The average rent in Burlington was $2,106 for an unfurnished one-bedroom in October 2026, according to liv.rent’s Ontario rent report, which counts asking rents. CMHC’s Rental Market Survey for October 2025, which measures occupied purpose-built rental units, puts Burlington’s one-bedroom average lower, at $1,744, and its two-bedroom average at $2,050. The next section compares rents across nearby areas, and the last section answers whether buying beats renting. Rents and prices are as of the date this post was published, and they change, so confirm the current rent with the landlord before you decide.
Where to rent near Burlington: average rent by area
CMHC’s Rental Market Survey for October 2025 put average rent in Burlington at $1,744 for a one-bedroom and $2,050 for a two-bedroom. Of the five areas in our table, that makes Burlington the second-highest, below Oakville and above the three Hamilton-area zones. CMHC publishes Burlington as a single zone, not as neighbourhoods, so the figures cannot show where inside the city rent is higher or lower.
The table below comes from CMHC’s Hamilton survey table, which lists Burlington as one of its zones, and CMHC’s Toronto survey table for Oakville. Both give average rents for October 2025 in occupied purpose-built rental units.
| Area | One-bedroom | Two-bedroom |
| Burlington | $1,744 | $2,050 |
| Oakville | $1,915 | $2,309 |
| Hamilton Downtown Core | $1,398 | $1,643 |
| Ancaster/Dundas/Flamborough/Glanbrook | $1,494 | $1,818 |
| Grimsby and Stoney Creek | $1,230 | $1,408 |
In CMHC’s October 2025 survey, Oakville was the highest of the areas in our table, at $1,915 for a one-bedroom and $2,309 for a two-bedroom, with Burlington next at $1,744 and $2,050. Grimsby and Stoney Creek was the lowest, at $1,230 and $1,408. Hamilton Downtown Core ($1,398 and $1,643) and Ancaster/Dundas/Flamborough/Glanbrook ($1,494 and $1,818) sit between Burlington and Grimsby and Stoney Creek. These are CMHC zones, not neighbourhoods, and each CMHC table has zones we leave out, so none of these is a city-wide lowest or highest.
liv.rent measures something different. Its October 2026 Ontario rent report counts asking rents only, and puts the average unfurnished one-bedroom at $2,106 in Burlington, $2,133 in Oakville, and $1,619 in Hamilton in October 2026. CMHC’s averages cover occupied units, many on older leases, so they can sit below today’s asking rents, and the report’s figures are for cities rather than CMHC zones, so the two sets do not line up row by row.
To see what is available now, browse liv.rent’s Burlington rental listings. The rest of this post puts these rents beside the cost of owning a Burlington apartment, and the short answer is in the last section.
How we compared owning with renting in Burlington in October 2026
We compared the monthly cost of owning a Burlington apartment, bought at the September 2026 typical apartment price, with CMHC’s October 2025 average rents and liv.rent’s October 2026 asking rent, then followed each side’s net worth for 25 years. Whoever spends less in a given month invests the difference, and the renter invests the down payment and closing costs on day one. Break-even is the first year-end at which selling the apartment would leave the owner with a net worth at least equal to the renter’s. The result is an illustration, not advice.
One shared calculator produces every number, running each rent against the same price, flat and up 2% a year. The table lists what stays frozen across liv.rent’s buy-vs-rent posts.
| Assumption | What we used |
| Price data month | September 2026 |
| Rent data | CMHC Rental Market Survey, October 2025: average rent of occupied purpose-built rental units in CMHC’s Burlington zone. liv.rent’s October 2026 asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom is shown beside it |
| Down payment | 20%, so no mortgage insurance premium |
| Mortgage | 4.50% five-year fixed, held for the whole period; 25-year amortization |
| Closing costs | Ontario land transfer tax on the standard schedule with no exemptions, plus $3,000 for legal and inspection |
| Condo fee and insurance | $500 a month, rising 2.2% a year |
| Property tax | The city’s 2026 all-in residential rate applied to the apartment price, rising 2.2% a year |
| Rent growth | 2.2% a year |
| Investment return | 4.0% a year on any money not spent on housing |
| Selling costs | 4% of the sale price |
| Home price scenarios | Flat, and 2% a year |
| Not counted | Tenant insurance, maintenance beyond the condo fee, tax on investment returns |
One input differs from liv.rent’s Metro Vancouver buy-vs-rent post, which used October 2026 asking rents: the main rents here are CMHC averages from its October 2025 survey. They cover occupied units, many on older leases, so they sit below current asking rents. Someone signing a new lease now would likely pay more than these averages, so the real month-one gap against CMHC rents may be wider than shown. We also ran liv.rent’s October 2026 asking one-bedroom rent as a third pairing. The rent bases differ, so gaps here are not like for like with the Vancouver post’s.
These are assumptions, not forecasts. The 4.50% rate is a round figure picked for the series rather than a lender’s quote, and we ran no other rates. The 2.2% rent growth is also an assumption, set slightly above the guideline: the Government of Ontario lists Ontario’s rent increase guideline at 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027 (page updated June 23, 2026), and says new buildings, additions and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential use after November 15, 2018 are exempt from rent control.
Which Burlington price, rents and tax rate did we use?
We used a $504,000 apartment price (TRREB, September 2026), CMHC average rents of $1,744 for a one-bedroom and $2,050 for a two-bedroom (October 2025 survey), liv.rent’s $2,106 one-bedroom asking rent (October 2026), and the City of Burlington’s 2026 residential tax rate of $10.15281 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) put Burlington’s typical apartment price at $504,000 in September 2026, down 4.39% from a year earlier, in its MLS Home Price Index tables. It is a reference price built from the MLS Home Price Index, not an average of sales. In the same tables Oakville’s was $552,100 (down 6.20%), so Burlington’s sat $48,100 lower (our arithmetic). Sales are thin: TRREB’s Market Watch for September 2026 recorded 24 condo apartment sales in Burlington, with a median of $490,000, so we use the index instead.
CMHC’s Rental Market Survey for October 2025 gives averages of $1,744 for a one-bedroom and $2,050 for a two-bedroom in its Burlington zone, both rated excellent for reliability. The zone sits inside CMHC’s Hamilton census metropolitan area and the pages do not define its boundaries, so it may not match the city limits or TRREB’s coverage. CMHC’s zone summary put the zone’s vacancy rate at 2.0% in October 2025, against 3.5% for the Hamilton area as a whole.
liv.rent’s October 2026 Ontario rent report puts Burlington’s average unfurnished one-bedroom at $2,106 in October 2026, which is $362 (20.8%) above CMHC’s one-bedroom average (our arithmetic). The report counts asking rents only, excluding listings over $5,000 and rooms. TRREB’s apartment price is not tied to a bedroom count, so we run it against all three rents.
For property tax we used the City of Burlington’s 2026 final residential rate for the urban area, $10.15281 per $1,000 of assessed value, from the City’s Paying Property Taxes page (issued June 11, 2026). Per $100,000 of assessment, the City’s tax bill page (issued June 23, 2026) shows $528.11 for the City, $334.18 for Halton Region, and $153.00 for education. On a $504,000 price, that is about $5,117 a year, or $426 in month one (our arithmetic). We grew it 2.2% a year and did not add user fees or utility charges.
Oakville’s rate provides the tax contrast with Burlington’s. The Town of Oakville lists its 2026 final residential rate at $8.50960 per $1,000, and its 2026 final tax rate summary shows the Town’s own portion at $3.64585 per $1,000, against Burlington’s $5.28106 (from the rate table in the City’s 2026 Approved Budget Book). Halton Region’s share is almost identical ($333.38 per $100,000 in Oakville in 2026, against Burlington’s $334.18, on Halton Region’s property tax page) and education is $153.00 in both, so the gap sits in the municipal portion. Applied to each city’s own September 2026 price, tax comes to about $5,117 a year in Burlington and $4,698 in Oakville (our arithmetic).
One caution. Ontario property tax is the combined city, regional and education rates multiplied by the home’s assessed value from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), and MPAC says assessments for the 2026 tax year continue to be based on fully phased-in January 1, 2016 current values (MPAC, The Assessment Cycle). A home bought in 2026 therefore normally carries an assessment below its price, so applying the rate to the $504,000 price likely overstates the tax. We show a bound below: the same runs with tax set to $0.
Monthly cost in Burlington: owning at $3,158 against rent from $1,744 to $2,106
On September 2026 prices and rents from CMHC’s October 2025 survey and liv.rent’s October 2026 report, owning costs more than renting in month one in all three pairings, by $1,052 to $1,414 a month, according to the shared calculator. In this post, owner cost is the mortgage payment plus property tax plus the fixed $500 a month for condo fee and insurance.
| Pairing | Mortgage payment | Owner cost, month one | Rent (source and date) | Owner cost above rent |
| Against CMHC one-bedroom rent | $2,232 | $3,158 | $1,744 (CMHC, October 2025) | $1,414 |
| Against CMHC two-bedroom rent | $2,232 | $3,158 | $2,050 (CMHC, October 2025) | $1,108 |
| Against liv.rent one-bedroom asking rent | $2,232 | $3,158 | $2,106 (liv.rent, October 2026) | $1,052 |
The closest pairing is liv.rent’s asking rent, the more current basis, where owning costs $1,052 more a month. The widest gap, $1,414, is against the CMHC one-bedroom average. The $2,232 mortgage payment alone is above all three rents. Picture a renter paying $2,106 in October 2026 who is weighing a $504,000 apartment (an illustration, not a real person): buying would add $1,052 a month and need $110,355 in cash up front, shown below.
| Up-front cash | Burlington |
| Apartment price (TRREB, September 2026) | $504,000 |
| 20% down payment | $100,800 |
| Ontario land transfer tax | $6,555 |
| Closing costs including $3,000 legal and inspection | $9,555 |
The land transfer tax uses the standard schedule on the Government of Ontario’s land transfer tax page (updated April 22, 2026): 0.5% up to $55,000, 1% to $250,000, 1.5% to $400,000, and 2% above $400,000 (a 2.5% band above $2 million for one or two single-family residences is not reached). On $504,000 that is $6,555 (our arithmetic), with no exemptions or refunds applied. The renter in the model invests the $110,355 on day one, which keeps the two sides comparable.
Does buying ever beat renting in Burlington?
Break-even, the first year-end when the owner’s net worth after selling costs is at least the renter’s, ranges from the 11th year to not at all within 25 years. With flat prices, the calculator found none inside 25 years in any pairing. With prices up 2% a year, it arrives in the 11th year against liv.rent’s asking rent and the 14th against CMHC’s two-bedroom average, but not against CMHC’s one-bedroom average.
| Pairing | Break-even, flat prices | Break-even, prices up 2% a year |
| Against CMHC one-bedroom rent | Not within 25 years | Not within 25 years |
| Against CMHC two-bedroom rent | Not within 25 years | 14th year |
| Against liv.rent one-bedroom asking rent | Not within 25 years | 11th year |
Net worth shows how far apart the paths are along the way. Each cell reads owner first, renter second.
| Pairing and price path | After five years | After 10 years | After 25 years |
| CMHC one-bedroom, flat | $129,845 / $225,505 | $191,312 / $359,114 | $483,840 / $906,455 |
| CMHC one-bedroom, up 2% a year | $180,203 / $225,505 | $297,270 / $359,114 | $793,791 / $906,455 |
| CMHC two-bedroom, flat | $129,845 / $204,379 | $191,312 / $309,858 | $483,840 / $710,604 |
| CMHC two-bedroom, up 2% a year | $180,203 / $204,379 | $297,270 / $309,858 | $793,791 / $710,604 |
| liv.rent one-bedroom, flat | $129,845 / $200,513 | $191,312 / $300,844 | $483,840 / $674,763 |
| liv.rent one-bedroom, up 2% a year | $180,203 / $200,513 | $297,270 / $300,844 | $793,791 / $674,763 |
The owner’s figures match across pairings because, with full property tax, the owner’s monthly cost stays above the renter’s throughout, so the owner has no surplus to invest; only the renter’s figures change with the rent. The 2% price path is a what-if, not a forecast: TRREB’s index put Burlington’s typical apartment price down 4.39% from September 2025 to September 2026.
We reran each pairing with property tax set to $0. That is a bound, not a realistic figure: real tax sits between the full-price figure and zero. Even at $0 tax, owning costs more than renting in month one in all three pairings, by $626 to $988 a month on September 2026 prices.
| Pairing | Owner cost above rent with tax at $0 | Break-even, flat prices | Break-even, prices up 2% a year |
| Against CMHC one-bedroom rent | $988 | Not within 25 years | Ninth year |
| Against CMHC two-bedroom rent | $682 | 22nd year | Fifth year |
| Against liv.rent one-bedroom asking rent | $626 | 19th year | Fourth year |
At zero tax, owner cost in month one is $2,732 on 2026 inputs (the $2,232 mortgage payment plus $500 for the condo fee and insurance). Break-even moves into the fourth to ninth year with prices up 2% a year, and to the 19th or 22nd year with flat prices against two of the rents. Real tax is not zero, so read these as the earliest dates the model could produce.
Who could buy in Burlington, and what could change the result?
On these September and October 2026 inputs, renting costs less in month one in every pairing, by $1,052 to $1,414 a month, and the answer serves two groups differently. A buyer who expects to hold for more than a decade and can carry that gap is the person for whom the numbers come closest to meeting, since with prices up 2% a year break-even arrives in the 11th or 14th year against two of the three rents. A renter who values flexibility, or whose cash flow cannot absorb the gap, is the person for whom the lower month-one cost matters most.
On the rent side, CMHC’s October 2025 survey put vacancy in the Burlington zone at 2.0%, below the 3.5% for the Hamilton area, which generally means fewer empty units competing for renters. We make no prediction about where rents go next.
On the owner side, Burlington’s higher tax rate matters. The City’s June 2026 bill page shows the all-in rate rose 4.50% over 2025, from $971.58 to $1,015.29 per $100,000, with the City’s own portion up 5.81%. Our model grows tax 2.2% a year, so faster rises would push owner costs above the tables. Because MPAC’s 2026 assessments rest on 2016 values, the real tax on a given apartment may be lower than our price-based figure; the $0 table is the outer bound, not an estimate.
Ontario’s land transfer tax refund for eligible first-time buyers is up to $4,000 (the Government of Ontario, page updated February 10, 2026), and the model does not apply it. At $504,000 the standard tax is $6,555, so a full refund would leave $2,555 payable (our arithmetic). Buyers must be at least 18, Canadian citizens or permanent residents, occupy the home within nine months, and never have owned an eligible home anywhere in the world, and must claim within 18 months after registration.
For owners and landlords reading the market, the tables show the carrying-cost side. In October 2026, liv.rent’s $2,106 average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom sits below the $2,232 mortgage payment alone, before property tax and the condo fee. An investor’s financing and costs would differ from our owner-occupier assumptions.
A different price path moves break-even by years, as the tables show; a different mortgage rate would move it too, and a specific building’s condo fee will differ from our $500 figure. CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, published June 9, 2026, does not mention Hamilton or Burlington, so the October 2025 survey is the CMHC reading we used. A 4% cost to sell also makes a move after only a few years expensive for an owner. This is general information rather than financial advice, and a mortgage broker can test these figures against your own situation.
What to check before you decide on a Burlington apartment
Start with the rent for the unit size you would actually live in, then compare it with a real condo fee, a real tax figure, and a mortgage quote for a specific apartment. Read liv.rent’s October 2026 Ontario rent report for current asking rents, and browse the rent reports for earlier months. To see what is available now, check liv.rent’s Burlington rental listings. Landlords weighing an increase can read liv.rent’s guide to Ontario rent increases, and the wider decision is covered in liv.rent’s guide to renting vs buying.
Renting vs buying in Burlington: the short answer
Renting costs less in month one. Owning a $504,000 Burlington apartment (TRREB, September 2026) costs $3,158 a month in our model, $1,052 to $1,414 more than the $1,744 to $2,106 in rent from CMHC’s October 2025 survey and liv.rent’s October 2026 report. With flat prices, buying does not catch up within 25 years. With prices up 2% a year, it catches up in the 11th year against liv.rent’s asking rent and the 14th against CMHC’s two-bedroom average, but not against the one-bedroom average.
The numbers come closest for a buyer who expects to hold for more than a decade and can carry that gap; renting matters most to someone who values flexibility or whose cash flow cannot absorb it. The Oakville tax gap matters too: Burlington’s 2026 rate is $10.15281 per $1,000 against Oakville’s $8.50960, though its typical apartment price was lower in September 2026 ($504,000 against $552,100). CMHC counts occupied units and liv.rent counts asking rents. This is an illustration, not a forecast or advice. For the national picture, see Canada’s 2026 price-to-rent ranking.
What is the average rent in Burlington, Ontario?
CMHC’s October 2025 survey put average rent in its Burlington zone at $1,744 for a one-bedroom and $2,050 for a two-bedroom. liv.rent‘s October 2026 Ontario rent report puts Burlington’s average unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent at $2,106. CMHC averages cover occupied units, so they sit below current asking rents.
Where is rent lowest near Burlington?
Of the five CMHC zones in our table, Grimsby and Stoney Creek had the lowest averages in the October 2025 survey, $1,230 for a one-bedroom and $1,408 for a two-bedroom, against $1,744 and $2,050 in Burlington. CMHC measures rents in occupied purpose-built units, so a lease signed today may cost more.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Burlington, Ontario?
Renting costs less in month one. In liv.rent‘s model, owning a $504,000 Burlington apartment (TRREB’s typical price for September 2026) costs $3,158 a month, against $1,744 to $2,106 in rent from CMHC’s October 2025 survey and liv.rent‘s October 2026 report. In the model, buying catches up only if prices rise, and only against some rents.
How much does it cost to own a condo in Burlington each month?
On liv.rent‘s assumptions, owning a $504,000 apartment bought with 20% down costs $3,158 in month one: a $2,232 mortgage payment at 4.50%, about $426 of property tax at the City of Burlington’s 2026 rate, and $500 for the condo fee and insurance. These are modelled figures for September 2026 prices, not a quote.
How much cash do you need to buy an apartment in Burlington?
At TRREB’s September 2026 typical apartment price of $504,000, a 20% down payment is $100,800 and closing costs are $9,555, including $6,555 of Ontario land transfer tax and $3,000 for legal and inspection. That totals $110,355. Eligible first-time buyers can claim an Ontario land transfer tax refund of up to $4,000.
How long does it take for buying to catch up with renting in Burlington?
With flat prices, liv.rent‘s model found no break-even within 25 years in any pairing. With prices up 2% a year, owning catches up in the 11th year against liv.rent‘s October 2026 asking rent and the 14th year against CMHC’s two-bedroom average, but not within 25 years against CMHC’s one-bedroom average.
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