Average Manitoba apartment rents continue to rise, bucking a national trend of lower prices.
Across Canada, the average rent dropped 4.3 per cent year-over-year, to $2,033. Winnipeg saw a marginal increase — 0.9 per cent — to $1,678, according to a July 2026 Rentals.ca report, which shows June data.
It’s been a steady trend: since February, rent prices have lowered nationally, while Winnipeg has been among the outliers.
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Winnipeg saw an increase in the average rent prices of apartments of 0.9 per cent to $1,678 according to a July 2026 Rentals.ca report, which shows June data.
Larger provinces — Ontario, Quebec — have driven the change.
The average price of one- and two-bedroom apartments in Manitoba surpasses that of Alberta.
“We … need to see more supply come into that market,” Giacomo Ladas, Rentals.ca communications director, said of Manitoba.
A tight rental and housing market are contributing to the higher prices, Ladas said. Meanwhile, Alberta’s housing construction is booming.
The average price of a one-bedroom in Manitoba, in June, was $1,465, according to Rentals.ca. A two-bedroom cost $1,760.
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One- and two-bedrooms in Alberta averaged $1,410 and $1,745, respectively.
Average rent in Winnipeg is higher than in Edmonton — $1,678 to $1,610, the July report shows. Winnipeg still trails Calgary ($1,886), and Montreal, Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver.
A fix isn’t as simple as building more apartments, said Shauna MacKinnon, a University of Winnipeg urban and inner city studies professor.
New luxury apartments are likely skewing the average higher. More social and affordable housing is needed, MacKinnon said.
— Free Press staff