Vancouver vs Calgary real estate
$1,099,100 typical home versus $569,200. Closing-day land transfer differs by about $18,852. January differs by 11.2°C.
Want the neighbourhood and tax-trap version? Read Vancouver vs Calgary.
Calgary is cheaper on the typical home by $529,900. Vancouver: BC property transfer tax. Calgary: No land transfer tax, registration fees only.
- Typical home
Vancouver
$1,099,100
Calgary
$569,200
- Condo
Vancouver
$771,000
Calgary
$299,000
- Sitting 2-bed rent
Vancouver
$3,150/mo
Calgary
$1,900/mo
- Annual tax on typical home
Vancouver
$3,407
Calgary
$3,586
- Land transfer on typical home
Vancouver
$19,982
Calgary
$1,130
- January daily average
Vancouver
+4.1°C
Calgary
-7.1°C
Higher by $529,900
Higher by $472,000
Higher by $1,250
Lower by $179
Higher by $18,852
Lower by +11.2°C
Home prices
Typical, detached, and condo. Treat mixed benchmark/average/median pairs as directional.
Home prices by property type, 2026
Greater Vancouver Realtors, June 2026 and CREB, 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
Vancouver
Your maximum price
$685,000
Average condo costs $771,000
Short by $86,000
Needs about $168,000 household income
Calgary
Your maximum price
$655,000
Average condo costs $299,000
Within reach, $356,000 of room
Needs about $71,000 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.
Vancouver
$14,000
BC property transfer tax
Calgary
$1,540
No land transfer tax, registration fees only
Calgary saves you about $12,460 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.
There is a written Vancouver vs Calgary guide with the local tax traps this desk cannot see.
Other Vancouver and Calgary pairs
- Calgary vs Halifax
- Calgary vs Montreal
- Calgary vs Ottawa
- Calgary vs Toronto
- Calgary vs Victoria
- Calgary vs Winnipeg
- Halifax vs Vancouver
- Montreal vs Vancouver
Or go back to the city comparison tool and pick any two.
More Vancouver resources
Sharing the lease? The Vancouver rent split calculator splits by equal share, income, square footage, or hybrid, with this city's sitting rents by bedroom.
Selling? The Vancouver 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 Vancouver 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 British Columbia land transfer tax calculator.
Estimate your annual bill with the Vancouver 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 Vancouver condo fee calculator, including the red flags that precede special assessments.
Deciding whether to keep renting? The Vancouver 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 British Columbia closing costs calculator, from land transfer tax to legal fees.
Selling at the same time? The British Columbia 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 Vancouver using verified reviews and closed transactions.