Closing Costs Calculator
Estimate land transfer tax, legal fees, and cash to close for a home purchase in Canada. Built for buyers who already have a price in mind and need a realistic closing-day budget—not just a down-payment number.
🏠Home Details
Minimum: 10% for homes over $500K
📋Closing Costs
Total Cash Needed
$177,025
22.13% of purchase price
Down Payment
$160,000
20% of price
Land Transfer Tax
$12,475
Other Closing Costs
$4,550
Legal, inspection, etc.
💡 Budgeting Tips
- • Budget 1.5-4% of purchase price for closing costs
- • First-time buyers may qualify for land transfer tax rebates
- • Some lenders offer cashback to help with closing costs
- • Get multiple quotes for legal fees (can vary by $500+)
Who this calculator is for
Use this if you are buying a home in Canada and need to know how much extra cash to have ready on closing day. It is especially useful for first-time buyers comparing Ontario, B.C., and Alberta, and for anyone who has only budgeted the down payment so far.
The tool estimates transfer taxes by province, optional first-time buyer rebates where we model them, and the usual professional fees. Pair it with the land transfer tax calculator if you only need the tax line, and the CMHC insurance calculator if your down payment is under 20%.
How the calculator works
- Enter the purchase price and province. Transfer tax is the piece that changes most by location.
- Mark Toronto if you are buying there. Toronto charges municipal land transfer tax on top of Ontario’s provincial tax.
- Add your down payment. That is included in “total cash needed,” separate from fees and tax.
- Adjust legal, inspection, appraisal, title insurance, and moving costs to match the quotes you actually have.
- Check first-time buyer if you qualify. The rebate logic follows the same Ontario, Toronto, B.C., and P.E.I. thresholds described in the FAQ.
Results are estimates for planning, not a lawyer’s statement of adjustments. HST on new construction, condo status certificates, estoppel fees, and prepaid property-tax adjustments can still move the final number.
What usually shows up on a Canadian closing statement
Transfer taxes and registration
Land transfer tax or property transfer tax, plus land-titles registration. This is often the largest closing line outside Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Legal or notary fees
Commonly about $800–$1,500 plus disbursements, higher on complex titles or new builds. Get more than one quote.
Title insurance and inspection
Title insurance is often $200–$500. A home inspection is typically $400–$600 and is paid before closing if you waive conditions later.
Lender and moving items
Appraisals (about $300–$500 when required), moving, and sometimes a survey or estoppel certificate. High-ratio deals also add default-insurance premium—see the CMHC calculator.
How provinces typically compare
Use these as planning ranges. The calculator applies the tax brackets for each province; Alberta and Saskatchewan return $0 transfer tax and you should still budget registration and legal fees.
Ontario and Toronto
Provincial land transfer tax is bracketed (0.5%–2.5%). Toronto doubles the hit with municipal tax. First-time buyer rebates can take a meaningful slice off, but they do not erase tax on higher-priced homes.
British Columbia
Property transfer tax starts at 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the next band. First-time buyer relief in this tool follows the current (on or after 1 April 2024) program: $8,000 of exemption through $835,000, then a phase-out that ends at $860,000—not a blank cheque on a $1 million home.
Alberta and Saskatchewan
No provincial land transfer tax. Closing cash is mostly legal, registration, and due diligence. Shop ATB mortgage rates if you are buying in Alberta, then confirm cash to close here.
Quebec and the Atlantic provinces
Quebec uses the well-known “welcome tax” brackets. Nova Scotia deed transfer is municipal and this calculator uses a 1.5% planning average. New Brunswick is modelled at 1% of value. Always verify the local rate with your lawyer or notary.
How closing costs work in Canada
Closing costs are the cash you need on top of the down payment so title can transfer. The down payment becomes equity and reduces the mortgage. Closing costs are mostly taxes and professional fees, and they are due in cash. Mortgage default insurance, when your down payment is under 20%, is usually added to the mortgage rather than paid as a lump sum; provincial sales tax on that premium can still be a cash item, depending on the province. Land transfer tax cannot be rolled into the mortgage.
The large swing from one city to another is the transfer tax: Ontario land transfer tax, Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax on top of that, British Columbia’s property transfer tax, Quebec’s welcome tax, or a municipal deed-transfer tax in Nova Scotia. Alberta and Saskatchewan do not charge a provincial land transfer tax. Everywhere, you still pay a lawyer or notary, and you should budget a home inspection, an appraisal if the lender orders one, title insurance, and a property-tax adjustment on the statement of adjustments.
A planning range of about 1.5% to 4% of the price, excluding the down payment, is a useful first pass. It is not a quote. A $500,000 purchase can be near the bottom of that range in Calgary and near the top in Toronto. Use the calculator above with your province, then read the province notes below before you treat the total as final.
Worked example: the same $700,000 home in Ontario and B.C.
Take a $700,000 purchase and an eligible first-time buyer. These figures use the same Ontario brackets and the same B.C. property-transfer functions as the calculators on this site. They leave out legal fees, title insurance, and inspection, which you add in the form above.
Ontario land transfer tax on $700,000 is $10,475. The brackets are 0.5% on the first $55,000, 1% from $55,000 to $250,000, 1.5% from $250,000 to $400,000, 2% from $400,000 to $2 million, and 2.5% above $2 million. The first-time homebuyer refund is capped at $4,000, which fully offsets tax only up to roughly $368,000 of price. On this example the refund is $4,000, so provincial tax still due is $6,475. Outside Toronto there is no municipal land transfer tax.
If that same purchase is inside the City of Toronto, you also pay municipal land transfer tax. Eligible first-time buyers can claim a City of Toronto MLTT rebate of up to $4,475 on top of Ontario’s $4,000 refund (up to $8,475 combined). The rebate does not wipe tax on a $700,000 home. This calculator estimates the Toronto municipal portion by applying a second tax on the provincial brackets; the City’s own MLTT schedule is what your lawyer will collect, and the brackets can be updated.
British Columbia property transfer tax on a $700,000 fair market value is $12,000: 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the remainder up to $2 million (3% applies from $2 million to $3 million, and 5% above $3 million). A qualifying first-time buyer at this price is under the $835,000 full-program ceiling, so the exemption is $8,000 (the tax on the first $500,000, capped at $8,000). Net property transfer tax is $4,000. At $860,000 and above, the first-time exemption is $0.
Province notes
Ontario: provincial land transfer tax on the brackets above, first-time refund maximum $4,000. Toronto adds MLTT and a first-time MLTT rebate of up to $4,475. Other Ontario cities, including Mississauga, Ottawa, and Hamilton, do not charge Toronto’s municipal tax.
British Columbia: property transfer tax, not “land transfer tax.” First-time buyers’ exemption for registrations on or after 1 April 2024 exempts the tax on the first $500,000 of value (maximum $8,000) when fair market value is at or under $835,000, phases out before $860,000, and is gone at $860,000. The home also has to meet the program tests (residential, principal residence, size limits). Foreign-buyer additional tax in specified areas is separate and is not in this calculator.
Alberta and Saskatchewan: no provincial land transfer tax. Budget land-titles registration, legal fees, and the usual due diligence. Registration is a tariff, not a percentage this page invents.
Quebec: municipalities charge transfer duties (the welcome tax). Base brackets are on the order of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, and Montreal adds higher slices that a notary must confirm. There is no Ontario-style first-time refund. The calculator’s Quebec line is a planning estimate.
Manitoba: provincial land transfer tax with a small exempt slice, then rising rates. No Ontario-style first-time refund. Nova Scotia: municipal deed transfer tax; this calculator uses 1.5% as a planning average because many municipalities, including Halifax, charge 1.5% — confirm the local rate. New Brunswick: 1% of the greater of price and assessed value. Newfoundland and Labrador: a registration-style fee in the calculator, not an Ontario-style bracket tax. Prince Edward Island: provincial tax, with a first-time exemption modelled as a full rebate at or below $200,000.
New construction can add HST, rebates, and a different statement of adjustments. Condo purchases add a status certificate or estoppel fee. None of those replace the transfer-tax line. Confirm the statement of adjustments with your lawyer or notary before you waive conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are closing costs when buying a home in Canada?
Closing costs are the cash expenses you pay when title transfers, on top of your down payment. In most provinces the largest item is land transfer tax (or property transfer tax). Typical extras include legal fees, title insurance, a home inspection, an appraisal if the lender requires one, and moving costs. Across Canada, plan on about 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price, with Ontario, B.C., and Toronto at the high end because of transfer taxes.
How much should I budget for closing costs?
A practical budget is 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price, not counting your down payment. On a $500,000 home that is roughly $7,500 to $20,000. Alberta and Saskatchewan buyers often land near the low end because there is no provincial land transfer tax. Toronto and Vancouver-area purchases sit at the high end once provincial and, in Toronto, municipal transfer tax are included. Use the calculator above with your province and price for a tighter estimate.
Do first-time buyers get closing cost rebates?
Several provinces reduce land transfer tax for eligible first-time buyers. Ontario refunds up to $4,000 of provincial land transfer tax. Toronto adds a municipal rebate of up to $4,475, so a qualifying Toronto first-time buyer can receive up to $8,475 combined. This calculator models B.C.’s first-time buyer exemption for registrations on or after 1 April 2024: full exemption on the first $500,000 of fair market value (max $8,000), the $8,000 cap through $835,000, and a proportional phase-out between $835,000 and $860,000. P.E.I. is modelled as a full exemption on homes at or below $200,000. Programs and eligibility rules change, so confirm with your lawyer before you firm up an offer.
Are closing costs different in each province?
Yes. Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec charge the most visible transfer taxes. Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and P.E.I. use their own land-transfer or deed-transfer formulas. Alberta and Saskatchewan do not charge a provincial land transfer tax; buyers still pay land-titles registration and legal fees. Toronto is the main city that adds a municipal land transfer tax on top of the provincial tax.
Can closing costs be added to my mortgage?
Usually no. Land transfer tax, legal fees, and most other closing items must be paid in cash on closing. Mortgage default insurance (CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty) is a separate cost that is typically added to the mortgage when your down payment is under 20%, but it does not cover transfer tax or legal fees. Some lenders offer cash-back mortgages that can offset closing costs in exchange for a higher rate—run the numbers before you take that trade-off.
What is the difference between closing costs and a down payment?
Your down payment is the equity you put into the purchase and it reduces the mortgage. Closing costs are transaction fees and taxes paid so the deal can complete. You need both amounts in cash (or readily available funds) unless a specific program, gift, or cash-back product covers part of them. First-time buyers sometimes underestimate this split and come up short on closing day.
Do I pay land transfer tax in Alberta?
No provincial land transfer tax. Alberta buyers still budget for land-titles registration, legal fees, title insurance if you buy it, inspections, and any condo estoppel or status-certificate fees. That is why Alberta cash-to-close is often lower than an equivalent purchase in Ontario or B.C.
When do I actually pay closing costs?
Your lawyer or notary collects most of them just before closing, including land transfer tax and legal fees. Inspections and appraisals are usually paid earlier, when you book them. Property-tax and utility adjustments are settled on the statement of adjustments. Build a cash buffer above the calculator total for last-minute adjustments.
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