Ontario vs. Alberta: Buying a Home 2026

The Ontario vs. Alberta LTT Advantage

Ontario's land transfer tax is one of the most significant closing costs in Canadian real estate. On a $600,000 purchase, the provincial LTT amounts to $8,475. Buyers in the City of Toronto face an additional municipal land transfer tax of exactly the same amount — a combined $16,950 in transfer taxes on a $600,000 Toronto home. This is money paid to the government before you even step through your new door.

Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax. A Calgary or Edmonton buyer purchasing a $600,000 home pays only a title registration fee of approximately $750 — about 4.5% of the equivalent Ontario LTT bill. The difference is one of the most dramatic in Canadian real estate finance: $750 vs. $8,475 for the same $600,000 purchase price.

Alberta home prices, while rising, are substantially below Ontario's. The average detached home in Calgary is approximately $650,000 in 2026, compared to roughly $1.1 million in the Greater Toronto Area. The combination of lower prices and $0 LTT means that a buyer moving from Toronto to Calgary can save $50,000–$100,000 or more on a comparable property when accounting for both price differences and transfer costs.

Ontario first-time buyers can claim a rebate on the first $4,000 of provincial LTT, reducing their bill on a $600,000 home to $4,475 — still dramatically higher than Alberta's $0. Toronto's municipal LTT also has a first-time buyer rebate of up to $4,475. Even with both rebates, Toronto first-time buyers pay more in LTT than Alberta buyers pay in total title fees.

• Ontario LTT on $600K: $8,475 (+ $8,475 in Toronto)
• Alberta LTT on $600K: $0 (title fee ~$750)
• Alberta savings vs. Ontario: $7,725 minimum
• Alberta savings vs. Toronto: $16,200 minimum
• Average Calgary home is ~40% cheaper than Greater Toronto Area