Housing is more affordable in Alberta than in most of Canada.
Claimed by: Cited to argue Albertans enjoy a higher standard of living
True: True as written according to the settled evidence. How we rate.
Summary
Alberta's big cities are among the most affordable in the country. In RBC's late-2025 affordability measure, owning a home took about 33 percent of a typical household's income in Edmonton and roughly 41 percent in Calgary, compared with about 63 percent in Toronto and over 88 percent in Vancouver. Edmonton is frequently ranked the most affordable major Canadian city, with Calgary close behind, helped by faster homebuilding that has kept up with rapid population growth. Affordability has softened a little as the province has grown, and some smaller-province markets are cheaper in absolute terms, but relative to Canada's largest markets the claim holds.
Evidence
RBC's Q4 2025 affordability measure was about 33 percent of income in Edmonton and 41 percent in Calgary, versus roughly 63 percent in Toronto and 88 percent in Vancouver.
Analysis finds Edmonton the most affordable major Canadian city by a wide margin and Calgary the second most affordable, even amid record population growth.