How much are closing costs in Canada?

Closing costs in Canada typically range from 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price, or roughly $8,000 to $30,000 on a typical home. The biggest variable is land transfer tax, which varies dramatically by province — Ontario and British Columbia have the highest, while Alberta and Saskatchewan have no land transfer tax at all. Other costs include legal fees ($1,500–$2,500), title insurance ($300–$500), home inspection ($400–$600), property tax adjustments, and PST on CMHC insurance premiums in some provinces.

Do I need to pay closing costs upfront in cash?

Yes. Unlike the CMHC insurance premium (which is added to your mortgage), closing costs must be paid in cash at or before closing. Your down payment and closing costs are separate — you need both. Most lenders want to see that you have at least 1.5% of the purchase price available for closing costs on top of your down payment. Some buyers use a cashback mortgage to offset closing costs, but the trade-off is a higher interest rate.

Which province has the lowest closing costs in Canada?

Alberta has the lowest closing costs in Canada because it has no land transfer tax. Instead, Alberta charges a small land title transfer fee (approximately $50 plus $2 per $5,000 of property value) and a mortgage registration fee. Total closing costs in Alberta on a $500,000 home are typically $5,500–$8,000 — less than half of what you would pay in Ontario or British Columbia on the same purchase price.

Closing Cost Calculator Canada — Every Province (2026)

Updated April 2026

Closing costs are the expenses beyond your down payment that you must pay to complete a home purchase. They vary significantly by province — mainly due to land transfer tax differences. Use this guide to estimate your total closing costs based on where you are buying.

Closing cost summary by province

Province	LTT on $500K Home	LTT on $700K Home	Total Closing Costs ($500K)	Total Closing Costs ($700K)
Ontario	$6,475	$10,475	$12,500–$16,000	$17,500–$21,500
British Columbia	$8,000	$12,000	$14,000–$17,500	$19,000–$23,000
Quebec	$5,611 (welcome tax)	$8,611	$12,578–$16,078	$16,578–$20,078
Manitoba	$7,650	$11,650	$14,000–$17,000	$19,000–$22,500
Nova Scotia	$7,500 (deed transfer)	$10,500	$13,000–$16,500	$17,500–$21,000
New Brunswick	$5,000	$7,000	$10,500–$13,500	$14,000–$17,500
Newfoundland	$2,098	$2,898	$7,500–$10,500	$9,900–$12,900
PEI	$5,000	$7,000	$10,500–$13,500	$14,000–$17,500
Saskatchewan	$0 (no LTT)	$0	$6,500–$9,500	$8,500–$11,500
Alberta	$0 (no LTT)	$0	$5,500–$8,000	$7,000–$10,000

*Toronto buyers pay an additional Municipal Land Transfer Tax on top of the Ontario provincial tax.

Universal closing costs (every province)

These costs apply regardless of which province you are buying in:

Cost	Typical Range	Notes
Legal fees	$1,500–$2,500	Real estate lawyer for title search, document preparation, registration
Title insurance	$300–$500	Protects against title defects, survey issues, fraud
Home inspection	$400–$600	Pre-purchase inspection ($350–$500 for condo, $400–$600 for house)
Appraisal fee	$300–$500	Only if required by lender (often waived for insured mortgages)
Property tax adjustment	Varies	Reimburse seller for property taxes prepaid beyond closing date
Utility adjustments	$100–$500	Water, sewer, heating fuel prepaid by seller
Moving costs	$1,000–$5,000	Depends on distance and volume
Home insurance	$1,200–$3,000/year	First year’s premium typically paid before closing

CMHC insurance PST (additional cash cost)

If your mortgage is insured (less than 20% down), some provinces charge PST on the CMHC insurance premium. This must be paid in cash at closing:

Province	PST Rate	PST on $19,000 Premium	PST on $13,950 Premium
Ontario	8%	$1,520	$1,116
Quebec	9%	$1,710	$1,256
Manitoba	7%	$1,330	$977
Saskatchewan	6%	$1,140	$837
All other provinces	0%	$0	$0

Premium examples: $19,000 = $500K home with 5% down; $13,950 = $500K home with 10% down.

First-time buyer exemptions and rebates

Several provinces offer land transfer tax exemptions or rebates for first-time buyers:

Province	First-Time Buyer Benefit	Maximum Savings
Ontario	Full LTT refund on homes up to $368,000; partial on $368,001–$500,000	Up to $4,000 provincial
Toronto	Municipal LTT rebate for first-time buyers	Up to $4,475 city tax
British Columbia	PTT exemption on homes up to $835,000; partial $835,001–$860,000	Up to $8,000
PEI	Full LTT exemption for eligible first-time buyers, with no purchase price cap (the former $200,000 cap was removed in 2016). Requires 183 consecutive days of PEI residency and the home becoming your principal residence	100% of the LTT owed, uncapped
Quebec	New refundable tax credit (announced April 2026, retroactive to purchases from January 1, 2026): full reimbursement of the first $5,000 of welcome tax, plus 25% of any remaining amount. Phases out for homes over $750,000 and is eliminated at $1,000,000+	Up to $5,875

Complete closing cost checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you budget for everything:

Before closing:

Home inspection fee ($400–$600)
Appraisal fee if required ($300–$500)
Mortgage application fee if applicable ($0–$300)
Home insurance deposit (first year: $1,200–$3,000)
Deposit with offer (typically 5% of purchase price — this comes from your down payment)

On closing day:

Remaining down payment balance
Land transfer tax (minus any first-time buyer rebate)
Legal fees ($1,500–$2,500)
Title insurance ($300–$500)
Property tax adjustment
Utility adjustments
PST on CMHC insurance premium (if applicable)
Condo status certificate fee ($100 — if buying a condo)

After closing:

Moving costs ($1,000–$5,000)
Immediate repairs or maintenance
New locks and keys ($200–$500)
Utility connection/transfer fees
Post office mail forwarding ($100/year)

Provincial closing cost calculators

Click your province for a detailed breakdown with exact formulas:

Ontario Closing Costs — Provincial LTT + Toronto Municipal LTT, first-time buyer rebate
British Columbia Closing Costs — Property Transfer Tax, first-time buyer exemption, newly built exemption
Quebec Closing Costs — Welcome tax (droits de mutation), notary fees, certificate of location
Alberta Closing Costs — No LTT, land title transfer fee, mortgage registration
Manitoba Closing Costs — LTT brackets, first-time buyer exemption (homes under $500K)
Saskatchewan Closing Costs — No LTT, land title fees, mortgage registration
Nova Scotia Closing Costs — Deed transfer tax (varies by municipality), Halifax vs rural rates
New Brunswick Closing Costs — Real property transfer tax at 1%
Newfoundland Closing Costs — Registration of deeds tax
PEI Closing Costs — Real property transfer tax at 1%