the tunnel.
• Laurentians on weekends: the North Shore; Eastern Townships on weekends: the South Shore.
• Condo under $350,000: Saint-Jérôme or Repentigny in the north; Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in the south.

The full guides: living in the South Shore and living in the North Shore; the monthly picture is on the South Shore's August 2026 report and the North Shore's August 2026 report. Prices by sector are on the South Shore and the North Shore pages.

Frequently asked questions

South Shore or North Shore: which is cheaper?

The North Shore, by $48,500 on the median house ($600,000 vs $648,500) and $33,000 on the condo ($370,000 vs $403,000) in the second quarter of 2026.

Which rose the most?

The North Shore, +52 % in five years against +39 %; year over year, +6 % against +2 %.

Which has the better transit?

The South Shore, with the REM in Brossard and the metro in Longueuil; the North Shore has two commuter trains and the tolled Highway 25.

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.