Moving to Calgary from Ontario: Costs, Taxes and Home Buying

Last reviewed October 2026 · By Tod Hall and Tausha Hall, REALTORS®, TNT Real Estate Pros | Real Broker

Short answer: Moving from Ontario to Calgary usually cuts your closing costs sharply, because Alberta has no land transfer tax. On a $600,000 home you’d pay about $8,475 in Ontario land transfer tax, or $16,950 in Toronto, versus roughly $1,180 in Alberta Land Titles fees. Calgary’s benchmark price is also far below the GTA average, as of October 2026.

Below we run the numbers side by side, then walk through what to do in your first months as an Albertan and how buying a home here differs from what you’re used to in Ontario. All figures are estimates as of October 2026. Confirm current amounts with your lawyer before you rely on them.

The $600,000 home: closing costs in Toronto, the rest of Ontario and Calgary

For example, say you buy a $600,000 resale home with 20% down, so your mortgage is $480,000. Here’s what the government side of closing looks like in each place.

Cost (estimate, October 2026)	Toronto	Ontario, outside Toronto	Calgary
Ontario land transfer tax	$8,475	$8,475	None
Toronto municipal land transfer tax (MLTT)	$8,475	None	None
Alberta Land Titles: transfer of land ($50 + $5 per $5,000)	None	None	$650
Alberta Land Titles: mortgage registration on $480,000	None	None	$530
Total land tax or title fees	$16,950	$8,475	$1,180
First-time buyer rebate	Up to $4,000 (Ontario) + up to $4,475 (Toronto)	Up to $4,000	Not needed: no tax to rebate
Total for an eligible first-time buyer	$8,475	$4,475	$1,180
Legal fees	Usually a flat fee plus disbursements; get quotes	Usually a flat fee plus disbursements; get quotes	Usually a flat fee plus disbursements; get quotes

How we worked out the Ontario numbers

Ontario’s land transfer tax on a home is charged in brackets: 0.5% on the first $55,000, 1% from $55,000 to $250,000, 1.5% from $250,000 to $400,000 and 2% from $400,000 to $2 million. On $600,000 that’s $275 + $1,950 + $2,250 + $4,000 = $8,475. Toronto’s MLTT uses the same brackets at this price, so a Toronto buyer pays it twice: $16,950.

First-time buyers get some of that back. Ontario’s refund is up to $4,000, and Toronto’s MLTT rebate is up to $4,475. Both have eligibility rules, such as never having owned a home anywhere in the world.

How Alberta’s fees work

Alberta doesn’t have a land transfer tax. Instead, Land Titles charges a registration fee: $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of value, rounded up. A $600,000 transfer is $50 + (120 x $5) = $650. Registering a $480,000 mortgage uses the same formula: $50 + (96 x $5) = $530. First-time or not, everyone pays the same.

Legal fees vary by firm in both provinces. Most real estate lawyers quote a flat fee plus disbursements (searches, couriers, registration), so ask two or three firms for a written quote. Our Calgary closing costs guide lists the other items to budget for, like an inspection, title insurance or appraisal fees, and moving costs.

Prices: GTA average versus Calgary benchmark

The bigger gap is the purchase price itself. As of September 2026, TRREB reported a GTA average price of about $1,006,409. CREB’s benchmark price for all homes in the City of Calgary was $566,700, and the benchmark for a detached home in Calgary was $739,400.

These aren’t measured the same way. An average is pulled up by expensive sales, while a benchmark tracks a “typical” home with set features. Even so, the difference is large enough that many Ontario buyers find they can move up in size, get a garage or a yard, or carry a smaller mortgage.

Calgary benchmark price, September 2026 (CREB)	Price
All residential, City of Calgary	$566,700
Detached	$739,400
Semi-detached	$685,200
Row (townhouse)	$412,400
Apartment condo	$291,400

Prices vary a lot by area. A detached benchmark in the City Centre district was $981,300, compared with $556,600 in the North East. If you’re still deciding where to land, our relocation guide covers how to narrow it down.

Your move timeline: what to register and when

Most of the paperwork happens after you arrive. Here’s the order we suggest.

Before you move

• Get a mortgage pre-approval and set a budget that includes Alberta’s lower closing costs.
• Decide whether to sell in Ontario first or buy in Calgary first, and talk to your lender about bridge financing if the dates overlap.
• Book a viewing trip, or plan virtual showings with an agent who can video the homes and the street for you.

In your first three months

• Health care (AHCIP): register with the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan within three months of setting up residence. If you’re moving from another province, Alberta coverage starts on the first day of the third month after you arrive. For example, if you arrive July 12, coverage starts October 1. Check with Ontario about what OHIP covers during that gap.
• Driver’s licence: exchange your Ontario licence for an Alberta one within 90 days of becoming a resident, at an Alberta registry agent.
• Vehicle: register and insure your vehicle in Alberta. A vehicle that was registered in another province generally needs an out-of-province inspection before it can be registered here, so book it early. Auto insurance in Alberta is sold by private insurers, so get quotes.

By December 31

• Income tax: the Canada Revenue Agency taxes you as a resident of the province you live in on December 31. Move to Alberta by then and you’ll file as an Albertan for the whole year. Alberta has no provincial sales tax (you pay 5% GST instead of 13% HST) and no health premium.
• Update your address with the CRA, your bank and your employer.

Buying a home in Alberta: what an Ontario buyer should expect

The process will feel familiar, but a few details are different.

• The contract. Most resale deals use the standard Alberta residential purchase contract. Offers commonly include conditions, such as financing, a home inspection and, for condos, a review of the condo documents, with a deadline to waive or satisfy each one.
• The deposit. Your deposit is usually paid to a brokerage and held in its trust account, not held by a lawyer. The contract sets out when it’s due and when the rest is paid.
• Real Property Report (RPR). On a detached home or other land, the seller normally provides an RPR: a survey showing where the house, garage, deck and fences sit on the lot. In Calgary it should have a City Certificate of Compliance stamp (the standard City fee is $189 as of October 2026). Ontario buyers often rely on title insurance instead of an up-to-date survey, so this may be new to you.
• Condo documents. In Alberta you’ll review the condo’s bylaws, budget, reserve fund study and an estoppel certificate, which shows whether the unit’s fees are paid up.
• Possession day. Alberta contracts use a “possession date,” which is when the money moves and you get the keys.
• Hail and radon. Calgary has frequent hail, so ask about the age and type of the roof. Radon is also common here, and Health Canada recommends testing for at least three months.

What doesn’t change

Mortgage rules are federal, so they follow you. As of October 2026, insured mortgages are available on homes up to $1.5 million, with a minimum down payment of 5% on the first $500,000 and 10% on the portion above that. Your Ontario lender can often finance an Alberta purchase too, but confirm it before you write an offer. Our down payment guide has worked examples.

If you’d like a deeper walk-through of the steps, see our guide to moving to Calgary and buying a home.

If you’re planning a move from Ontario, we’re happy to talk through neighbourhoods, budgets and timing, even if you’re a year out. Reach out here or call our office at 587-875-6640.

This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Talk to an accountant or lawyer about your situation.

Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance: Land transfer tax; City of Toronto: Municipal Land Transfer Tax; Government of Alberta: Land titles; Government of Alberta: AHCIP for people moving to Alberta; CREB: Housing statistics.