Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Municipal taxes in Montreal come down to one multiplication: the value of your property on the city’s assessment roll times a rate per $100. The rate changes with your property category and your borough, so two neighbours in different boroughs can pay different amounts on the same value. We can’t give you one Montreal rate, and the reason is below.
How are Montreal municipal taxes calculated?
The city describes two pieces. First comes the tax base: the value of your building as entered on the property assessment roll. Then come the rates, set each year per $100 of that base to pay for the services the city and its boroughs provide.
The value used isn’t always the newest one. A new roll is generally filed every three years, and when values jump, the city spreads the difference over three years, one third at a time. So a big increase in your assessment doesn’t hit the bill in one go.
The arithmetic is simple even if the rate isn’t. Here’s a made-up example, not a real Montreal rate. A condo on the roll at $400,000 with a combined rate of $0.80 per $100 would carry $400,000 divided by 100, times 0.80, which is $3,200 a year. Plug in your own value and your borough’s rate from the city and you have your answer.
Which categories and boroughs change the rate?
| What decides your rate | What the city says |
|---|---|
| Property category | Residential with five units or fewer, residential with six or more, non-residential or mixed, and serviced vacant land |
| Borough | Each borough sets its own service and investment rates |
| Non-residential value | One rate up to $900,000 of value, another on the part above it |
| Assessment roll | Generally renewed every three years, with a three-year spread of increases |
The 2026 rates sit in a rate table on the city’s website, and we couldn’t read the figures from the page we checked. That’s why we don’t print a rate here. Open the city’s 2026 rates page, find your category and borough, and use that number.
How much did the 2026 bill rise?
For 2026 the city says it held the increase in the charges it controls to 3.4% for residential and non-residential properties, in line with inflation in the Montreal region. Your own bill can still move by more or less than that. Your assessment may have changed, and so might the borough’s part.
To put 3.4% in dollars, take a bill of $3,200 (our invented one above). A 3.4% rise adds $108.80, so the new bill is $3,308.80. That’s about $9 a month, a few bucks you can plan for. If your assessment also jumped, the three-year spread softens the effect.
We don’t know how the school tax, water charges or other fees appear on your account, because the city’s calculation page doesn’t describe them. Check your own statement and the city’s tax account page for what each line covers.
What about buying in Montreal?
A purchase triggers a one-time land transfer tax on top of the yearly bill. Montreal has its own brackets in our closing costs tool, in force since 1 January 2026. On a $500,000 purchase, the closing costs calculator shows $5,611 of land transfer tax, and $10,494 in total closing costs, including legal, inspection and title insurance allowances. Your notary will give you the real figure.
To judge whether the monthly cost fits, pair it with the mortgage affordability calculator. Put the yearly municipal bill in your budget next to the mortgage payment, insurance and heating. Many first-time buyers forget it until the first bill lands.
What else do you pay that isn’t municipal?
Municipal tax is its own thing, separate from your income tax and from sales tax. Income tax for a Quebec resident on $60,000 of employment income is $9,509.42 in federal and Quebec tax, which is 15.8%, plus $4,597.50 in QPP and EI, using our income tax calculator. That leaves $45,893.08.
Sales tax is another layer. Quebec charges 5% GST and 9.975% QST on most purchases, which makes $114.98 on a $100 item. The GST and QST calculator splits any price into its parts.
Do renters pay municipal tax in Montreal?
Not on a bill with their name on it. The tax goes to the owner, and many landlords build it into the rent. If you rent, ask your landlord whether a rise in the roll is likely to show up when the lease renews. If you own, put a little aside every month: one twelfth of last year’s bill is a decent ballpark, and you can adjust once the new account arrives.
Mistakes to avoid
Don’t copy a rate from a neighbour or a listing. Rates depend on category and borough, and listings often quote last year’s tax. Don’t assume a new assessment means a bigger bill this year, because of the three-year spread. And don’t wait for a reminder: the bill has due dates, and the city’s pages list them, so check your statement.
If you think your assessment is wrong, the city’s tax and assessment section explains how to ask about it. We haven’t checked the steps or the deadlines, so start on montreal.ca.
Our sources
The description of how the bill is calculated and the 3.4% figure come from City of Montreal pages on municipal taxes, the 2026 rates and the 2026 budget, checked on 30 September 2026. Income tax and sales tax figures come from our calculators, which use 2026 federal and Quebec data, and Revenu Quebec‘s 9.975% QST rate. This website has no connection with the City of Montreal or any government body.
Frequently asked questions
How does Montreal calculate municipal taxes?
It multiplies the value on your property assessment roll by a tax rate per $100. Rates depend on the property category and the borough.
How often does the assessment roll change?
The city says a new roll is generally filed every three years, and increases in value are spread over three years.
What was the 2026 increase?
The city says it limited the increase in charges under its control to 3.4% for residential and non-residential properties. Your own bill may differ.
Where do I find my rate?
On the City of Montreal's 2026 tax rates page, which lists rates by category and borough.
Is the land transfer tax part of the yearly bill?
No. It is a one-time cost when you buy. Our closing costs tool estimates $5,611 on a $500,000 purchase in Montreal.
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