As the old calendar comes off the wall and a new one is hung in its place, residents’ finances will also see a reset. A number of city services are going up in price this year, from OC Transpo to property tax.
Transit: For transit riders, fares have gone up by 2.5 per cent. A monthly adult pass now costs $138.50 a month compared to $135 in 2025. A U-pass will cost $60.17 per month, and a seniors monthly pass $59.75 a month. For single fares, it will cost $4.10 if you pay by card or $4.15 if you pay by cash – both a 10 cent increase. The EquiPass and Community monthly passes will remain the same.
Ottawa now has the fourth-highest transit fares in the country. Toronto is the highest in Canada at $156 for a monthly pass. Brampton comes in second at $141.25, and Mississauga charges $141. For single fares, Gatineau is still higher than Ottawa at $4.75.
Rebecca Langley, who was taking the LRT with her kids on Saturday, told CTV she was caught off guard by the price hike, which was making taking transit unaffordable for her family. The Ottawa parent said she no longer gets monthly passes for her children due to the cost.
“It looks like it’s $8.20 just for two of us one way,” she said. “Then we’ve got the other three. They’ve got their Presto passes. So, it’s going to be over 40 bucks for us to take the train there and back.”
Laura Shantz from Ottawa Transit Riders told CBC the increase will make it more unaffordable to do basic errands around the community.
"If you think about me trying to get to the grocery store in my own community, $4.10 is not a great price. All of a sudden, that seems really steep for something I could walk in 15 minutes," said Shantz.
Property taxes: The average homeowner in Ottawa is expected to pay an extra $166 on their property taxes after a 3.75 per cent increase was approved by council in December, For an average home assessed at $415,000, the city says the increase would account for a $56 increase to city services, $74 more for transit, and a $36 increase for police.
The average property tax payer will also spend approximately $267 for solid waste services, which is about $24 more a year.
Water bills will see a 4.5 per cent increase this year of about $47.30.
Parking: A parking permit will cost you between 2.8 per cent and 3 per cent more. An annual residential parking permit fee will cost $792 a year, which is a $22 increase. If you need one just for the summer it will cost you $37 a month, or $172 a month for winter.
To park your vehicle at a municipal lot, the maximum cost for 30 minutes will be $8 – a $1.50 increase compared to last year – or a daily maximum of $26, which is a $1 increase.
Recreation: The cost of participating in sports has also gone up. The price for renting an arena has gone up a few dollars to $351.75 per hour for adults or $210.85 for minors. The non-prime time rate is $164.03 or $362.05 for commercial use.
Sports fields and baseball diamonds range in price from $21.05-$51.59 for adults or between $6.64 and $10.01 for minors.
Gymnasiums will also see an increase with a non-prime or minor rate of $48.93, a prime rate of $69.95, or a premium rate of $99.35.
The cost to rent: While rent prices in Ottawa are remaining steady, the maximum legal increase for rent-controlled units is 2.1 per cent.
Some tenants, though, will be in for a surprise and actually see their rent drop if they are living in a building constructed before 2001. The reduction comes after the City announced last spring it would be reducing municipal taxes for the older buildings because they were paying more than newer builds. Those savings would then need to be passed on to the tenants.
For a tenant who pays $2,000 a month, they will now pay $16 less monthly, according to the city.
Hydro: Hydro rates will be going up, but when and by how much remains unclear. The organization filed an application last year to increase rates by $6.08 a month for 2026. It would then likely raise rates again between $2.72 and $3.79 between 2027 and 2030.
Hydro Ottawa said the increase is needed to “modernize and expand the grid to meet the evolving community needs and address climate change.” Hydro Ottawa will make a presentation on a settlement for its application later this month.
Other fees: If you operate a business and need a licence, the fees have gone up between 2.6 and 12 per cent.
The cost of a marriage license will cost $192.14, which is up from $186.55 last year. If you are looking to get married at city hall, expect a three per cent increase; during business hours, the price is $168, or $252 for Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
