Ottawa vs Vancouver real estate
$623,500 typical home versus $1,075,900. Closing-day land transfer differs by about $10,573. January differs by 14.4°C.
Ottawa is cheaper on the typical home by $452,400. Ottawa: Ontario LTT only (no municipal LTT). Vancouver: BC property transfer tax.
- Typical home
Ottawa
$623,500
Vancouver
$1,075,900
- Condo
Ottawa
$380,800
Vancouver
$686,200
- Sitting 2-bed rent
Ottawa
$2,300/mo
Vancouver
$3,150/mo
- Annual tax on typical home
Ottawa
$7,651
Vancouver
$3,335
- Land transfer on typical home
Ottawa
$8,945
Vancouver
$19,518
- January daily average
Ottawa
-10.3°C
Vancouver
+4.1°C
Lower by $452,400
Lower by $305,400
Lower by $850
Higher by $4,316
Lower by $10,573
Higher by +14.4°C
Home prices
Typical, detached, and condo. Treat mixed benchmark/average/median pairs as directional.
Home prices by property type, 2026
OREB, September 2026 and Greater Vancouver Realtors, September 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
Ottawa
Your maximum price
$605,000
Average condo costs $380,800
Within reach, $224,200 of room
Needs about $96,000 household income
Vancouver
Your maximum price
$685,000
Average condo costs $686,200
Short by $1,200
Needs about $150,000 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.
Ottawa
$12,475
Ontario LTT only (no municipal LTT)
Vancouver
$14,000
BC property transfer tax
Ottawa saves you about $1,525 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 Ottawa and Vancouver pairs
- Calgary vs Ottawa
- Calgary vs Vancouver
- Halifax vs Ottawa
- Halifax vs Vancouver
- Montreal vs Ottawa
- Montreal vs Vancouver
- Ottawa vs Toronto
- Ottawa vs Victoria
Or go back to the city comparison tool and pick any two.
More Ottawa resources
Sharing the lease? The Ottawa rent split calculator splits by equal share, income, square footage, or hybrid, with this city's sitting rents by bedroom.
Selling? The Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ontario land transfer tax calculator.
Estimate your annual bill with the Ottawa 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 Ottawa condo fee calculator, including the red flags that precede special assessments.
Deciding whether to keep renting? The Ottawa 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 Ontario closing costs calculator, from land transfer tax to legal fees.
Selling at the same time? The Ontario 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 Ottawa using verified reviews and closed transactions.