Short answer: Laurier residence costs $8,373 to $11,760 for the year depending on room, guaranteed to first-years who apply with the $600 deposit by June 1. Off campus, shared apartments near campus run $750 to $1,000 per room.
Laurier’s Waterloo campus sits in a residential neighbourhood, so your options split cleanly: residence in first year, then shared housing off campus. Here’s what each costs.
Residence rates for 2026–27
Residence fees are per year, paid in two terms:
| Room type | Per term | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional double (dorm) | $4,186.29 | $8,373 |
| Traditional single (dorm) | $4,724.47 | $9,449 |
| Semi-private double (dorm) | $5,022.16 | $10,044 |
| Semi-private single (dorm) | $5,237.43 | $10,475 |
| Apartment double | $4,511.19 | $9,022 |
| Apartment single (premium) | $5,608.16 | $11,216 |
| Apartment single, premium-plus | $5,743.99 | $11,488 |
| Apartment single with ensuite | $5,879.84 | $11,760 |
Traditional dorm rooms are cheaper because they don’t have kitchens, so everyone there is on a full meal plan. Apartment-style rooms have kitchens, which changes your food math, though the apartment meal plan still exists for students who want some campus meals.
The meal plan rule
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Every residence student on the Waterloo campus picks a meal plan. The 5-day all-access plan runs $3,580.79 per term with $900 in flex dollars for the year. Apartment residents can pick the smaller apartment plan instead. All plans are tax exempt.
Getting a room: the June 1 deadline
Laurier guarantees residence to every student attending post-secondary for the first time who applies and pays the $600 deposit by June 1. Applications open in early April. The deposit is non-refundable but applies to your fees.
Miss June 1 and you’re on the waitlist. Waterloo’s rental market is tight, so the waitlist is a real risk, not a formality.
Off campus
Waterloo rents, per recent market data:
| Option | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Room in a shared apartment near campus | $750 to $1,000 |
| One-bedroom apartment | $1,500 to $1,900 |
| Two-bedroom (split with a roommate) | $2,000, about $1,000 each |
A few things to know about renting in Waterloo:
- Leases start when you sign, not when you move in. Housing near Laurier books up by spring for September. Start looking in February or March.
- Budget for more than rent. Hydro, internet, and groceries add roughly $250 to $350 a month on top of a $900 room.
- Watch for scams on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. Never send a deposit before seeing the unit in person or on a live video call. Ads priced far below market are the usual bait.
Residence or off campus?
| Residence | Off campus | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly housing cost | $8,373 to $11,760 + meal plan | $9,000 to $12,000 all in |
| Convenience | One payment, walk to class | Cooking, leases, landlords |
| Contract | One year, no obligation beyond | 12-month lease, you own the risk |
First-year residence costs about the same as a good shared apartment once you add the mandatory meal plan. The real trade is convenience: residence handles everything, off campus is cheaper per person if you split well and can commit to a lease before you know the city.
The bottom line
Apply for residence with the $600 deposit before June 1 even if you’re undecided. A traditional double at $8,373 plus the 5-day meal plan runs about $15,600 all in for the year, which is roughly what off-campus living costs once groceries are counted, with far less admin.
For the full first-year bill, see our Laurier tuition and costs breakdown.
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.
