Villeray, Montreal: prices, rent, and living guide
The most consistently recommended inner city neighbourhood for families and newcomers who want community, with Jarry Park, the Jean-Talon Market nearby, and Villeray Street's independent retail.
FamiliesBest valueFirst time buyers
Typical house
$850K
Typical condo
$465K
One bedroom rent
$1,500/mo
Walk Score
89
Transit 82 · Bike 93
Known for: Jarry Park and being the most recommended family neighbourhood in Montreal. Family friendly, francophone, and still genuinely affordable.
Prices and rent in Villeray
A typical Villeray house costs about $850,000 and a typical condo about $465,000.
Estimated price by unit size
| Condo | Estimate | House | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $335,000 | 2 bed | $697,000 |
| 1 bed | $465,000 | 3 bed | $850,000 |
| 2 bed | $632,000 | 4 bed | $1,046,000 |
| 3 bed | $828,000 | 5+ bed | $1,275,000 |
Estimated monthly rent
| Unit | Monthly rent |
|---|---|
| Bachelor | $1,170 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,500 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,920 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,570 |
Unit-size prices and rents are scaled from one benchmark per neighbourhood and are estimates, not appraisals. Compare Villeray with the rest of Montreal in the best neighbourhoods in Montreal guide.
Who Villeray suits
Francophone or French-comfortable families and newcomers who want community, Jarry Park, and metro access at prices below the Plateau.
Who it is wrong for
Unilingual anglophones, who will find daily life difficult, and buyers expecting the prices Villeray had five years ago.
Pros
- The most consistently recommended inner city neighbourhood for families
- Jarry Park and the Jean-Talon Market both close by
- Three Orange Line stations serve the neighbourhood
Cons
- More strongly francophone than the Plateau or NDG, which matters if your French is weak
- Prices have risen sharply as the Plateau priced people out
- Housing is dense with limited private outdoor space
Living in Villeray
Getting around
Jarry, De Castelnau, and Jean-Talon stations, Orange Line. Walk Score 89, Transit Score 82, Bike Score 93.
Safety
Safe and family oriented, with quiet residential streets and active park use at Jarry.
Restaurants
A strong and growing independent scene along Villeray Street and Castelnau, with well-regarded bistros and cafés at lower prices than the Plateau.
Shopping
Independent grocers, bakeries and boutiques along Villeray Street, with the Jean-Talon Market immediately south.
Within a short walk or transit hop
- Parks
- Parc Jarry, Parc Villeray, Parc de Normanville
- Library
- Bibliothèque de Villeray, Bibliothèque Le Prévost
- Recreation
- Parc Jarry tennis stadium and pool, Centre Patro Le Prévost, IGA Stadium
- Groceries
- Marché Jean-Talon, Épicerie Sanguinet, Metro on Jean-Talon
- Schools
- École Sainte-Cécile, École Léonard-De Vinci, Collège André-Grasset
Safety text is a qualitative description of the area, not crime statistics. Scores are approximate and vary within the neighbourhood.
Renting in Villeray
A one bedroom runs about $1,500 a month, and a two bedroom about $1,920.
Excellent value and increasingly sought after. A three and a half typically runs $900 to $1,300 and a spacious five and a half $1,200 to $1,600, in plexes on quiet streets with a metro station nearby.
Where Villeray is
Villeray: frequently asked questions
Is Villeray a good place to live?
It is one of the best value neighbourhoods in Montreal: quiet plex-lined streets, Parc Jarry, an independent commercial strip on Villeray and Castelnau, and two metro stations. Time Out named it one of the world's coolest neighbourhoods, which residents have mixed feelings about.
Is Villeray a trendy neighbourhood?
It has become one, which is precisely what long-time residents worry about. Rosemont and Villeray have both become more bourgeois than the Plateau in some residents' telling, with condos on Villeray Street now trading at prices that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
How much is rent in Villeray?
A three and a half typically runs $900 to $1,300, and a spacious five and a half $1,200 to $1,600. That still makes it one of the most affordable central neighbourhoods in Canada, though the direction of travel is clear.
Is Villeray safe?
Yes. It is quiet, residential and family oriented, with reported crime below the city average. The Saint-Michel side of the borough further east is a different picture and is often what people mean when they ask.
What is Villeray known for?
Parc Jarry, the Villeray and Castelnau commercial strips, the Jean-Talon Market a short walk south, and the exterior staircases and back lanes that define residential Montreal.
Nearby Montreal neighbourhoods
La Petite-Patrie
Jean-Talon Market, Little Italy, and Beaubien's cafés
House $860K · Condo $475K· Walk 93
1.0 km from Villeray
FamiliesCar free livingBest value
Parc-Extension
Canada's densest square kilometre, and its most contested gentrification story
House $800K · Condo $400K· Walk 88
1.4 km from Villeray
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Mile End
Bagels, bookshops, and the city's densest creative economy
House $1.25M · Condo $620K· Walk 94
2.4 km from Villeray
Young professionalsCar free livingStudents
Outremont
Francophone counterpart to Westmount, elegant and residential
House $1.9M · Condo $700K· Walk 86
2.6 km from Villeray
LuxuryFamilies
Similar to Villeray elsewhere in Montreal
Town of Mount Royal
A 1912 garden city that is still its own municipality
House $1.85M · Condo $620K· Walk 62
FamiliesLuxury
Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie
Green spaces, local shops, and unhurried joie de vivre
House $880K · Condo $480K· Walk 90
FamiliesBest valueCar free living
Ahuntsic
Riverside parks and quiet family streets in the north end
House $820K · Condo $440K· Walk 80
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Saint-Laurent
A working borough with the island's best value family housing
House $830K · Condo $430K· Walk 63
FamiliesBest valueFirst time buyers