How much cheaper is Trois-Rivières than Montreal for renters in 2026?
Trois-Rivières appears substantially cheaper to rent in than Montreal based on the two datasets available for 2026, though the comparison needs a caveat up front: liv.rent’s August 2026 Montreal Rent Report tracks a one-bedroom asking-rent average, while the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2025 Rental Market Report averages Trois-Rivières across all unit types. In Montreal, the average unfurnished one-bedroom cost $1,605 a month in August, up 1.2% from July but $88 below where it stood a year earlier. In Trois-Rivières, CMHC’s report, released December 11, 2025 and covering the October 2025 survey, put the average rent across all unit types at roughly $980 a month, up 15.2% year-over-year. Both cities fall under Quebec’s residential lease rules, administered by the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL), which lists a base percentage of 3.1% for rent-increase notices given on or after January 1, 2026, down from 4.5% under the previous notice period.
Rent by the numbers
The figures below use different methods, so treat this as a directional comparison rather than a strict one-bedroom-to-one-bedroom match.
| Metric | Montreal | Trois-Rivières |
| Average rent | $1,605/month (unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent, August 2026) | Approximately $980/month (all unit types, October 2025) |
| Year-over-year change | -5.2% | +15.2% |
| Vacancy rate | 3.1% (Montreal Island) | 2.7% |
Sources: liv.rent’s August 2026 Montreal Rent Report; CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report (October 2025 survey, released December 11, 2025), as reported by FRAPRU’s summary of the CMHC data.
What the gap means over a year
Comparing the two averages, the gap works out to roughly $625 a month, or about $7,500 a year, in Trois-Rivières’ favour. Because CMHC’s Trois-Rivières figure blends unit types, it’s best read as a broad market benchmark rather than a one-bedroom-specific estimate.
What does everyday cost of living look like beyond rent?
Rent is the largest line item, but getting around adds to the picture. A Monthly, All Modes A pass, the standard adult fare covering Montreal’s STM network, costs $110 and covers travel within Zone A, effective July 1, 2026. Trois-Rivières’ Société de transport de Trois-Rivières (STTR) set its 2026 general monthly pass at $81. Trois-Rivières is also a more car-dependent city than Montreal, so renters who don’t drive should budget time, not just money, around a smaller bus network.
A tighter market than the headline suggests
Trois-Rivières’ vacancy rate sat at 2.7% in CMHC’s October 2025 survey, indicating a relatively tight market despite lower absolute rents than Montreal. That’s tighter than it sounds next to the city’s lower average rent: fewer available units can put upward pressure on asking rents at turnover, even while Trois-Rivières remains cheaper than Montreal in absolute terms.
What are Quebec’s 2026 TAL rent-increase rules?
Quebec’s residential lease rules are administered by the Tribunal administratif du logement, which sets a base percentage each year that feeds into a rent-increase calculation. For a notice of lease modification given on or after January 1, 2026, TAL lists a base percentage of 3.1% applicable to rent, down from 4.5% under the previous notice period. That figure is one input into a calculation specific to each building and dwelling, not an automatic increase every landlord can charge, and it applies the same way in Montreal and Trois-Rivières.
A simpler formula
The rules that took effect January 1, 2026, also simplified how TAL calculates a rent increase, replacing nine separate expense categories, from electricity to management costs, with three: a base percentage on rent, a percentage for services of a personal nature, and an allowance for capital expenditures, which stayed at 5% in both years.
What 3.1% looks like in dollars, and the new-build exception
As a rough illustration only, since TAL calculates each case individually, 3.1% works out to about $30 a month on Trois-Rivières’ roughly $980 average and about $50 a month on Montreal’s $1,605 one-bedroom average. Renters in both cities can generally refuse a rent increase and stay in their unit while TAL settles the matter, with one exception. For a building constructed or converted to residential use five years ago or less, the lease itself must state that restriction, and a tenant in that situation cannot refuse the increase and remain. The choice is to accept the new rent or move out.
Are security deposits legal in Quebec?
No, not in Montreal, not in Trois-Rivières, not anywhere in the province. Under Article 1904 of the Civil Code of Quebec, a landlord may require no more than one month’s rent in advance and cannot demand any additional sum, described in the law as a deposit or otherwise, as a condition of the lease. That rules out damage deposits, extra last-month’s-rent deposits, and key deposits above the cost of an actual replacement key. The law also says a landlord cannot demand a postdated cheque, though a tenant and landlord remain free to agree to one voluntarily.
If a landlord asks anyway
A renter who is asked for a deposit can decline, and contact TAL or a local housing legal clinic for next steps if the landlord insists. As of April 1, 2026, a rent-fixing, rent-revision, or rent-reduction application costs $92 when the monthly rent is more than $600. This is general information, not legal advice, and a renter with a specific dispute should speak with TAL directly or a housing legal clinic.
Is moving from Montreal to Trois-Rivières worth it?
For remote workers and students, often. For anyone commuting into Montreal regularly, it depends on how often. Trois-Rivières sits roughly 140 kilometres from Montreal, about one hour and 40 minutes by highway in normal traffic. By coach, Orléans Express scheduled four daily departures between the two downtowns as of this writing, with an average trip of about two hours and 15 minutes; schedules and fares can change, so confirm current details before budgeting around a regular commute.
Who benefits most
Someone earning a Montreal salary while living in Trois-Rivières captures the full rent gap with no offsetting commute cost. Students at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières are in a similar position, renting in a market built around a large student population. A hybrid worker travelling into Montreal one or two days a week may still come out ahead once fuel, parking, or coach fares are weighed against the rent savings, though the math depends on the specific costs involved. A daily commuter has the least room: five round trips a week on Orléans Express, or the equivalent in gas, parking, and vehicle wear, eats into the advantage fast.
How to vet a rental in Montreal or Trois-Rivières
Every residential lease in Quebec has used TAL’s mandatory standard lease form since September 1, 1996, and two sections are worth reading closely before signing, in either city. Section G requires the landlord to disclose the lowest rent paid for the dwelling in the 12 months before the new lease starts. Section F applies to buildings five years old or less: it must state that the unit is exempt from a tenant’s right to refuse a rent increase, along with the maximum rent permitted during the building’s first five years in use.
Search both markets on liv.rent
Before viewing a unit, ask the landlord directly what the previous tenant paid and how old the building is. On liv.rent, renters can use built-in messaging and verified listing details to ask landlords key questions before booking a viewing, then browse Montreal and Trois-Rivières listings side by side and complete a Trust Score profile so their application stands out to landlords in either city. For a full walkthrough of Quebec’s 2026 rent rules, see liv.rent’s Quebec rent increase guide, and for more on renting in the province, browse liv.rent’s rental resources or read the renter’s guide to using liv.rent.
Is Trois-Rivières actually cheaper to rent in than Montreal in 2026?
The available data points that way, though the comparison isn’t one-to-one. liv.rent’s August 2026 Montreal Rent Report puts the average unfurnished one-bedroom in Montreal at $1,605 a month, while CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report puts Trois-Rivières’ overall average rent at roughly $980 a month as of October 2025. That works out to a gap of about $625 a month, though the two figures use different methods and unit scopes.
What is Quebec's TAL rent-increase base percentage for 2026?
For a notice of lease modification given on or after January 1, 2026, the Tribunal administratif du logement lists a base percentage of 3.1%, down from 4.5% under the previous notice period. It’s one input into a calculation specific to each building, not a fixed cap every landlord can charge, and it applies the same way in Montreal and Trois-Rivières.
Can a landlord ask for a security deposit in Montreal or Trois-Rivières?
No. Article 1904 of the Civil Code of Quebec limits what a landlord can require in advance to one month’s rent, province-wide. Damage deposits, extra last-month’s-rent deposits, and demands for postdated cheques are all prohibited, and a renter who’s asked for one can decline and contact TAL or a housing legal clinic if the landlord insists.
Can you live in Trois-Rivières and commute to Montreal for work?
It’s workable but demanding as a daily habit. The two downtowns sit roughly 140 kilometres apart by road, about one hour and 40 minutes driving, with Orléans Express also running coach service between the two. Renters commuting a couple of days a week tend to keep most of the rent savings; a five day a week commute erodes the advantage quickly. Check current schedules and fares before relying on the commute in a budget.
What is the average rent in Trois-Rivières in 2026?
CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report, covering the October 2025 survey and released December 11, 2025, put Trois-Rivières’ average rent across all unit types at roughly $980 a month, up 15.2% year-over-year, with a 2.7% vacancy rate. CMHC does not publish a one-bedroom-specific figure for Trois-Rivières at the same level of detail as its major-centre reports.
What is the average rent in Montreal in 2026?
According to liv.rent’s August 2026 Montreal Rent Report, the average unfurnished one-bedroom apartment in Montreal cost $1,605 a month, up 1.2% from July but 5.2% below the same month a year earlier. Villeray-Parc-Extension was the most affordable tracked neighbourhood at $1,368, and Downtown the most expensive at $1,819.
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