Oshawa cheapest GTA city for tenants, costing tenants $700 less than Toronto average

While it was recently reported that renters pay a lot less than homeowners in Oshawa and other parts of southern Ontario, it appears that tenants in the city pay less than renters in the GTA overall. 

According to liv.rent’s July 2024 Toronto Rent Report, Oshawa is–and has been for some time–the most affordable GTA municipality. Renters pay an average of $1,792 a month for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment. 

It has remained the most affordable city since November 2023.

In June, the average rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment in the city was $1,724. 

While renters typically pay more in Oshawa than they do in other parts of the province, the difference is quite stark in comparison to other GTA municipalities. According to the report, tenants in Toronto’s downtown core can expect to pay about $2,428 for an unfurnished, one-bedroom unit–$704 more than a tenant in a similar accommodation in Oshawa pays.

Tenants also pay more in Brampton ($1,853), Mississauga ($2,297), Scarborough ($2,125) and Markham ($2,337). 

As for cheaper places to live, the report says Oshawa tenants pay more than tenants in London ($1,614 a month for an unfurnished, one-bedroom unit), St. Catharines ($1,613) and Niagara Falls ($1,589). 

As far as large units go, the report says tenants in Oshawa still generally pay less than other GTA cities for two- and three-bedroom units. A two-bedroom, unfurnished unit costs an average of $2,100, while a three-bedroom unit costs $2,503. 

liv.rent says its monthly rent reports use data from its own listings, as well as from other popular listing sites. It looks at available basement suites, apartments, condos, townhouses, semi-detached houses, and single-detached houses for each area. Data does not include luxury properties over $5,000, rooms for rent or shared accommodations.