While the average rent across the country was down by 1.2 per cent last month compared to October of 2023, it rose by 17.1 per cent in Saskatchewan. That’s the largest annual increase of apartment rents of all the provinces, but it’s lower than the 23.5 per cent increase in September.

A report from rentals.ca and Urbanation says the national decrease is the first in more than three years, but the decline is mainly in the bigger cities. The highest rent for a one-bedroom apartment is Vancouver at $2,610, which is actually a decrease of 9.1 per cent year over year.

In Saskatoon, the average cost for a one-bedroom is $1,293, which is a 16.6 per cent increase compared to October of 2023. In Regina, the average rent is $1,296, an increase of 8.9 per cent. The report says Saskatchewan apartment rents in total reached an average of $1,358, which is still significantly below the national average.