There’s a reason Calgary and Edmonton keep drawing people in. Affordable homes, thriving job markets, low taxes, and more sunshine than you’d expect. It’s no wonder Alberta’s biggest cities have become top choices for young professionals and families. Add in the fact that Alberta has the youngest population in the country (with the province’s median age 38.4), and both cities feel built for people ready to start planting roots.
Renters in Alberta also have more breathing room than most Canadians. Compared to the national average of $2,121, Calgary renters spend approximately $1,689 for a one-bedroom unit, while in Edmonton, the cost drops further to $1,369.
To put this into perspective, Zoocasa compared how long it would take renters to save for a minimum down payment if they used that money for a down payment instead.
Edmonton Outpaces Calgary on the Road to Homeownership
When it comes to buying a home, the timeline looks very different depending on whether you’re in Calgary or Edmonton. In Calgary, where the average detached home price sits at $761,800, renters would need to save for about 2 years and 6 months to reach the minimum down payment of $51,180—assuming they put aside the city’s one-bedroom rent of $1,689 each month. Condos are a quicker entry point, averaging $329,600 and requiring just 10 months of saving for the minimum down payment of $16,480.
Edmonton, on the other hand, offers a noticeably shorter runway to ownership. Detached homes average $569,000, with a minimum down payment of $31,900 that can be saved in under 2 years at the city’s one-bedroom rent of $1,369. For condos, the path is even faster: an average price of $203,000 means a minimum down payment of just $10,150, which could be saved in as little as 7 months.
Saving for a Minimum Down Payment in Calgary
Minimum down payments in Calgary also reveal big differences across districts. In the East, renters could save the required amount in just one year, making it the fastest route to homeownership. Average prices for homes in the city’s Northeast will take just one year and 3 months to follow, while the North district stretches slightly longer to a year and 6 months.
City Centre buyers would need about 1 year and 8 months, and those in the North West are looking at nearly 2 years of saving. At the other end of the spectrum, the West tops the list, where renters would need 2 years and 4 months to cover the minimum down payment.
Unlike Calgary, where detached home down payments can stretch past 2 years and 6 months on average, Edmonton offers a quicker path to ownership. Every district in the city can be reached in under three years of saving, making it one of the more affordable major markets in Canada.
What’s even more encouraging is that buyers don’t need to save their entire rent each month to reach these goals. While the timelines above are based on setting aside the full cost of a one-bedroom, even setting aside half the rent still makes ownership a realistic option. In every Calgary district, minimum down payments could be reached in less than five years at that pace. This means consistent, smaller contributions are still powerful enough to turn renting into homeownership without the need to cut back on all of life’s other expenses.
Edmonton’s Fast-Track to Home Ownership
In Edmonton, some neighborhoods offer a surprisingly short path to homeownership. Central Edmonton is the most affordable option, with just about a year of saving required. The Northeast follows at roughly 1 year and 4 months, while North Central isn’t far behind at 1 year and 6 months. The Southeast comes in slightly higher at 1 year and 7 months, and even the Northwest stays under the 2-year mark. Citywide, renters would typically need just under 2 years (1 year and 11 months) to reach a minimum down payment of $31,950.
Higher-priced pockets in Edmonton, such as the Anthony Henday area (2 years and 5 months), the Southwest (2 years and 7 months), and the West (2 years and 9 months), require more time. Still, all remain well within a three-year saving horizon, making Edmonton notably more accessible compared to its southern neighbor.
What’s noteworthy about Edmonton is that it’s also the only city where the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports no need to accelerate current construction, a remarkable feat during a nationwide affordable housing crisis. With 16,188 homes built annually, the city is already on track to meet its future demand. That steady pipeline of supply helps keep pressure off the rental market, supporting more balanced prices and giving renters a clearer path toward ownership, something that’s becoming increasingly rare across Canada.
Methodology:
Data provided by local real estate boards and Rentals.ca, as of July 2025
Minimum Down Payment Requirements:
- For homes priced at $500,000 or less: 5% of the purchase price
- For homes priced between $500,000 and $1.5 million: 5% of the first $500,000, plus 10% of the portion of the purchase price that exceeds $500,000
- For homes priced at $1.5 million or more: 20% of the purchase price
Interested in buying a home in beautiful Alberta? Zoocasa can help. Start your search today.