The 12 Cheapest Places to Live in Ontario in 2026
Real home prices and rents for Ontario's most affordable cities, how much you could save by leaving Toronto, and what it costs to make the move.
Sault Ste. Marie is the cheapest place to live in Ontario right now. Homes there sold for an average of $299,762 in September 2026, about 70% less than the Greater Toronto Area.
Timmins, Thunder Bay and Sudbury round out the north. Closer to Toronto, Sarnia, Windsor and London offer the biggest savings in southern Ontario.
Key takeaways
- Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins and Thunder Bay are the three cheapest places to buy a home in Ontario.
- Sarnia and Windsor are the most affordable cities in southern Ontario, at roughly half the GTA price.
- North Bay has the lowest average 1-bedroom rent in the province, at $1,078 a month.
- Brantford, Kitchener and the Niagara region cost about 35% less than the GTA and are close enough to keep Toronto ties.
- Buying at the GTA average in the City of Toronto means about $33,200 in land transfer tax. In Sudbury it's about $5,980.
The cheapest places to live in Ontario, ranked
We ranked Ontario cities by average home sale price, using each local real estate board's latest monthly figures. We then added the average 1-bedroom rent from CMHC so renters can compare too.
Every city on this list costs less than the Ontario average of $791,691.
| City or area | Avg. home price | Below GTA | 1-bed rent | From Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sault Ste. Marie | $299,762 | 70% | $1,167 | ~690 km |
| 2. Timmins | $324,413 | 68% | $1,177 | ~690 km |
| 3. Thunder Bay | $384,900* | 62% | $1,173 | ~1,400 km |
| 4. Greater Sudbury | $475,260 | 53% | $1,244 | ~390 km |
| 5. Sarnia-Lambton | $480,080 | 52% | $1,235 | ~290 km |
| 6. North Bay | $481,809 | 52% | $1,078 | ~340 km |
| 7. Windsor-Essex | $544,184 | 46% | $1,193 | ~370 km |
| 8. Kingston | $589,070 | 41% | $1,503 | ~260 km |
| 9. London and St. Thomas | $611,509 | 39% | $1,371 | ~190 km |
| 10. Kitchener | $646,426 | 36% | $1,546 | ~105 km |
| 11. Brantford | $647,604 | 36% | $1,448 | ~105 km |
| 12. Niagara region | $656,045 | 35% | $1,318 | ~110 km |
Average sale price for all home types, September 2026, from each board's report on CREA's statistics site. *Thunder Bay reports a benchmark price, not an average. Kitchener is the city average reported by the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS. GTA comparison: $1,006,409 (TRREB, September 2026). Rent is the average 1-bedroom in purpose-built rentals from the CMHC Rental Market Survey, October 2025. Distances are approximate driving distances.
Average home price, September 2026.
Northern Ontario: the lowest prices in the province
If price is what matters most, look north. Four of the five cheapest places to buy in Ontario are in Northern Ontario, and their rents are among the lowest in the province too.
1. Sault Ste. Marie
The Soo is the cheapest place to live in Ontario. Homes sold for an average of $299,762 in September 2026, down 3.7% from a year earlier.
A 1-bedroom apartment averages $1,167 a month. Buyers also have plenty to choose from. The local board reported 4.6 months of inventory at the end of September, above the long-run average.
The trade-off is the job market. Layoffs at Algoma Steel, a major local employer, have weighed on the city's economy.
2. Timmins
Timmins homes averaged $324,413 in September 2026. Unlike most of Ontario, prices here went up, by 11.8% over the year.
Rent is low at $1,177 for a 1-bedroom. Mining drives the local economy, so it suits people who work in or around that industry.
3. Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay's benchmark home price was $384,900 in September 2026. A typical single detached house sold for a median of $395,000.
It's the biggest city in Northwestern Ontario, with a university, a college and a regional hospital. It's also the farthest from Toronto on this list, at about 1,400 km by road.
4. Greater Sudbury
Sudbury gives you a bigger-city feel at a northern price. Homes averaged $475,260 in September 2026, down 7.4% from a year earlier.
A 1-bedroom rents for about $1,244. Sudbury is roughly four hours from Toronto by car, close enough for weekend visits home.
6. North Bay
North Bay is the cheapest place to rent in Ontario, with 1-bedrooms averaging $1,078. Homes sold for an average of $481,809 in September 2026.
At about 340 km from Toronto, it's the closest northern city on this list.
Southwestern Ontario: cheap and closer to the GTA
Southwestern Ontario offers the best of both. You get prices around half of the GTA's, milder winters than the north and a drive of three to four hours back to Toronto.
5. Sarnia-Lambton
Sarnia is the cheapest place to buy in southern Ontario. Homes averaged $480,080 in September 2026, down 5.1% from a year earlier.
Rent averages $1,235 for a 1-bedroom. Sarnia sits on Lake Huron at the U.S. border, and its petrochemical industry is a major local employer.
7. Windsor-Essex
Windsor homes averaged $544,184 in September 2026. That's 46% less than the GTA.
Windsor is also one of the cheapest places to rent in Ontario, at $1,193 for a 1-bedroom. It has one of the mildest climates in Ontario and sits right across the river from Detroit.
9. London and St. Thomas
London is the largest city in this ranking, with a big university, hospitals and a growing job market. Homes averaged $611,509 in September 2026.
A 1-bedroom rents for $1,371 on average. London is about two hours from Toronto, which puts it within reach for a hybrid work schedule. Thinking about it? See our moving company in London.
Cheaper cities about an hour from Toronto
Not ready to go far? These cities sit roughly 100 km from Toronto, but homes still cost about a third less than in the GTA.
Average home price of $646,426 in September 2026. A strong tech job market and GO train service to Toronto. Moving company in Kitchener-Waterloo
Homes averaged $647,604 in September 2026, with 1-bedrooms at $1,448. About an hour to Hamilton and the GTA. Moving company in Brantford
An average of $656,045 in September 2026, with the lowest rents near the GTA at $1,318. Moving company in St. Catharines
Just outside the top 12, at $697,453. That's still 31% below the GTA, along Highway 401. Moving company in Cambridge
Kingston, at number 8, is the pick in Eastern Ontario. Homes averaged $589,070 in September 2026, and it sits between Toronto and Ottawa on Highway 401.
The cheapest places to rent in Ontario
If you're renting, the order changes a little. Here are the lowest average 1-bedroom rents in Ontario's cities, from CMHC's latest survey:
| City | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | Yearly saving vs Toronto (1-bed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Bay | $1,078 | $1,404 | $8,196 |
| Cornwall | $1,082 | $1,276 | $8,148 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | $1,167 | $1,394 | $7,128 |
| Thunder Bay | $1,173 | $1,493 | $7,056 |
| Timmins | $1,177 | $1,291 | $7,008 |
| Windsor | $1,193 | $1,451 | $6,816 |
| Peterborough | $1,232 | $1,513 | $6,348 |
| Sarnia | $1,235 | $1,502 | $6,312 |
| Toronto, for comparison | $1,761 | $2,045 | n/a |
Average rent in purpose-built rental apartments, October 2025. Source: CMHC Rental Market Survey.
How much you could save by leaving Toronto
The savings show up in three places: what you pay for a home, what you pay in land transfer tax and what you pay in rent.
Buying a home
The average GTA home sold for $1,006,409 in September 2026. The same money would cover the average home in Sault Ste. Marie three times over.
Land transfer tax
Buyers in the City of Toronto pay both Ontario's land transfer tax and a matching municipal one. Everywhere else in Ontario, you pay only the provincial tax.
Provincial plus municipal tax on a $1,006,409 home
Provincial tax only, on a $475,260 home
Before first-time buyer refunds. Calculated with Ontario's land transfer tax rates.
Renting
Moving from a Toronto 1-bedroom to one in Windsor saves about $568 a month on CMHC averages, or $6,816 a year. In North Bay, the saving is closer to $8,200 a year.
What to weigh before you move
A cheaper home isn't the whole picture. Before you list your place, think about these:
- Your job. Remote work makes the north far easier. If you need a local job, check postings in your field before you commit.
- Your income. Salaries are often lower outside the GTA, which can cancel out some of the housing savings.
- A car. Transit is limited in most smaller cities. Budget for a vehicle if you don't have one.
- Winter. Northern Ontario winters are longer and colder, which means higher heating bills and snow tires.
- Distance from family. Thunder Bay is about 15 hours from Toronto by car. Kitchener or Brantford is about an hour.
- Health care. Ask about family doctor wait lists and the nearest hospital before you choose a town.
Visit before you buy if you can. Spend a weekend there in winter, not just summer.
What it costs to move from Toronto
Moving within southern Ontario is a short-haul move, usually done in one day. Your price depends on how much you're moving and how far.
Moving north is a longer trip. Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins and Thunder Bay all fall in the 500 to 2,000 km range. A full-service move that far typically costs:
| Home size | 500 to 2,000 km |
|---|---|
| Studio | $930 to $2,530 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,330 to $3,630 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,030 to $5,530 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,930 to $8,030 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,830 to $10,430 |
Full-service moves in Canadian dollars, before HST, for a spring or fall date. Summer moves cost more. See our full guide to the cost of moving across Canada.
Want to save more? Book for October to April, when rates are lowest. If your new home isn't ready yet, our storage can hold your things in between. And our long distance moving checklist walks you through the eight weeks before the truck arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest place to live in Ontario in 2026?
Sault Ste. Marie. Homes there sold for an average of $299,762 in September 2026, the lowest of any major market in Ontario. A 1-bedroom apartment averages $1,167 a month.
What is the cheapest city in southern Ontario?
Sarnia-Lambton, where homes averaged $480,080 in September 2026. Windsor-Essex is next at $544,184.
Where is the cheapest rent in Ontario?
North Bay has the lowest average 1-bedroom rent at $1,078 a month, followed by Cornwall, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Timmins and Windsor. All are under $1,200, based on CMHC's October 2025 survey.
What is the cheapest city near Toronto?
Among cities about an hour from Toronto, Kitchener ($646,426), Brantford ($647,604) and the Niagara region ($656,045) had the lowest average home prices in September 2026. Each is roughly 35% below the GTA average.
How much can I save by moving out of Toronto?
On a home purchase, the difference can be several hundred thousand dollars. The GTA average was $1,006,409 in September 2026, compared with $475,260 in Sudbury. You also avoid Toronto's municipal land transfer tax. Renters can save $6,000 to $8,000 a year on a 1-bedroom.
Is Northern Ontario a good place to live?
It can be, especially if you work remotely or in mining, health care or education. Homes cost far less and commutes are short. The trade-offs are long winters, fewer job options in some fields and long drives to the GTA.
How much does it cost to move from Toronto to Northern Ontario?
For a move of 500 to 2,000 km, such as Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie or Thunder Bay, a full-service 2-bedroom move typically costs $2,030 to $5,530 before tax. Shorter moves to Sudbury or North Bay usually cost less.
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