Many renters assume the best amenities rental buildings Calgary offers always come with a big rent premium, but that is only partly true. On September 28, 2026, the lowest one-bedroom asking rents we confirmed at six of the seven buildings below ran $14 to $353 a month above the $1,442 unfurnished one-bedroom average in liv.rent’s September 2026 rent report. This guide sorts each building by what you pay for and what you will really use.
No. In September 2026, the average unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent in Calgary was $1,442, down 5.3% from a year earlier and down from $1,465 in August, according to liv.rent’s September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. At the six buildings where we could confirm a one-bedroom price on September 28, 2026, the entry-level rent sat 1% to 24% above that average, and several advertised move-in offers.
A softer market explains the gap. The City of Calgary reports a market vacancy rate of 5.1% in 2025, with 6.7% in the highest rent quartile against 4.4% in the lowest. CMHC‘s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, as reported by The Canadian Press on June 9, 2026, says landlords are advertising multiple months of waived rent, free or discounted parking, gift cards, and move-in credits, and that vacancies were highest in buildings completed after 2020.
Alberta does not cap rent increases, and liv.rent’s September 2026 rent report notes that rent cannot rise during a fixed term or until at least 365 days after the tenancy began or the last increase, a rule Service Alberta’s rent increase guide also covers. A free month therefore lowers your first-year cost but says nothing about your renewal rent, so ask what it will be. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which seven Calgary buildings have the best amenities?
BLVD Beltline, One Park Central, The International, Upten, Podium, Stratus, and Eleven have the fullest amenity sets we could confirm on owner or manager websites. All seven have a gym and some kind of shared work space, and five have a pool.
The rents below are owner or manager “from” asking rents read on September 28, 2026, and they change often. They are not the same measure as the citywide average, which counts current asking rents across every building type.
| Building | Area | Pool | Gym | Work space | One-bedroom from (September 28, 2026) | Move-in offer or included |
| BLVD Beltline | Beltline | Outdoor | Two-storey gym, yoga and spin studio | Co-working space | $1,795 | Banner reads up to two months free (terms apply); deposits from $1,000 on select suites |
| One Park Central | Beltline | Rooftop | Technogym fitness club, spin and yoga | Co-working spaces | Not confirmed | Up to two months free on select suites; $1,000 bonus for moves by October 15 |
| The International | Downtown | Indoor, plus hot tub and sauna | Boxing gym and spin studio | Co-working spaces, meeting room | $1,634 | Heat and water included |
| Upten | Beltline | None listed | 24/7 fitness centre | Meeting rooms, coffee lounge | $1,699 | Gas and water included; $1,000 deposit |
| Podium | Trinity Hills | Outdoor | Commercial-grade gym | Co-working space | $1,456 | One month free and three months free storage on a one-year lease |
| Stratus | Trinity Hills | Outdoor | Commercial-grade gym | Co-working space | $1,680 | $1,000 move-in credit on a one-year lease |
| Eleven | Beltline | None listed | Gym and yoga studio | Work-share space | $1,690 to $1,725 | Up to two months free on select suites |
Every one-bedroom figure above is a starting rent for the smallest or cheapest suite on the page that day, and one-year lease terms usually apply to the offers.
What are you paying for at the two Beltline towers with the longest amenity lists?
BLVD Beltline and One Park Central have the longest amenity lists on this list, and both come with a pool. The price of that breadth shows most at BLVD, so decide which features you will use weekly before you pay for the rest.
BLVD Beltline
BLVD Beltline, at 1229 Macleod Trail SE, lists an outdoor pool, a two-storey fitness centre with a yoga, barre, and spin studio, a co-working space, a sky lounge, a fire lounge with six commercial-grade barbecues, a golf simulator, an outdoor cinema, a workshop and makerspace, a dog park and pet spa, and 12 electric vehicle charging stalls, according to BLVD’s amenities page.
On September 28, 2026, BLVD’s floor plans page showed one-bedroom suites from $1,795 for a 537-square-foot plan labelled “Affordable” with an asterisk, then $1,895 for a 539-square-foot plan, with larger one-bedrooms up to $2,555. Ask leasing what the asterisk means. A banner offered up to two months free next to two-bedrooms starting at $2,370, without saying which suites qualify, and the page listed security deposits as low as $1,000 on select suites (terms apply). The starting one-bedroom price is $353, or about 24%, above the September 2026 citywide average, the widest gap on this list. The pool is outdoors, so in Calgary you pay for it mainly in the warm months. Renters who will use the gym, the co-working space, and the dog park every week get the most from it, while the golf simulator, cinema, and makerspace are worth weighing carefully.
One Park Central
One Park Central, at the corner of 12 Avenue and 4 Street above Central Memorial Park in the Beltline, lists a rooftop pool deck, a Technogym fitness club with spin and yoga studios and scheduled classes, co-working spaces, a games room, a golf simulator, a Sky Lounge with a bar and dining room, a pet spa, guest suites, and heated underground parking, according to the building’s amenities page.
We could not confirm a current one-bedroom rent on the owner’s site, so ask leasing for today’s number before you compare. The owner’s home page advertised up to two months free on select suites, plus a $1,000 move-in bonus for moves by October 15, for renters who tour in person and apply within 24 hours. The building suits renters who will attend the fitness classes and use the co-working hub on a routine, while the golf simulator and Sky Lounge pay off mainly if you host.
Which downtown buildings give you a gym, and maybe a pool, without the top rent?
The International gives you a full gym, work space, and the only indoor pool on this list at a starting one-bedroom price $161 below BLVD’s. Upten has no pool, so it suits renters who mostly want a 24/7 gym and a quiet place to take calls.
The International
The International, at 220 4 Ave SW, lists an indoor pool, a hot tub and sauna, a fitness centre with a boxing gym and spin studio, a theatre, a games room, a rooftop garden with grills, co-working spaces, a meeting room, and a dog grooming station, according to Minto’s building page. The building connects to downtown through the Plus 15 skywalk, and the page says it kept the concierge and overnight security of its days as a hotel.
On September 28, 2026, one-bedroom suites of 500 to 600 square feet were listed from $1,634 to $1,845 a month, with heat and water included. The starting price is $192, or about 13%, above the September 2026 citywide average, and the included utilities narrow that gap in practice. The one month free offer covered select penthouse suites only, so a standard one-bedroom renter should not count on it. The indoor pool and sauna make this the best fit for winter swimmers.
Upten
Upten, at 201 10 Ave SE, is a 38-storey building with 379 suites. It lists a 24/7 fitness centre with a squat rack, third-floor meeting rooms and a coffee lounge with a free espresso machine, a 38th-floor Sky Lounge with grills and fire pits, a pet wash, a guest suite, and electric vehicle charging, according to Upten’s own building guide from March 20, 2026.
On September 28, 2026, Upten’s floor plans page showed one-bedrooms from $1,699 (535 square feet at minimum), a price it says already includes any promotional savings. The page also listed gas and water as included, a $1,000 security deposit, parking at $200 a month, and a pet fee of $50 a month. The starting price is $257, or about 18%, above the September 2026 citywide average.
Are the Trinity Hills buildings the best value for a pool?
Podium is the lowest-priced pool building on this list, starting at $1,456 for a one-bedroom, and Stratus, also in Trinity Hills, starts at $1,680 with a $1,000 move-in credit. The trade-off is location, in far southwest Calgary near Canada Olympic Park, so confirm your commute on a map.
Podium
Podium, at 8620 Canada Olympic Dr SW, lists an outdoor pool, a commercial-grade fitness centre with free weights, a clubhouse, a golf simulator, a co-working space, an event space with a kitchen, electric vehicle charging, a pet wash station, and heated underground parking, according to Podium’s amenities page.
On September 28, 2026, Podium’s floor plans page listed one-bedrooms of 505 to 608 square feet at $1,456 to $1,646. The owner advertised one month of free rent and three months of free storage on a one-year lease. By our arithmetic, one free month on a $1,456 rent brings the first-year average to about $1,335 a month. The starting price is $14, or about 1%, above the September 2026 citywide average of $1,442, and $65 below the $1,521 Southwest quadrant figure in the September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. Pets cost a one-time $300 plus $25 a month each.
Stratus
Stratus, at 1550 Na’a Dr SW, lists an outdoor pool, a commercial-grade fitness centre with free weights, a clubhouse, a golf simulator, community fire pits and barbecues, a co-working space, an event space with a kitchen, electric vehicle charging, and a heated underground parkade, according to Stratus’s site and the manager’s listing.
On September 28, 2026, the manager’s leasing page showed one-bedrooms of 545 to 597 square feet at $1,680 to $1,855, one-bedrooms with a den from $1,755, and a $1,000 move-in credit for a one-year lease. By our arithmetic, spreading the credit over 12 months brings $1,680 down to about $1,597. Before the credit, the starting price is $238, or about 17%, above the September 2026 citywide average, and $159 above the Southwest quadrant figure of $1,521 in liv.rent’s September 2026 report.
Is Eleven worth it if you mainly want a gym and a dog run?
Yes, if a gym, a yoga studio, and a rooftop dog run are your priorities, because Eleven prices those features without a pool. Its starting rents sit closer to the city average than BLVD’s, though not below it.
Eleven, at 1055 11 St SW, calls itself the Beltline’s tallest tower on the building’s site, which lists an outdoor patio and lounge, a rooftop dog run, and a work-share space. The property manager’s page adds a fully equipped fitness centre, a yoga and wellness studio, a rooftop patio with a barbecue, a dog wash, free bicycle storage, and an electric vehicle charger in the parkade.
On September 28, 2026, a one-bedroom started at about $1,690 on the manager’s page and $1,725 on the building’s own site, so ask which is current. Either figure is $248 to $283, or about 17% to 20%, above the $1,442 citywide average in liv.rent’s September 2026 report. Both pages advertised up to two months free on select suites, and parking was $175 a month per stall.
Do you actually use your amenities in a Calgary rental building?
That depends on how many features you will use every week, and crowding at peak hours matters as much as the equipment list. A renter who had lived in three downtown towers wrote on r/Calgary in July 2025 that they would never use one building’s gym because it was crowded, and said another building’s gym was too small for how many people lived in the building.
The same r/Calgary thread raised two more checks. The poster said a building’s pool was almost never usable because residents’ guests held large parties, and a commenter argued that amenities are shared spaces that “wouldn’t be necessary if the suites weren’t so small.” On September 28, 2026, the smallest one-bedrooms listed at The International, BLVD, Podium, Stratus, and Eleven ran about 500 to 545 square feet. The Calgary Herald reported on June 10, 2026 that economists tie falling asking rents to higher vacancy in newer, more expensive purpose-built rentals, which are less desirable than older, more spacious flats.
Two tests help. First, tour at 6 p.m. on a weekday and look at the gym and pool, not only the lounge, and ask what the guest rules are. Second, divide the premium by your visits. By our arithmetic, The International’s $192 premium over the September 2026 city average is about $12 a visit at four workouts a week, and BLVD’s $353 is about $22 a visit, though the premium also pays for everything else you use.
What extra costs and terms should you check before you sign?
Check parking, pet fees, and the conditions on move-in offers, because they change your real monthly cost more than any amenity does. On September 28, 2026, parking was $175 a month per stall at Eleven and $200 a month at Upten, and pet fees ran from $25 to $50 a month per pet at Podium, Upten, and Eleven, although Eleven’s own pages showed two different pet figures.
In Alberta, a security deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent at the start of the tenancy, according to Service Alberta, under the province’s Residential Tenancies Act. Several buildings above advertised deposits of $1,000 on select suites, and the Podium and Stratus offers require a one-year lease, so get each offer written into your lease. Read liv.rent’s guide to rent deposits in Alberta for more, and remember this is general information, not legal advice.
Then choose an older or simpler building and keep the difference. CMHC senior economist Taylor Pardy told the Calgary Herald in June 2026 that older units “may have a bit more space” and rent at a more affordable rate, and the Herald reported a 2.4% vacancy rate for units built from 1980 to 1999, against 5% overall.
Our guide to affordable rental buildings in Calgary covers buildings with lower asking rents. If you are also weighing Alberta’s other big city, see the best amenities in Edmonton. You can also browse Calgary rental listings on liv.rent to compare more buildings, and liv.rent’s monthly rent reports track the citywide numbers.
Featured on liv.rent
Credo and Blume both have moderate amenity sets that suit renters who want a gym and community space without a resort-style amenity list.
Credo
Credo, at 1820 26 Ave SW in Bankview, has 125 suites, a fitness centre, a recreation room, a community lounge and kitchen, a dog run, electric vehicle charging, a bike wash, and an outdoor courtyard, according to the owner’s page. On September 28, 2026, a one-bedroom was listed at $1,509 a month after a promotion of up to two months free (available October 1, 2026), with heat and water included, which is $67, or about 5%, above the $1,442 citywide average in liv.rent’s September 2026 report. Listed fees were $150 a month for underground parking, $30 for storage, $35 for a pet, and a $499 deposit. It lists no pool or co-working room, so it fits a renter who wants a gym and a dog run at a lower price. See Credo’s liv.rent building page for current listings.
Blume
Blume, at 4755 Dalton Dr NW, lists a fitness centre for residents, a lounge and community rooms, a rooftop patio, shared barbecue areas, a pet wash, underground parking, and bike storage, according to Blume’s amenities page. The owner says the building is a short walk from Dalhousie LRT Station and was named the Calgary Residential Rental Association’s 2024 New Building of the Year. Rent was not shown in the text of the owner’s floor plans page, so check the current price before you tour. See Blume’s liv.rent building page for current listings.
Are Calgary apartments with a pool and gym much more expensive?
Not always. On September 28, 2026, the lowest one-bedroom rents we confirmed at six amenity buildings ran $1,456 to $1,795, or 1% to 24% above the $1,442 citywide unfurnished average in liv.rent‘s September 2026 rent report. Move-in offers such as free months or credits can narrow that gap for the first year.
Do you actually use the amenities in a luxury apartment building?
It depends on crowding and your routine. A r/Calgary renter wrote in July 2025 that one building’s gym was very small for its number of residents. Tour at 6 p.m. on a weekday, check guest rules for the pool, and divide the rent premium by your real visits.
Which Calgary apartment buildings have a pool?
Five of the seven buildings in this guide list a pool on owner or manager sites as of September 28, 2026: BLVD Beltline (outdoor), One Park Central (rooftop), The International (indoor), Podium (outdoor), and Stratus (outdoor). Upten and Eleven list gyms and lounges but no pool.
Which Calgary rental buildings have co-working space?
BLVD Beltline, One Park Central, The International, Podium, and Stratus list co-working spaces, and Upten lists meeting rooms and a coffee lounge. Eleven lists a work-share space.
Can I negotiate rent at a Calgary building with amenities?
Often yes, because the market is softer. liv.rent‘s September 2026 rent report put Calgary’s unfurnished one-bedroom average at $1,442, down 5.3% year over year, and several buildings advertise free months or credits. Alberta does not cap rent increases, so ask about the renewal rent and get every offer in writing. General information, not legal advice.
What extra fees come with Calgary amenity buildings?
Parking and pet fees add the most. On September 28, 2026, parking was $175 a month per stall at Eleven and $200 at Upten, and pet fees ran $25 to $50 a month per pet at Podium, Upten, and Eleven. Alberta caps a security deposit at one month’s rent. General information, not legal advice.
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