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Canada's shelter prices and weekly pay: month by month through 2026

Shelter price growth in Canada dipped in July 2026 and then rose for two months, while growth in average weekly earnings moved up and down between April and July 2026.

Published 2 min read

  • 2026-061.55%
  • 2026-071.28%
  • 2026-081.54%
  • 2026-091.75%
Canada shelter prices (CPI, 12-month change) · Statistics Canada

Canada Housing cost inflation →

What the latest figures cover

For a household watching rent, mortgage payments and pay, the official figures tell two separate stories. Shelter prices were 1.75% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier. Average weekly earnings were 3.18% higher in July 2026 than a year earlier. Both are 12-month changes. They come from different statistics, so they are not a direct measure of how affordable housing is.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

Shelter prices, June to September 2026

The shelter component of the consumer price index measures the 12-month change in shelter prices. It was 1.55% in June 2026. It fell to 1.28% in July 2026.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

It then rose for two months in a row. It was 1.54% in August 2026 and 1.75% in September 2026. September was the highest value in this four-month run.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

Average weekly earnings, April to July 2026

Average weekly earnings are also reported as a 12-month change. Growth was 3.67% in April 2026 and lower at 3.33% in May 2026.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

It rose slightly to 3.39% in June 2026. It then fell to 3.18% in July 2026, the lowest value in this period.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

How each series compares with its own earlier months

Shelter price growth in September 2026, at 1.75%, was higher than in June 2026, at 1.55%. Over the same stretch it was not a straight line, because July dipped to 1.28% before the climb.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

Earnings growth in July 2026, at 3.18%, was lower than in April 2026, at 3.67%. The path included a small rise in June.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

The two series measure different things. One tracks prices households pay for shelter. The other tracks pay per week. Setting their percentages side by side does not show what share of a pay cheque goes to housing.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

What this means for people living in Canada

For renters and homeowners, the price of shelter was still rising in September 2026, and the yearly pace had picked up since July. The latest value was 1.75%.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

For workers, average weekly earnings were still higher than a year earlier in July 2026, at 3.18%. That pace was lower than in April.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

The Bank of Canada's policy rate was 2.25% at the end of September 2026. This figure is the central bank's rate, not the rate any household pays on a mortgage renewal or loan.

Sources for this paragraph (1)
  • C14 Canada central bank policy rate (month-end) · 2.25% · 2026-09 · Bank of Canada

Other price measures exist, but they are defined differently. The new housing price index was -2.04% over 12 months in September 2026. It covers prices of new homes, not the shelter costs in the consumer price index, so the two should not be read as measuring the same thing.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

What the data does not show

The shelter figures run to September 2026, but the earnings figures stop at July 2026. There is no earnings figure here for August or September.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

The figures are national averages. They do not show differences between cities, provinces, renters and owners, or income groups.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

The data does not show how much of a household's income goes to housing. It also does not explain why either series moved.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

Scenarios to watch

  • Scenario, not a forecast If the next shelter reading is above 1.75%, it would extend the run of rising shelter price growth that began after July 2026.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If the next shelter reading comes in below 1.75%, the September value would mark a peak in this short run rather than the start of a longer climb.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If earnings data for August and September 2026 show growth below 3.18%, the slowing seen since April would continue; a higher reading would point the other way.

What to check next

  • The October 2026 shelter component of the consumer price index from Statistics Canada
  • Average weekly earnings for August and September 2026
  • The Bank of Canada's next policy rate decision
  • Provincial and city breakdowns of shelter prices, if released

Verified data used in this report

IndicatorValuePeriodSourcesAccessed
F1Canada shelter prices (CPI, 12-month change)1.55%2026-06Statistics Canada
F2Canada shelter prices (CPI, 12-month change)1.28%2026-07Statistics Canada
F3Canada shelter prices (CPI, 12-month change)1.54%2026-08Statistics Canada
F4Canada shelter prices (CPI, 12-month change)1.75%2026-09Statistics Canada
F5Canada average weekly earnings (12-month change)3.67%2026-04Statistics Canada
F6Canada average weekly earnings (12-month change)3.33%2026-05Statistics Canada
F7Canada average weekly earnings (12-month change)3.39%2026-06Statistics Canada
F8Canada average weekly earnings (12-month change)3.18%2026-07Statistics Canada
C11Canada consumer price inflation (12-month change)3.09%2026-09Statistics Canada
C12Canada food price inflation (12-month change)2.18%2026-09Statistics Canada
C13Canada new housing price index (12-month change)-2.04%2026-09Statistics Canada
C14Canada central bank policy rate (month-end)2.25%2026-09Bank of Canada
C16Canada unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted)6.5%2026-09Statistics Canada
C18Canada GDP growth (annual %)1.74%2025World Bank
C19Canada Unemployment, total (% of labour force, ILO modelled estimate)6.91%2025World Bank
C20Canada Fertility rate, total (births per woman)1.252024World Bank
C21Canada Population aged 65 and above (% of total population)20.26%2025World Bank
C22Canada Population growth (annual %)0.94%2025World Bank

Sources

  • Source: Statistics Canada. Reproduced and distributed on an "as is" basis with the permission of Statistics Canada — license
  • Source: Bank of Canada — license
  • Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) — license

How this report was checked

  • Data: the newest reference period cited is 2026-09.
  • Figures were collected from the source on
  • Written by an AI model (claude-opus-5-5) using only the official figures listed in this report.
  • Automatic checks passed: every number matches a cited figure, every paragraph names its evidence, and there is no investment advice or copied source text.
  • A separate quality-check model raised concerns, and the report was rewritten once to address them.
  • No person reviewed this report before publication. Automatic checks confirm the numbers, not every interpretation.

The source has since revised figures cited here (as collected → current):

  • Canada average weekly earnings (12-month change) · 2026-07: 3.18% → 3.2%
Update history
  • 2026-10-29 12:02 UTC — created
  • 2026-10-29 12:02 UTC — approved+published

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