Housing is the biggest line in most NAIT students’ budgets, and it’s the one you have to decide on before you even get to campus. The good news is Edmonton is one of the more affordable big-city rental markets in Canada, and NAIT sits in central Edmonton with a Metro Line LRT station right on campus. This guide breaks down what the partner residences cost, what you’ll pay off campus, and where the cheap places to live as a NAIT student are.
NAIT’s Partner Residences: What They Cost
NAIT does not run its own residence halls. Instead, it points students to a set of partner residences and student housing buildings around the city. The ones NAIT lists on its housing page are Horizon Residence, Live Laurent, Mainstreet, Pilot Blatchford, The Sunrise, and The Switch. These are furnished student buildings, and most include utilities and internet in the rent.
The catch is that none of them sit on the NAIT campus. Horizon Residence is downtown near MacEwan, a short bus or drive from NAIT. Live Laurent is in Garneau near the University of Alberta. You trade a commute for a furnished room with utilities included, which makes the monthly number look higher than a bare off-campus rent that leaves those out.
Partner residence rates change often and are quoted per building, so check each one before you apply. The one thing they share is that the listed rate covers furniture, heat, power, water, and internet. That matters when you compare them against an off-campus apartment where you pay for all of those separately.
Off-Campus: The Cheapest Places to Live Near NAIT
Most NAIT students live off campus, and the neighbourhood you pick changes your rent by hundreds of dollars a month. The closest areas are the most convenient; a short LRT or bus ride gets you cheaper. NAIT’s own housing page recommends you live close to a bus stop or LRT station, or within walking distance of campus.
Spruce Avenue is the closest off-campus neighbourhood, directly adjacent to the campus and a five to ten minute walk to class. It has a mix of low-rise apartments, basement suites, and shared student rentals, and it’s served by the NAIT LRT Station. One-bedrooms here run about $1,000 to $1,500 a month in 2026, with two-bedrooms around $1,300 to $1,850.
Westwood sits directly north of campus, a quiet residential area with basement suites, older walk-ups, and shared houses. It’s a ten to fifteen minute walk or bus ride to NAIT. One-bedrooms run about $1,100 to $1,400 a month, and rooms in shared places start around $650.
Central McDougall sits south of campus, known for its affordability and central location. The Kingsway/Royal Alex LRT Station and bus routes along 107 Avenue serve the area. One-bedrooms run about $1,075 to $1,500 a month.
Queen Mary Park sits west of campus, northwest of downtown, with a mix of newer mid-rise buildings and older homes with basement suites. It’s a fifteen to twenty minute bus ride to NAIT. One-bedrooms run about $975 to $1,600 a month, with a median around $1,300.
Downtown Edmonton is the most urban option, and the Metro Line connects directly to NAIT from stations like MacEwan, Central, and Churchill. Rents in parts of downtown compete with the inner-city neighbourhoods above, and you get the city’s restaurants, gyms, and libraries at your door. The commute is ten to fifteen minutes by LRT.
What a Room or Apartment Costs
If you’re willing to share, off-campus housing gets cheaper than any furnished partner residence. Here’s the realistic 2026 range for a NAIT student:
| Option | Monthly cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared house/apartment | $650 to $850 | Utilities often included. The cheapest way to live near campus. |
| Studio | $900 to $1,200 | Cheapest solo option, especially in Central McDougall or Queen Mary Park. |
| 1-bedroom | $1,000 to $1,500 | Spruce Avenue and Westwood sit at the low end of this range. |
| 2-bedroom (split) | $700 to $925 per person | Splitting a two-bed is cheaper per person than a one-bed. |
The math is simple: a room in a shared place at $700 a month beats the cheapest furnished partner residence, and you’re not locked into a building that sits a commute away from campus. For most students, sharing off campus is the single biggest money-saver available.
The Hidden Costs to Budget For
Rent is only part of the picture. Off-campus rentals in Edmonton don’t include utilities, and winter heating in Alberta is not cheap. NAIT’s own housing checklist flags this: ask whether the rent includes heat, water, power, and cable, and check what utilities cost per month. Budget for:
- Utilities (heat, power, water): $100 to $250 a month, more in winter
- Internet: $50 to $100 a month
- Tenant insurance: $20 to $30 a month (partner residences often include this; off-campus you buy it)
- Furniture: partner residences are furnished, most off-campus rentals are not
- Transit: the U-Pass is included in your student fees, so bus and LRT are covered
A $1,200 one-bedroom can become $1,500 a month once you add utilities, internet, and insurance. Compare that against a partner residence, where the listed rate already includes all three.
How to Keep Housing From Eating Your Budget
A common rule of thumb is to keep housing at or under 30% of your income. On a student budget that’s often not realistic, so aim for the cheapest option that still works for you and treat the rest as a trade-off.
- Share with roommates. Splitting a two or three-bedroom is almost always cheaper per person than living alone.
- Look beyond Spruce Avenue. A 15-minute LRT or bus ride can cut your rent by $300 a month.
- Check the NAIT housing page and student rental sites. NAIT lists partner residences and points to places4students and rentfaster for off-campus options.
- Start your search early. The best-priced rooms near campus go fast in the spring for a September move-in.
- Read the lease before you sign. Know whether utilities are included, whether it’s furnished, and what the notice period is. NAIT’s housing page also reminds you that the person who signs the lease is responsible for the payments, so settle how you’ll split costs with roommates before you move in.
Partner Residence or Off-Campus: Which Is Right for You?
A partner residence makes sense if you want a furnished room with utilities and internet bundled in, and you don’t want to buy furniture or set up accounts. It’s the easiest transition, and the building handles the day-to-day. The trade-off is a commute to campus and a monthly rate that runs higher than a shared off-campus room.
Off-campus makes sense if you want to save money, cook your own food, and have more independence. The trade-off is a commute, a lease, and the work of setting up utilities and furniture.
There’s no wrong answer, only the one that fits your budget. If you’re weighing the full cost of the year, add up the partner residence rate, then compare it to off-campus rent plus utilities and groceries. For most students, the off-campus number comes out lower, and the difference is money you can put toward an emergency fund or a TFSA instead.
Related: your first week at NAIT and the cheapest food on campus cover the other big first-year costs.
This guide is general information for Canadian students, not personalized financial advice. Program rules and dollar amounts change, so confirm the details with the official government source before acting on them.
