Calgary vs Ottawa real estate
$569,200 typical home versus $634,000. Closing-day land transfer differs by about $8,025. January differs by 3.2°C.
Calgary is cheaper on the typical home by $64,800. Calgary: No land transfer tax, registration fees only. Ottawa: Ontario LTT only (no municipal LTT).
- Typical home
Calgary
$569,200
Ottawa
$634,000
- Condo
Calgary
$299,000
Ottawa
$385,500
- Sitting 2-bed rent
Calgary
$1,900/mo
Ottawa
$2,300/mo
- Annual tax on typical home
Calgary
$3,586
Ottawa
$7,780
- Land transfer on typical home
Calgary
$1,130
Ottawa
$9,155
- January daily average
Calgary
-7.1°C
Ottawa
-10.3°C
Lower by $64,800
Lower by $86,500
Lower by $400
Lower by $4,194
Lower by $8,025
Lower by +3.2°C
Home prices
Typical, detached, and condo. Treat mixed benchmark/average/median pairs as directional.
Home prices by property type, 2026
CREB, July 2026 and OREB, July 2026. Figures are MLS benchmark prices.
What your income buys
Move income, down payment, and rate. The stress test and each city’s mill rate are already in the model.
Qualifying at 6.50% (stress test)
Amortization
Property type
Calgary
Your maximum price
$655,000
Average condo costs $299,000
Within reach, $356,000 of room
Needs about $71,000 household income
Ottawa
Your maximum price
$605,000
Average condo costs $385,500
Within reach, $219,500 of room
Needs about $98,000 household income
Estimates use a 32% gross debt service ratio, $125/month heating, and each city’s residential property tax rate. Qualifying uses the greater of your rate plus two points or 5.25%. Condo fees, CMHC insurance on down payments below 20%, and closing costs are not included.
Closing day
Land transfer on the same purchase price. Alberta is registration fees only; Halifax has no first-time rebate.
Calgary
$1,540
No land transfer tax, registration fees only
Ottawa
$12,475
Ontario LTT only (no municipal LTT)
Calgary saves you about $10,935 on closing day.
Land transfer charges only. Legal fees, title insurance, inspections, and any first time buyer rebates are excluded. Alberta figures assume a 20% down payment because registration fees scale with the mortgage amount.
A month of costs
Switch renter, couple, or owning household. Housing dominates; the rest is transit, groceries, utilities, and dining.
- Housing
- Transit
- Groceries
- Utilities & internet
- Dining out
Mid 2026 estimates using average rents, each city’s adult transit pass, and typical grocery and utility spends. The owning profile uses a mortgage on the typical home at 20% down, 4.5%, 25 years, plus property tax and insurance.
Climate
Environment Canada 1991–2020 normals. Temperature and precipitation for every month.
Average daily temperature (°C)
Average monthly precipitation (mm)
Environment and Climate Change Canada 1991 to 2020 climate normals. Precipitation combines rain and the water equivalent of snow.
No long-form article for this pair yet. The numbers above still use the same 2026 board prices, mill rates, and climate normals as the published comparisons.
Other Calgary and Ottawa pairs
- Calgary vs Halifax
- Calgary vs Montreal
- Calgary vs Toronto
- Calgary vs Vancouver
- Calgary vs Victoria
- Calgary vs Winnipeg
- Halifax vs Ottawa
- Montreal vs Ottawa
Or go back to the city comparison tool and pick any two.
More Calgary resources
Sharing the lease? The Calgary rent split calculator splits by equal share, income, square footage, or hybrid, with this city's sitting rents by bedroom.
Selling? The Calgary home sale proceeds calculator nets commission, tax on the fee, legal, and the mortgage payout on this city's typical structure.
Underwrite the rental before you offer. The Calgary cap rate calculator is preloaded with CMHC vacancy, sitting two-bedroom rent, and this city's mill rate.
The biggest cash cost on closing is usually land transfer tax. Work it out bracket by bracket with the Alberta land transfer tax calculator.
Estimate your annual bill with the Calgary property tax calculator, preloaded with the city's current residential rate, rebates, and payment deadlines.
Buying a condo instead? Sanity-check the maintenance fees with the Calgary condo fee calculator, including the red flags that precede special assessments.
Deciding whether to keep renting? The Calgary rent vs own calculator compares owning against renting and investing over your time horizon.
Before you make an offer, budget the one-time purchase costs with the Alberta closing costs calculator, from land transfer tax to legal fees.
Selling at the same time? The Alberta real estate commission calculator estimates realtor fees and the tax charged on them.
When you're ready to act, compare the top real estate agents in Calgary using verified reviews and closed transactions.