The lowest starting price for a one-bedroom in this guide is $1,225 a month, which is $217 below the $1,442 city average in liv.rent’s September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. This post ranks seven buildings from the lowest starting price to the highest and shows what included heat and water, parking, pet fees, and location add to each. Every price is an owner-listed asking rent read on September 28, 2026, so confirm it before you apply.
What counts as an affordable rental building in Calgary?
In this post, a Calgary building counts as affordable when its cheapest one-bedroom starting price is at or below $1,442, the September 2026 unfurnished one-bedroom average in liv.rent’s September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. That average was down 5.3% from a year earlier, and August 2026 stood at $1,465. The report counts current asking rents and leaves out listings over $5,000 and rooms or shared accommodation.
Three cautions apply. First, the starting price is for the cheapest unit type in each building, not every suite, so a larger or renovated one-bedroom can cost more (where a cheaper type is on a waitlist, the starting price here is the cheapest one you can book now). Second, several owner pages, including Marda Loop and Falconcrest, say advertised prices already reflect promotional savings and assume a one-year lease, so the rent can rise when a promotion ends. Third, all seven picks are Mainstreet Equity buildings, because Mainstreet’s low-rise buildings had the lowest owner-listed one-bedroom prices. This is not a ranking of every rental in Calgary, since other landlords and property managers list units too. If you would rather pay more for pools and gyms, see the best amenities in Calgary.
How much cheaper is the Northeast than the Southwest?
Northeast Calgary had the lowest average unfurnished one-bedroom rent, at $1,268 in September 2026, against $1,521 in the Southwest. That is a $253 spread in the September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report, so the quadrant you search in can move a one-bedroom price by more than $250 a month.
Quadrant averages are not building prices, though. The cheapest Southwest pick here, Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments, lists a one-bedroom from $1,225, which is $296 under the September 2026 Southwest average of $1,521. Falconcrest Village, the one Northeast pick in this guide, lists from $1,299, above the $1,268 Northeast average. A quadrant average counts every asking rent, while a starting price is one building’s cheapest unit type, so a small building in a pricey quadrant can beat a bigger building in a cheap one.
Which seven Calgary buildings list a one-bedroom under the city average?
Seven owner-listed buildings show a one-bedroom from $1,225 to $1,299 a month as of September 28, 2026, all below the $1,442 city average from the September 2026 rent report. Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments and Mainstreet Plaza tie for the lowest starting price, and Falconcrest Village is the highest. The table sorts them from the lowest starting price to the highest.
| Rank | Building | Quadrant | 1-bed starting price (September 28, 2026) | Versus $1,442 city average (September 2026) | Included in rent | Extra costs listed by owner |
| 1 | Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments | SW | $1,225 | $217 below | Heat, water, electricity | $25 pet fee; surface parking on site, no fee stated |
| 2 | Mainstreet Plaza | SW | $1,225 | $217 below | Heat, water | Not listed on owner page |
| 3 | Mainstreet on Elbow | SW | $1,249 | $193 below | Heat, water | Surface and energized parking, no fee stated |
| 4 | College 1127 | NW | $1,250 | $192 below | Heat, water | $25 pet fee |
| 5 | Doverglen Estates | SE | $1,250 | $192 below | Heat, water | $25 monthly pet fee |
| 6 | Tuxedo Park Apartments | NW | $1,250 | $192 below | Heat, water | Not listed on owner page |
| 7 | Falconcrest Village | NE | $1,299 | $143 below | Water, heat, hot water, garbage (electricity extra) | $25 monthly parking, $25 monthly pet fee |
1. Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments: tied for lowest price, electricity included
Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments at 1832 27 Avenue SW lists a 600-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,225, and a bachelor from $1,150. According to the owner’s page, heat, water, and electricity are all included, which leaves internet as the only main utility to budget. The owner describes a boutique three-storey building with eight units and says bus routes 7 and 14 reach downtown and Mount Royal University in under 15 minutes. Cats and small dogs are welcome with a $25 pet fee, and the security deposit is $499.
2. Mainstreet Plaza: ties for lowest price
Mainstreet Plaza at 2403 33 Avenue SW lists a 550-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,225, tying Marda Loop for the lowest starting price in this guide. According to the owner’s page, heat and water are included. It is a three-storey walkup, and the owner advertises up to 1.5 months free on select suites, with a Safeway about three minutes away on foot. The page does not list a pet fee or parking cost, so ask before you tour.
3. Mainstreet on Elbow: surface and energized parking
Mainstreet on Elbow at 7107 Elbow Drive SW lists a one-bedroom from $1,249 (620 to 632 square feet), with heat and water included. The owner’s page lists surface and energized parking, along with suite balconies and dishwashers, though no parking fee is stated. Confirm current pricing and any pet policy directly with the owner.
4. College 1127: heat, water, and a two-minute walk to SAIT station
College 1127 at 1127 17 Avenue NW lists a 520-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,250, with heat and water included. The location may also help renters save on transportation: the owner says SAIT is right across the street, the SAIT LRT station is a two-minute walk away, and a ride to Kensington takes about 10 minutes, so a student or campus worker may not need a car. On-site laundry is listed, and the pet fee is $25.
5. Doverglen Estates: a move-in bonus and a dog park steps away
Doverglen Estates at 216 Doverglen Crescent SE lists a one-bedroom (479 to 675 square feet) from $1,250, with heat and water included. The owner advertises up to two months free on select units and a $250 move-in bonus on 12-month leases signed between September 21 and October 3, 2026, with move-in between October 1 and 5. It describes a four-storey walkup with transit directly across the street and the Southview off-leash dog park steps away. A $25 monthly pet fee applies, and two-bedrooms start at $1,825.
6. Tuxedo Park Apartments: a bachelor from $1,050
Tuxedo Park Apartments at 125 27 Avenue NW lists a 500-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,250, with heat and water included. The owner’s page lists a 300-square-foot bachelor from $1,050, the lowest bachelor price in this post, and a $499 security deposit. It also advertises free early move-in on rent-ready suites after July 17, 2026, on a 12-month lease. The page gives no parking, laundry, or pet details, so ask before you tour.
7. Falconcrest Village: the Northeast pick for roommates
Falconcrest Village at 360 Falshire Drive NE lists a 500-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,299. Its 800-square-foot two-bedroom starts at $1,315, only $16 more, which makes it the best fit here for a couple or two roommates splitting rent. According to the owner, water, heating, hot water, and garbage collection are included, tenants pay electricity separately, and reserved surface parking is $25 a month. The owner also says advertised prices already reflect promotional savings of up to 2.5 months free on select suites, so ask what the rent is when the offer ends. Direct bus service to McKnight-Westwinds and Saddletowne LRT stations is listed, along with a playground and shared green space.
What do included heat and water actually save?
All seven owner pages, read on September 28, 2026, list heat and water in the rent, so those two bills do not rise with your usage. Marda Loop goes further and includes electricity, while Falconcrest includes hot water and garbage but leaves electricity to the tenant. The useful number is your monthly total: rent plus parking, pet fees, and any electricity or internet.
Here is how the totals shift with parking, where an owner states a fee. Falconcrest, with its $25 reserved parking, comes to $1,324, the highest confirmed total among the seven once parking is added. Marda Loop’s listed rent remains $1,225 before any parking cost, which should be confirmed with the owner; Mainstreet Plaza and Tuxedo Park also do not state a parking fee, so confirm those too.
Every owner page also lists a $499 security deposit (Mainstreet notes it can vary with credit and rental history), so a move-in cash budget starts there. Alberta has its own rules on deposits, covered in liv.rent’s guide to rent deposits in Alberta; that guide is general information, not legal advice.
Are free-rent offers reliable, and what happens at renewal?
A free-rent offer lowers your first-year cost but not necessarily your second. Doverglen advertises up to two months free and Falconcrest up to 2.5 months, both on select suites. Mainstreet Equity’s third-quarter results release of August 5, 2026 reported improving vacancy and said tightening vacancy is expected to reduce leasing concessions, so today’s offers may not last.
Alberta does not cap rent increases, according to the September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. In Alberta, a monthly periodic tenancy needs at least three full tenancy months’ written notice of an increase, and no increase is allowed during a fixed term or until at least 365 days after the tenancy began or the last increase. Ask what the renewal rent looks like before you sign. This is general information about Alberta, not legal advice; the Government of Alberta’s residential tenancies page points landlords and tenants to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service and the Consumer Contact Centre.
Is it really a renter’s market in Calgary?
Calgary rents have eased, but a lower average does not make every listing cheap. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2026 mid-year rental market update, published June 9, 2026, put Calgary’s 2025 vacancy rate at 5.0%, inside its balanced range of 3.0% to 5.5%, and showed asking rents falling from a Q1 2024 index of 100.0 to 92.3 by Q4 2025. The September 2026 rent report has the unfurnished one-bedroom average at $1,442, down 5.3% year over year.
Renters still hit catches. The same CMHC update says Calgary, along with Halifax, stands out for the most significant deterioration in affordability in recent years, even as asking rent-to-income ratios fell for new tenants in Calgary and other major cities. The caveats for the seven buildings above are the ones already listed: parking and pet fees and promotions that end.
How can you check a cheap building before you apply?
Confirm three things in writing before you pay a deposit: the starting price and the unit type it applies to, what is included, and what the rent becomes after any promotion. Owner pages change often, and the prices in this post were read on a single day. You can compare current Calgary listings on liv.rent, follow the monthly rent reports to see whether the market is moving, and read the liv.rent guide for renters before you apply.
If a commute to care matters more than price, see rental buildings near hospitals in Calgary. Weighing a move north? Edmonton’s unfurnished one-bedroom average was $1,254 in the September 2026 rent report, and affordable rental buildings in Edmonton covers the cheapest buildings there.
Featured on liv.rent
One more liv.rent-listed building also lists a one-bedroom under the $1,442 city average as of September 28, 2026. Bankview 1711 at 1711 26 Avenue SW lists a 629-square-foot one-bedroom from $1,275 with heat and water included, underground parking available, card-operated laundry, and a $25 pet fee. Its starting price sits between Mainstreet on Elbow and Falconcrest Village in this guide’s ranking, but it was not verified to the same depth as the seven buildings above, so confirm current pricing and availability directly with the owner.
How much is rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Calgary?
The unfurnished one-bedroom average in Calgary was $1,442 in September 2026, according to liv.rent‘s Calgary and Edmonton rent report. Northeast Calgary averaged $1,268 and the Southwest $1,521. Owner-listed starting prices at seven low-rise buildings read on September 28, 2026 ran from $1,225 to $1,299 for the cheapest one-bedroom type.
Where can I find cheap apartments in Calgary with heat and water included?
Mainstreet Equity lists several low-rise buildings with heat and water in the rent. On September 28, 2026, owner pages showed one-bedrooms from $1,225 at Mainstreet Marda Loop Apartments and Mainstreet Plaza, $1,249 to $1,250 at Mainstreet on Elbow, College 1127, Doverglen Estates, and Tuxedo Park Apartments, and $1,299 at Falconcrest Village.
Which part of Calgary has the cheapest rent?
Northeast Calgary had the lowest average unfurnished one-bedroom rent in September 2026, at $1,268, per liv.rent‘s rent report. The Southwest is highest at $1,521, a $253 spread. A single building can still beat its quadrant average, so compare starting prices, included utilities, and parking rather than quadrant alone.
Is it a renter's market in Calgary right now?
Conditions have eased for new renters. CMHC’s June 9, 2026 mid-year update put Calgary’s 2025 vacancy rate at 5.0%, within its balanced range, and liv.rent‘s September 2026 report shows the one-bedroom average down 5.3% year over year. Cheap listings still carry catches such as parking fees and pet fees.
Can my landlord raise my rent after a free-rent promotion in Alberta?
Alberta does not cap rent increases. In a monthly periodic tenancy, a landlord must give at least three full tenancy months’ written notice, and cannot raise rent during a fixed term or until 365 days after the tenancy began or the last increase. Ask about renewal rent first. This is general information, not legal advice.
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