Skip to main content

Vancouver Mortgage Affordability Calculator

Updated

Maximum Home Price

How much house can you afford in Vancouver?

Greater Vancouver’s composite MLS benchmark is $1,100,300 as of February 2026, down 6.8% year-over-year and 12.2% below April 2022 peaks. The average sold price is even higher at $1,206,180. With 8 months of supply and a sales-to-active ratio of just 12.2%, Vancouver is firmly in a buyer’s market — the most favourable conditions for buyers in years.

Vancouver affordability by property type

Real GVA benchmark data — February 2026:

Property Type Benchmark YoY Avg Price Income Required (20% DP)
Apartment $708,200 -6.8% $739,258 $155,400
Townhouse $1,046,100 -5.6% $1,184,502 $220,500
Composite $1,100,300 -6.8% $1,206,180 $230,944
Detached $1,835,900 -8.8% $2,122,572 $372,724

Income assumes 3.99% rate, 25-year amortization, 32% GDS.

Townhouse is the only segment with growing sales (+7.8% YoY), suggesting buyers are finding this price point balances space and affordability.

GVA neighbourhood breakdown

Area Property Focus Price Data
Langley/Maple Ridge Detached Under $1.3M
Burnaby Apartments $718,000–$809,000
Vancouver East Detached ~$1.8M avg
Richmond Detached ~$2.1M avg
North Vancouver Detached ~$2.2M avg
Vancouver West Detached Over $3.3M avg

The $2M+ gap between Langley/Maple Ridge detached ($1.3M) and Vancouver West ($3.3M+) underscores how much geography matters.

BC Property Transfer Tax

Fair Market Value Rate
First $200,000 1%
$200,001–$2,000,000 2%
$2,000,001–$3,000,000 3%
Over $3,000,000 5%

PTT at benchmark $1,100,300: ~$20,006

Exemption Threshold
First-time buyer — full exemption Up to $500,000
First-time buyer — partial $500,000–$525,000
Newly built — full exemption Up to $750,000
Newly built — partial $750,000–$800,000

At Vancouver benchmark prices, only apartment buyers near $708K might partially benefit from the newly-built exemption.

Vancouver’s additional housing taxes

Tax Rate Who Pays
Foreign Buyer Tax 20% Non-Canadian buyers
Speculation & Vacancy Tax 0.5%–2% Vacant homes, foreign/satellite families
Empty Homes Tax (CoV) 5% Vancouver properties vacant >6 months

These taxes are designed to cool demand but also affect the investment case for Vancouver real estate.

Vancouver vs other major cities

City Benchmark/Avg Income Needed Transfer Tax
Vancouver $1,100,300 $230,944 ~$20,006 + taxes
Toronto $1,008,968 $213,376 ~$31,000 (double LTT)
Calgary $627,776 $139,895 ~$200
Ottawa $641,436 $142,484 ~$8,629
Edmonton $448,761 $105,383 ~$200

Vancouver requires the highest income but Toronto has higher combined transfer taxes.

Vancouver market conditions — February 2026

Metric Value
Composite benchmark $1,100,300 (-6.8% YoY, -0.1% MoM)
Average price $1,206,180
vs. April 2022 peak -12.2%
Total sales 1,648 (-9.8% YoY)
Active listings 13,545 (+6.3% YoY)
vs. 10-year avg Above seasonal average
Months of supply 8
SNLR 12.2%
Market condition Buyer’s market

Sales are 28.7% below the 10-year seasonal average. This is a deep buyer’s market.

See the Vancouver housing market report for the latest.

Tips for Vancouver homebuyers

  1. 12.2% below peak — Benchmark has come down significantly from 2022. Patience is paying off
  2. 8 months of supply — Serious buyer leverage. Negotiate hard on price and conditions
  3. Budget ~$20K for PTT — On top of your down payment
  4. Langley/Maple Ridge — Detached under $1.3M vs $3.3M+ in Vancouver West
  5. New build exemption — Explore new construction under $750K for full PTT exemption
  6. Compare mortgage rates — Rate shopping matters most on large mortgages