Closing costs are one-time fees you pay when you buy a home, usually by the time the sale is completed: costs on top of the purchase price, such as legal fees and transfer fees, that are payable on closing day. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says to be ready to spend 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price on them, and CMHC gives the same range. Enter your price, down payment and province below for an estimate, then compare provinces in the table under it.
Closing costs by province
A tax on the transfer is charged in some provinces and not others, and where it is charged it is usually a percentage of the price. The table works out that tax or fee on a $500,000 home from each province’s schedule, then adds the calculator’s other allowances: $1,800 for legal fees, $350 for title insurance, $500 for a home inspection, $400 for an appraisal and half a year of property tax at an assumed 1% of the price, $5,550 in all. The figures assume a buyer who needs no mortgage insurance and claims no first-time buyer relief.
| Province | Transfer tax or fee on a $500,000 home | Estimated closing costs |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $6,475 Ontario land transfer tax, plus the municipal tax in Toronto | $12,025 |
| British Columbia | $8,000 property transfer tax | $13,550 |
| Manitoba | $7,650 Manitoba land transfer tax | $13,200 |
| Quebec | $5,611 welcome tax on Montreal’s schedule | $11,161 |
| Nova Scotia | $7,500 deed transfer tax at Halifax’s rate; each municipality sets its own | $13,050 |
| New Brunswick | $5,000 real property transfer tax, on the price or the assessed value if higher | $10,550 |
| Prince Edward Island | $5,000 real property transfer tax | $10,550 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $2,098 Registry of Deeds fee for the deed; registering the mortgage has its own fee | $7,648 |
| Alberta | Land titles fees of $50 + $5/$5000 of value of land for the transfer and $50 + $5/$5000 of the principal amount for the mortgage | $5,550 plus the land titles fees |
| Saskatchewan | Land titles fees: the title transfer fee is 0.4% of the value once it is over $6,300 | $5,550 plus the land titles fees |
In Toronto the city’s municipal land transfer tax is charged on top of Ontario’s: choose the City of Toronto in the calculator, or see the Toronto land transfer tax for both taxes bracket by bracket. In Quebec the transfer duties, commonly called the welcome tax, are paid to the municipality; Montreal says all buyers must pay them, and the calculator has Montreal’s and Quebec City’s schedules.
First-time buyers can pay less in several provinces: Ontario refunds land transfer tax to eligible first-time buyers, Toronto has a first-time buyer rebate on its tax, British Columbia’s program reduces or removes the property transfer tax on a first home, and Quebec has a refundable credit for municipal transfer duties from the 2026 tax year. The land transfer tax calculator page sets out their conditions.
Totals at higher prices
Ontario’s and British Columbia’s taxes rise by bracket, so their totals grow faster than the price:
| Province | Price | Transfer tax | Estimated closing costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $750,000 | $11,475 | $18,275 |
| Ontario | $1,000,000 | $16,475 | $24,525 |
| British Columbia | $750,000 | $13,000 | $19,800 |
| British Columbia | $1,000,000 | $18,000 | $26,050 |
How the estimate works, and how much to budget
The calculator adds up the provincial transfer tax or registry fees for your price (with Toronto’s tax when you choose the City of Toronto), the fees for registering the mortgage in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, the fixed allowances above, the property tax adjustment and the sales tax on the mortgage insurance premium when the mortgage needs insurance. When you say you are a first-time buyer, it subtracts Ontario’s refund, Toronto’s rebate, BC’s exemption and PEI’s exemption, assuming you qualify; it does not subtract Quebec’s credit, a refundable tax credit available from the 2026 tax year. The allowances are round figures; quotes from your lawyer, inspector and lender replace them.
It leaves out the interest adjustment, GST or HST on a newly built home, moving costs and the first home insurance premium. It also leaves out taxes and exemptions that apply to some buyers, such as Ontario’s non-resident speculation tax, which applies to foreign entities and taxable trustees buying residential property in Ontario, in addition to the land transfer tax, and BC’s exemption for some newly built homes.
With the calculator’s starting values, a $500,000 home in Ontario with $100,000 down, bought by someone who is not a first-time buyer:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ontario land transfer tax | $6,475 |
| Legal fees, title insurance, inspection and appraisal | $3,050 |
| Property tax adjustment (half a year) | $2,500 |
| Mortgage insurance premium | $0 (the loan is 80% of the price, so it doesn’t need insurance) |
| Estimated closing costs | $12,025 |
That is about 2.4% of the price, the same total and percentage the calculator shows for these inputs.
The table above shows why the 1.5% to 4% range is wide: the transfer tax is usually a percentage of the price where it applies, while the calculator’s other items are flat allowances or, for property tax, small.
With less than 20% down, the mortgage default insurance premium can be added to the mortgage or paid in full at closing. In Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan the premium is subject to provincial sales tax, which can’t be added to the loan, so it is cash you need at closing: 9% in Quebec, rising to 9.975% for premiums paid after December 31, 2026, 8% in Ontario and 6% in Saskatchewan. The default insurance page has the premium rates.
When you apply, the lender asks for proof that you can pay the down payment and the closing costs, so plan this cash before you make an offer. The down payment calculator works out the down payment itself.
What closing costs include
CMHC lists lawyer fees, GST and PST where they apply, land transfer tax where it applies and adjustments among the one-time items, and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada names home inspection fees, legal fees, property tax adjustments and title insurance.
| Item | What it is and what it costs | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Land transfer tax or registration fees | A provincial tax or fee on the transfer, usually a percentage of the price; see the province table above | Cash at closing |
| Legal fees and disbursements | Your lawyer’s or notary’s fees for the purchase, at least $500 according to CMHC; in Quebec, Under article 2693 of the Civil Code of Québec, an immovable hypothec (a mortgage on real estate) must be granted by notarial act en minute, a deed a notary draws up and keeps, or it is absolutely null. | Cash at closing |
| Title insurance | Protects you and your lender against losses tied to the property’s title or ownership; your lender may require it; premiums generally run $150 to $350 but can cost more | Through your lawyer, or a notary in Quebec and BC |
| Home inspection | A report on the home’s condition, around $500; what an inspection covers | To the inspector |
| Appraisal | An estimate of the home’s value that your lender may require at your expense, about $250 to $350 | At your expense, if the lender requires it |
| Mortgage default insurance premium | Typically needed with less than 20% down; rates and rules | Added to the mortgage or paid at closing |
| Sales tax on that premium | Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan | Cash at closing |
| GST or HST on a new home | Generally applies to new or substantially renovated housing; see the new housing rebate | Ask the builder whether the price includes it |
| Property tax and utility adjustments | Repays the seller for amounts already paid past the closing date | On the statement of adjustments |
| Home insurance | Must be in place on the day you close | To the insurer |
| Survey | $1,000 to $2,000 | To the surveyor |
| Condo estoppel certificate | Up to $100, only for a condominium or strata unit | Through your lawyer |
| Moving | Moving expenses | To the mover |
You reimburse the seller for property taxes or utilities they paid before the closing date, and your lawyer works these out on a document called the statement of adjustments. If your mortgage funds before its interest adjustment date, the interest for those days is one more amount to plan for; the next section explains it.
The interest adjustment
Scotiabank describes a mortgage’s interest adjustment date (IAD) as the date its term starts, usually the first of a month. When you close on another day, CIBC explains, the lender charges interest from the closing day to the nearest first of the month, and you pay that interest adjustment. You pay it because the lender advances the money before the IAD; at Scotiabank an interest-only payment on those funds is due on the IAD, and your first regular payment comes one month after the IAD at CIBC. CIBC shows the IAD on the mortgage document; check yours for the date and how the payment is collected.
The amount depends on the mortgage, the rate and the number of days between closing and the IAD, so the closing date you choose changes it. Closing close to the first of the month keeps it small.
On an illustrative $500,000 mortgage at 5% with an IAD of April 1, worked as simple interest for each day (mortgage times rate, divided by 365); your lender’s own calculation can differ slightly:
| Closing date | Days of interest before April 1 | Interest adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 31 | $2,123 |
| March 15 | 17 | $1,164 |
| March 25 | 7 | $479 |
| March 31 | 1 | $68 |
For current rates to plug in, see mortgage rates.
Seller closing costs
Sellers pay a different set of costs. The seller pays the real estate agent’s fees (see the real estate commission calculator), along with legal fees that include a statement of adjustments, a discharge fee to remove the mortgage from the title, which typically ranges from nothing to $400, and a prepayment penalty if the mortgage is paid off before the end of its term (see how mortgage penalties are calculated).
Related pages
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST calculator (and rates)
- City of Toronto: Municipal Land Transfer Tax & Municipal Non-Resident Speculation Tax Rebate Opportunities
- City of Toronto: Municipal Land Transfer Tax & Municipal Non-Resident Speculation Tax Rates & Fees
- CMHC: CMHC Purchase
- CMHC: Home Start
- Department of Finance Canada: Boldest mortgage reforms in decades come into force today
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: How much you need for a down payment
- Government of Alberta: Land Titles and Surveys Common Document Fee Schedule
- Government of British Columbia: Property transfer tax
- Government of Manitoba: Land Transfer Tax
- Government of New Brunswick: <<SR_PageTitle>>
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: P:\Cabinet\Deeds\DEEDS.FEE(April26,07).wpd
- Government of Nova Scotia: Municipal Deed Transfer Tax Rates
- Government of Ontario: Insurance and Benefits Plans | Retail Sales Tax
- Government of Ontario: Calculating Land Transfer Tax | Land Transfer Tax
- Government of Ontario: Land Transfer Tax Refunds for First-Time Homebuyers | Land Transfer Tax
- Government of Prince Edward Island: Real Property Transfer Tax Act
- Justice Laws (Canada): Bank Act
- LégisQuébec: Légis Québec
- LégisQuébec: Légis Québec
- LégisQuébec: Légis Québec
- montreal.ca: How property transfer duties are calculated | Ville de Montréal
- saskregistries.ca: Effective April 15, 2026
- ville.quebec.qc.ca: Droits sur mutation immobilière