Vaughan Rent Is $193 Cheaper Than Toronto: GTA Rental Market Update October 2026
Vaughan rental market update: the $193 question
My Vaughan rental market update for October 2026 comes down to one number: $193. That’s how much less the average Vaughan rental asks than Toronto’s, per Rentals.ca.
Some GTA cities jumped. Some dropped hard. Vaughan? Barely blinked.
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- Vaughan barely moved. A one-bed here is asking about what it did a year ago.
- Other GTA cities moved a lot. Oakville two-beds fell 10.6% in one month. Ajax one-beds are up 6.5% on the year.
- Bigger units, bigger savings. A Vaughan two-bed is $368 a month under Toronto's. On a one-bed the gap is just $106.
What does rent cost in Vaughan?
If you're weighing Vaughan against Toronto, start with this.
$2,363 a month, and that's Vaughan's average asking rent across all property types. Toronto's is $2,556. So renting here runs about $193 a month less, which works out to $2,316 over a full year.
The bedroom numbers tell you more than the average does.
| Vaughan | Average asking rent | vs last month | vs last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $2,114 | ▲ +0.2% | ▲ +0.1% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,569 | ▲ +2.1% | ▼ -0.3% |
| All property types | $2,363 | not published | |
Source: Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report, October 2026 edition (September 2026 data), all property types. Apartments and condos alone average $2,299. Studio and 3-bed rents aren't published for Vaughan.
Here's what I take from it:
- One-beds: $2,114, and that's up just 0.1% from last year. Basically flat.
- Two-beds: $2,569, up 2.1% on the month but still 0.3% under last year. One good month isn't a trend yet.
- Need the second bedroom? It costs $455 a month more here. In Toronto that same step costs $717.
Nationally, Vaughan is the 12th most expensive rental market of the 60 the report tracks. It was 10th a month ago.
Wait, the average went down?
It did. The all-types average was $2,422 in last month's report. Now it's $2,363, so $59 lower.
But one-beds and two-beds both rose on the month. So what happened?
An average depends on which homes happen to be listed. If fewer big units come up for rent one month, the average dips even when the rent on the same unit didn't. The report doesn't break that down, so I can't prove it. But I wouldn't read the $59 as rents falling. The bedroom numbers are the better guide.
What it means for you
- Renting: don't expect a one-bed bargain, but there's no sign of a big jump either. If you need space, a Vaughan two-bed is $368 a month under Toronto's.
- Leasing out a unit: price off what's renting now, not last spring. Two-beds have a little momentum. One-beds need the right price from day one.
- Investing: Vaughan one-bed rents held flat on the year, while Ontario's average fell 4.8%. That's stability, not growth. Run your numbers on $2,114 and $2,569, not on hoped-for increases.
Wondering what your unit would rent for today? Send me the address and I'll pull what's actually leasing in your building.
Is Vaughan cheaper than the rest of the GTA?
Here's every city on my list with a full set of numbers this month. Same report, same measure, ranked from highest average rent to lowest.
| City | Avg rent | 1-bed | 2-bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Toronto | $2,556 | $2,220 • 0.0% mo ▼ -2.3% yr | $2,937 ▼ -0.1% mo ▲ +0.8% yr |
| 2. Oakville | $2,460 | $2,165 ▼ -6.5% mo ▼ -2.3% yr | $2,703 ▼ -10.6% mo ▼ -12.3% yr |
| 3. Burlington | $2,379 | $2,074 ▲ +0.3% mo ▼ -1.0% yr | $2,389 ▼ -1.5% mo ▼ -0.6% yr |
| 4. Vaughan | $2,363 | $2,114 ▲ +0.2% mo ▲ +0.1% yr | $2,569 ▲ +2.1% mo ▼ -0.3% yr |
| 5. Mississauga | $2,337 | $2,036 ▼ -0.3% mo ▼ -3.1% yr | $2,423 ▼ -0.8% mo ▼ -4.1% yr |
| 6. Brampton | $2,261 | $1,990 ▲ +1.0% mo ▲ +1.7% yr | $2,334 ▼ -0.8% mo ▲ +3.4% yr |
| 7. Ajax | $2,214 | $1,927 ▲ +2.0% mo ▲ +6.5% yr | $2,294 ▲ +2.4% mo ▲ +1.5% yr |
| 8. Oshawa | $1,993 | $1,724 ▼ -0.9% mo ▼ -3.1% yr | $2,006 ▼ -0.7% mo ▼ -2.9% yr |
Average asking rent, all property types, September 2026. "mo" = change from last month, "yr" = change from last year. Rentals.ca doesn't publish 3-bed rents at city level, and cities without a full set of figures this month are left out rather than estimated. Source: Rentals.ca October 2026 National Rent Report.
GTA rents, ranked
Average asking rent, all property types, September 2026. Vaughan is highlighted. Source: Rentals.ca October 2026 National Rent Report.
My quick take on each city
- Toronto: still the priciest on the list, and one-beds didn't budge at 0.0% on the month.
- Oakville: the big reversal. Two-beds dropped 10.6% in one month and sit 12.3% below last year.
- Burlington: just $16 above Vaughan, with small moves in both directions.
- Mississauga: $26 below Vaughan, but one-beds are down 3.1% on the year. Renters there likely have a bit more room to negotiate.
- Brampton: two-beds are up 3.4% on the year, the most of any city here.
- Ajax: the fastest climber. One-beds are up 6.5% on the year.
- Oshawa: the only city under $2,000, at $1,993.
Looking for a place in Vaughan? Every Vaughan lease listing on the MLS, live. Or tell me your budget and I'll shortlist the buildings worth seeing.
Ontario and Canada rents
| Area | Avg asking rent | vs last month | vs last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (all property types) | $2,034 | down $1 | ▼ -4.2% |
| Ontario (all property types) | $2,240 | not published | ▼ -4.8% |
| Toronto (apartments + condos) | $2,554 | ▼ -0.6% | ▼ -1.4% |
Source: Rentals.ca October 2026 National Rent Report, September 2026 data. The Toronto figure here is apartments and condos only, which is why it differs slightly from the $2,556 all-types figure in the GTA table.
- 24 months below last year. That's how long Canadian rents have now trailed the same month a year earlier. The gap is closing though, from -4.8% in the August data to -4.2% now.
- Toronto's run is longer. Its rents have now trailed the same month a year earlier for 32 months. The report says conditions point to a return to growth.
- Vacancy isn't a monthly number. CMHC measures it once a year. Their October 2025 survey put Toronto-area vacancy at about 3% for purpose-built apartments and about 1% for condo rentals. The next survey lands around late January.
My bottom line
Vaughan isn't the cheapest place to rent in the GTA, and it isn't the priciest. What stood out to me this month is how little it moved while cities around it jumped or dropped.
For renters, that means fewer surprises. For owners, it means the price has to be right from the start, because this market isn't going to rescue an overpriced listing.
If you're signing or renewing this fall, tell me the building and I'll tell you what's actually leasing there.
Vaughan rent FAQ
What is the average rent in Vaughan right now?
The average asking rent in Vaughan is $2,363 a month across all property types, or $2,299 for apartments and condos only. One-bedrooms average $2,114 and two-bedrooms average $2,569 (Rentals.ca October 2026 National Rent Report, September 2026 data).
Is it cheaper to rent in Vaughan or Toronto?
Vaughan, by about $193 a month on average: $2,363 against Toronto's $2,556 across all property types. The gap is $106 on a one-bedroom ($2,114 vs $2,220) and $368 on a two-bedroom ($2,569 vs $2,937), based on September 2026 asking rents.
Are Vaughan rents going up or down?
Mostly holding steady. In September 2026 Vaughan one-bedroom asking rents rose 0.2% on the month and sit 0.1% above last year. Two-bedrooms rose 2.1% on the month but are still 0.3% below last year.
Why did Vaughan's average rent drop if one-bed and two-bed rents went up?
The all-types average fell from $2,422 in the previous report to $2,363, while one-bed and two-bed asking rents both rose on the month. An average depends on which units happen to be listed that month, so a change in the mix of homes for rent can pull it down even when like-for-like rents don't fall. The bedroom figures are the better guide.
Which GTA city is cheapest to rent in?
Of the GTA cities with full figures in September 2026, Oshawa is the cheapest at $1,993 a month on average, followed by Ajax at $2,214 and Brampton at $2,261. Toronto is the most expensive at $2,556.
Where are GTA rents rising and falling the most?
Ajax one-bedroom rents are up 6.5% from last year, the biggest annual gain in the group. Oakville moved the other way: two-bedroom rents fell 10.6% in a single month and are 12.3% below last year. Toronto one-bedrooms were unchanged on the month.
What is the rental vacancy rate in the Toronto area?
CMHC's October 2025 Rental Market Survey put purpose-built apartment vacancy in the Toronto CMA at about 3% and condo-rental vacancy at about 1%. CMHC measures vacancy once a year, so it isn't a monthly number. The next annual survey is expected around late January.
Is Vaughan a good place to own a rental property right now?
That depends on your numbers, not the headline. What the data shows is stability: Vaughan one-bedroom asking rents are within 0.1% of last year while Ontario's average rent is down 4.8%. Base any purchase on today's rents of $2,114 for a one-bed and $2,569 for a two-bed, not on hoped-for increases.
Who is a trusted realtor in Vaughan for rentals?
Look for a broker who pulls live comparables for your exact building instead of quoting a citywide average. I'm Raj Bajwa, a Vaughan-based real estate broker with RE/MAX Experts, serving Vaughan and the GTA since 2007, with 43 Google reviews averaging 4.95 and a 5.00 rating on Rate-My-Agent. Send me your address and I'll give you a straight read.
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