A new report shows that Medicine Hat is the third most affordable Canadian city in terms of rental costs. Courtesy: Sparky2000/Dreamstime

By David Opinko

Rental Rates

Medicine Hat remains as one of the most affordable cities to rent in Canada

Dec 8, 2025 | 1:40 PM

More than half of Canada’s 10 most affordable cities for rent are in Alberta.

Rentals.ca and Urbanation have released the latest National Rent Report, covering reported costs for November 2025.

Of the 60 communities analyzed, Medicine Hat was the third most affordable for rent.

The average cost for all apartment sizes was $1,577 per month.

One-bedroom apartments in Medicine Hat rented for $1,223 per month, dropping by 0.4 per cent from one month ago and one per cent from the same time last year.

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Units in Medicine Hat with two rooms cost $1,394 on a monthly basis, which is one per cent higher than in October, and up only 0.1 per cent annually.

Airdrie was the most expensive community in Alberta that was included, even beating out Calgary. It had the 35th-highest prices nationally, with an average of $2,024 for all apartment sizes.

The list of all Alberta communities in descending order of price is available below. The number in brackets represents its place on the national list out of 60:

• Airdrie (35)
  • Total: $2,024/month
  • One bedroom: $1,418/month, -7% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,777/month, -0.3% annually
• Calgary (43)
  • Total: $1,888/month
  • One bedroom: $1,539/month, -5.8% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,860/month, -0.7% annually
• Edmonton (51)
  • Total: $1,616/month
  • One bedroom: $1,404/month, -2.3% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,816/month, -1% annually
• Lethbridge (53)
  • Total: $1,577/month
  • One bedroom: $1,365/month, +1.4% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,615/month, -0.5% annually
• Red Deer (55)
  • Total: $1,562/month
  • One bedroom: $1,240/month, +0.2% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,446/month, +1.5% annually
• Fort McMurray (57)
  • Total: $1,391/month
  • One bedroom: $1,178/month, -1.8% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,384/month, -1.4% annually
• Medicine Hat (58)
  • Total: $1,394/month
  • One bedroom: $1,223/month, -1% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,394/month, +1% annually
• Lloydminster – Alberta side (59)
  • Total: $1,229/month
  • One bedroom: $1,045/month, +4.3% annually
  • Two bedrooms: $1,321/month, -0.1% annually

Medicine Hat remains under the provincial average for rental costs. Albertans can expect to pay around $1,755 per month for a rental unit, which decreased by 5.7 per cent over the last year.

The most expensive city in Canada was, once again, North Vancouver. The average cost of rent there was $3,018 per month in November.

You can read the full National Rent Report on rentals.ca.

– With files from Jesse Gill.