How Do Calgary Closing Costs Compare to BC and Ontario?
Photo: David Vincent Villavicencio, via Pexels
Michael Smith, Michael Smith Team
Last updated: September 2026
Moving from BC or Ontario? Here's the closing-cost number that changes the most: Alberta charges no land transfer tax at all. Instead, Calgary buyers pay smaller Alberta Land Titles registration fees. Legal fees, GST and mortgage costs still apply everywhere, so the move lowers your bill. It doesn't erase it. Michael Smith Team can help you find your real number.
Does Alberta Have a Land Transfer Tax?
No. Alberta has no land transfer tax. That's the single biggest difference for a buyer coming from BC or Ontario, where a transfer tax applies to almost every purchase. Instead, Calgary buyers pay Alberta Land Titles registration fees. These add a flat base fee, plus a small charge tied to the value of the land transfer and any new mortgage.
A land transfer tax is a percentage-based charge some provinces add on top of your purchase price. Alberta doesn't have one. Worth understanding clearly before you compare the dollar figures below.
How Much Are Alberta's Land Titles Registration Fees?
As of September 2026, Alberta Land Titles charges $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of value, for both the land transfer and a new mortgage registration. That rate has applied since October 20, 2024, and it remains unchanged, attributed to alberta.ca.
On a $650,000 purchase, the land transfer registration fee alone works out to about $700. Registering a new mortgage adds the same formula again, on the mortgage amount, as a separate fee.
One related change is coming. Alberta's Land Titles fees for discharging or postponing an existing mortgage, not the land transfer or new-mortgage fee above, are scheduled to change on October 1, 2026. That mostly affects sellers paying off an old mortgage, not buyers registering a new one, so it doesn't touch the numbers in this section.
How Does BC's Property Transfer Tax Compare?
BC charges a graduated Property Transfer Tax, set by the BC Ministry of Finance. As of September 2026, it's 1% on the first $200,000, 2% on the portion from $200,000 to $2 million, and 3% above that. There's a further 2% on residential value over $3 million. Alberta has no equivalent tax at all.
BC does offer relief for some buyers. Its First Time Home Buyers' Program gives a full exemption up to $500,000, phasing out between $835,000 and $860,000, capped at $8,000, for agreements from April 1, 2024 onward. Its Newly Built Home Exemption covers new construction fully up to $1.1 million, phasing to zero at $1.15 million, also from April 1, 2024. Eligibility depends on residency, property size and other conditions, so confirm with your lawyer or notary before assuming an exemption applies to you.
How Does Ontario's Land Transfer Tax Compare, Including Toronto?
Ontario charges a graduated provincial Land Transfer Tax, attributed to ontario.ca. As of September 2026, the bands are 0.5% up to $55,000, 1.0% from $55,000 to $250,000, and 1.5% from $250,000 to $400,000. Above that it's 2.0%, rising to 2.5% above $2 million. Toronto adds its own Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT) on top, per the City of Toronto.
Toronto's MLTT recently changed. A City Council amendment passed December 17, 2025 took effect April 1, 2026. It moved the MLTT to a new graduated structure: the same lower bands as the provincial tax up to $2 million, then climbing further at higher price points. A Toronto buyer pays two land transfer taxes stacked together, provincial plus municipal. A Calgary buyer pays neither.
Both governments offer first-time-buyer relief: Ontario's provincial refund maxes out at $4,000, and Toronto's own MLTT rebate maxes out at $4,475. A foreign-buyer surtax also exists in Ontario, at 25%, but it applies only to non-resident buyers, not an ordinary Canadian relocating from BC or elsewhere. Confirm your own eligibility for any refund with your lawyer.
What Other Closing Costs Are the Same Across Provinces?
Some costs don't change much no matter where you're moving from. GST is a federal 5% tax in Alberta, since the province charges no separate provincial sales tax. It applies to a real estate agent's commission, even though selling an existing home is usually GST-exempt itself.
If you need mortgage default insurance, CMHC's premium bands are set nationally and don't vary by province. They run from 0.60% at up to 65% loan-to-value, up to 4.00% at 90.01% to 95% (4.50% with a non-traditional down payment). A Calgary buyer's real estate lawyer is a separate cost. As of September 2026, Kahane Law Office advertises purchase-side flat fees starting at $1,695 under $199,999, rising to $2,795 for $500,000 to $599,999, plus GST.
Legal fees, GST and mortgage insurance apply in Calgary just as they would in Vancouver or Toronto. Land transfer tax isn't the only line on your closing statement. For the full local picture, see the full breakdown of buying costs in Calgary.
What Should a Relocating Buyer Budget For Overall?
Here's one illustrative purchase price, shown side by side for Alberta, BC and Ontario, so you can see where the real dollar differences sit. This is a clearly labelled illustrative example only, not a real listing or market benchmark, and it does not include a mortgage or legal-fee estimate.
Illustrative example only (not a real listing or market price): a $650,000 purchase, as of September 2026
- Alberta (Calgary): Land Titles registration fee on the land transfer, about $700. No land transfer tax. (A new mortgage registration adds a similar small fee on the mortgage amount.)
- BC: Property Transfer Tax, about $11,000, before any first-time-buyer or newly built exemption.
- Ontario (outside Toronto): provincial Land Transfer Tax, about $9,475, before any refund.
- Ontario (Toronto): provincial Land Transfer Tax plus the city's MLTT, about $18,950 combined, before any rebate.
On this illustrative price, Alberta's registration fee runs several thousand dollars lower than BC's or Ontario's land transfer tax. It's tens of thousands lower than Toronto's combined total. These are published September 2026 rates. That's a real difference, not a guarantee of your own savings. Your actual number depends on your purchase price, financing and any exemptions you qualify for.
Thinking about a secondary suite to help offset your new mortgage? Considering a home with a secondary suite walks through what changed in Calgary in 2026. Selling somewhere else to fund this move? See what it costs to sell in Calgary covers the other side of the transaction.
Three-province closing-cost comparison (as of September 2026)
| Alberta (Calgary) | BC | Ontario / Toronto | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land transfer tax | None | Graduated Property Transfer Tax: 1% to $200,000, 2% to $2,000,000, 3% above, plus 2% more on residential value above $3,000,000, as of September 2026 | Graduated provincial Land Transfer Tax: 0.5% to $55,000, 1.0% to $250,000, 1.5% to $400,000, 2.0% above, 2.5% above $2,000,000, as of September 2026. Toronto adds its own Municipal Land Transfer Tax on top, on a new graduated structure effective April 1, 2026 |
| Registration / administrative fee | Alberta Land Titles: $50 + $5 per $5,000 of value, for the land transfer and again for a new mortgage, as of September 2026 | Included within the Property Transfer Tax above | Included within the Land Transfer Tax above |
| First-time-buyer relief available | n/a (no tax to relieve) | Full exemption to $500,000, phasing out $835,000-$860,000, max $8,000; confirm eligibility with your lawyer or notary | Provincial refund max $4,000; Toronto adds its own MLTT rebate max $4,475; confirm eligibility with your lawyer |
| Illustrative example: $650,000 purchase, as of September 2026 | About $700 (land transfer registration only) | About $11,000 (before any exemption) | About $9,475 outside Toronto; about $18,950 combined in Toronto (before any refund) |
Illustrative figures only, not a real listing or market benchmark. Actual amounts depend on your own purchase price, financing and eligibility for any exemption or refund.
How Do I Get an Accurate Closing-Cost Estimate for My Move?
Provincial tax differences are only part of the picture. Legal fees, mortgage insurance, financing and even the pace of the local market all differ too, and none of that shows up in a simple land-transfer-tax comparison. The only way to know your real number is a personalized estimate built around your actual purchase price and financing.
Michael Smith Team helps buyers relocating from BC and Ontario understand exactly what they'll pay in Calgary. We'll also show what they'll save on tax alone versus where they're moving from. If you're weighing a specific Calgary community, see recent sales in Elbow Park or see recent sales in Aspen Woods for a sense of current activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta charges no land transfer tax, unlike BC and Ontario. Buyers instead pay Alberta Land Titles registration fees on the land transfer and any new mortgage. As of September 2026, that's a flat base fee plus a per-$5,000 charge. Confirm current details with your lawyer before closing.
How much are Alberta's Land Titles registration fees?
As of September 2026, Alberta Land Titles charges $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of value for the land transfer, and the same formula again for a new mortgage registration. This rate has applied since October 2024. Separate fees for discharging or postponing an existing mortgage are scheduled to change on October 1, 2026.
How does BC's Property Transfer Tax compare to Alberta?
BC charges a graduated Property Transfer Tax. As of September 2026, it's 1% up to $200,000, 2% from $200,000 to $2 million, and 3% above that, plus a further 2% on residential value above $3 million. First-time buyers and newly built homes may qualify for exemptions. Alberta has no equivalent tax, only its flat registration fees.
Does Ontario's Land Transfer Tax apply if I buy in Calgary?
No. Ontario's Land Transfer Tax and Toronto's Municipal Land Transfer Tax only apply to Ontario property. If you buy in Calgary instead, you pay Alberta's registration fees, with no land transfer tax at all. That's one of the real cost differences worth factoring into your move.
Is Toronto's land transfer tax higher than Calgary's closing costs?
Yes, on the tax line itself. Toronto buyers pay both Ontario's provincial Land Transfer Tax and the city's own Municipal Land Transfer Tax. The MLTT moved to a new graduated structure effective April 1, 2026. A Calgary buyer pays only Alberta's flat registration fees, with no land transfer tax. Legal fees and mortgage insurance still apply everywhere.
Sources
- Government of Alberta / Alberta Land Titles, fee schedule, on registration fees and the October 2026 discharge/postponement fee change
- Government of British Columbia / BC Ministry of Finance, on the Property Transfer Tax, the First Time Home Buyers' Program, and the Newly Built Home Exemption
- Government of Ontario, on the provincial Land Transfer Tax and the first-time-buyer refund
- City of Toronto, on the Municipal Land Transfer Tax rates and the MLTT rebate
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), on the 5% GST rate and GST applying to real estate commission
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), on mortgage loan insurance premiums
- Named firm cited for its own advertised pricing: Kahane Law Office (Calgary/Edmonton law firm), on purchase-side legal fees
Moving to Calgary from BC or Ontario changes your closing-cost math, but every move is different. The fastest way to see your real number, land transfer comparison included, is a relocation consultation built around your own purchase price and timeline. Not a generic online calculator.
Call us at 403-919-2247, email michael@mstrealty.ca, or book your free home valuation and we'll walk through what your move to Calgary actually costs.
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