Here's how much Montreal renters need to earn to afford a 3 1/2 in different neighbourhoods

Apartment prices have been climbing steadily in Quebec since the start of the year, and Montreal rent has been no exception. In July, the average monthly cost of rent for an unfurnished 3 ½ in the city reached $1,633 per month, according to a recent report from real estate rental platform liv.rent.

However, some Montreal neighbourhoods offer more affordable housing options than others. Thanks to liv.rent's report, you can find out which areas suit you best, allowing you to live comfortably based on the price of rent and your income.

In the report, liv.rent analyzes rental prices in 10 of Montreal's most desirable neighbourhoods for furnished and unfurnished one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments.

For an unfurnished, one-bedroom unit, the average rent in Montreal has risen by $39 a month since early 2024, increasing from $1,594 in January to June's $1,633.

Since the Government of Canada recommends that rental expenses not exceed 35% of your gross household income, you'd currently need to earn at least $55,988.57 per year to rent the average 3 ½ in Montreal. If you make less than that, you're probably going to want to look at neighbourhoods where rental rates are below average.

Here's a list of 10 Montreal neighbourhoods and the average monthly cost of living in an unfurnished, one-bedroom apartment. This ranking is in descending order, based on the price and annual income you would ideally earn to rent a 3 ½ in each of these areas:

• Downtown: $1,860 (minimum annual income of $63,771)
• Saint-Henri: $1,762 (minimum annual income of $60,411)
• Plateau–Mont-Royal: $1,758 (minimum annual income of $60,274)
• Westmount: $1,745 (minimum annual income of $59,828)
• Notre-Dame-de-Grâce/Côte-des-Neiges: $1,624 (minimum annual income of $55,680)
• Verdun: $1,557 (minimum annual income of $53,382) *data from June report, not available for July
• Saint-Laurent: $1,534 (minimum annual income of $52,594)
• Villeray–Parc-Extension: $1,511 (minimum annual income of $51,805)
• Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: $1,480 (minimum annual income of $50,742)
• Ahuntsic-Cartierville: $1,425 (minimum annual income of $48,857 per year)

You can also check the average prices of apartments with two or three bedrooms, according to the same data, on the liv.rent website.

Also, in case you didn't know, tenants can benefit from financial assistance of up to $170 per month through the Quebec government's Shelter Allowance Program. To qualify, your family income in 2023 must not exceed the maximum threshold, set between $24,440 and $46,940, depending on your family situation.

This story was originally published in French on Narcity Québec. It was adapted from the article "Voici combien tu dois gagner pour te payer un 3 1/2 à Montréal selon le quartier," which was originally published by Josianne Desjardins.