Are you sick of Montreal's rental market? Ever dream of moving to a far-off land where housing costs less than $800 a month? Turns out, you don't actually have to look far to find a place like that.
In fact, according to an analysis of Canada's 100 largest cities by online real estate marketplace Point2Homes, the country's cheapest city for renters can be found in Quebec — and it's under two hours from Montreal by car.
While you might think an area with some of the lowest rent prices in the country would be a boring, ugly ghost town, in this case, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Located at the meeting point of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, Trois-Rivières not only has an average rent price of $745 per month, according to Point2's report, but it's also been recognized as Canada's 'cultural capital' and Quebec's poetry capital. Also, as the second-oldest French-speaking city in North America, it's absolutely teeming with historic charm.
Some of the city's highlights, according to the tourism board, include taking a stroll through the old district's rue des Ursulines, visiting the French colonial Manoir Boucher de Niverville, exploring the dynamic and colourful downtown core, relaxing at the nordic spa and bar hopping between local microbreweries.
We also can't forget to mention "Le Platon," a giant monumental staircase located at the site where Trois-Rivières was founded, or all the river-related activities, like paddle board yoga. Plus, who says grabbing a bite at the adorable Sea Shack au bord du lac can't count as a water sport?
What's more, Trois-Rivières is just a 25-minute drive from Parc écomaritime de l'Anse-du-Port where you can see one of the most spectacular boardwalk trails in the province, measuring 710-metres long.
It's no wonder that in addition to being Canada's cheapest city for tenants, Point2Homes ranked Trois-Rivières the fourth best city for renters overall, taking quality of life and sense of community into account.
If you're getting cute small town vibes from Trois-Rivières, you'd be right — it has that sort of atmosphere. But, in reality, it has a population of around 137,188 people so it's lively enough to keep you as booked and busy as you want to be.
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