When you buy, closing costs run roughly 1.5% to 4% of the price ON TOP of your down payment — but the most variable item is land transfer tax. On a $500,000 home it ranges from about $1,000 in Alberta (no land transfer tax) to $12,950 in Toronto (provincial + municipal). Alberta and Saskatchewan charge no land transfer tax; British Columbia and Toronto are the most expensive.
Land transfer tax by province — example on a $500,000 home
Sorted cheapest to most expensive. Principal residence, resident buyer.
| Province | Land transfer tax | On $500,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | No land transfer tax | ~$1,000 |
| Saskatchewan | No land transfer tax | ~$2,275 |
| New Brunswick | Real Property Transfer Tax | $5,000 |
| Quebec | Transfer duties ("welcome tax") | $5,611 |
| Ontario | Land Transfer Tax | $6,475 |
| Nova Scotia | Deed Transfer Tax (municipal) | $7,500 |
| Manitoba | Land Transfer Tax | $7,650 |
| British Columbia | Property Transfer Tax | $8,000 |
| Toronto (municipal) | Provincial + municipal MLTT | $12,950 |
Schedules in force 2026 · sources consulted 2026-06-26. Schedules change — confirm at the official source.
Land title fees: what Alberta and Saskatchewan actually charge
The two provinces with no land transfer tax still charge to register the title and the mortgage. Official schedules, and the arithmetic on a $500,000 home with 20% down.
There is no land transfer tax in Alberta or Saskatchewan — but registering the purchase is not free. On a $500,000 home carrying a $400,000 mortgage, land title fees come to about $1,000 in Alberta ($550 for the title, $450 for the mortgage) and about $2,275 in Saskatchewan ($2,000 for the title, $275 for the mortgage). Saskatchewan is the dearer of the two: its title fee is a flat percentage of value (0.4%), where Alberta charges $50 plus $5 per $5,000.
| Item | Alberta | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Title registration — schedule | $50 + $5 per $5,000 of value | 0.4% of the title's value |
| On $500,000 | $550 | $2,000 |
| Mortgage registration — schedule | $50 + $5 per $5,000 of the loan | Flat fee by loan tier: $200 · $275 · $525 · $775 |
| On a $400,000 loan | $450 | $275 |
| Total to register | $1,000 | $2,275 |
These fees depend on how much you borrow: the example assumes 20% down. A bigger loan, a bigger bill — and in Saskatchewan, crossing a tier ($250,000, $500,000, $750,000) bumps the flat fee up a step. Schedules re-validated at source on 2026-08-10.
Both schedules went up recently
Alberta — the levy more than doubled on 2024-10-20: from $2 per $5,000 (title) and $1.50 (mortgage) to $5 for both (Land Titles Act, ss. 64.1 and 102.1). A buyer still reading the old figure understates the bill by more than half. Saskatchewan — the title fee rose from 0.30% to 0.4% on 2023-07-29, and mortgage registration, once a flat fee, now follows a tiered schedule raised on 2026-04-15 by ISC.
Sources : alberta.ca — Register a land title document · ISC — Land Titles Fees (Saskatchewan)
Key takeaways
Two provinces — Alberta and Saskatchewan — charge no land transfer tax; you pay only modest registration fees. Everywhere else, it's often the biggest unexpected cheque at closing.
The first-time buyer rebate changes everything: in British Columbia, an eligible first-timer can be fully exempt up to $500,000; in Ontario, up to $4,000 ($8,475 combined in Toronto). Always confirm eligibility with your lawyer or notary.
The detail, province by province
Alberta ~$1,000
- Rate schedule
- No tax. Registration fees only (schedule of October 20, 2024): title $50 + $5 per $5,000 of value; mortgage $50 + $5 per $5,000 of the loan
- First-time buyer rebate
- No transfer tax, so no rebate. Federal HBTC up to $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer — Law Society of Alberta
Alberta is, with Saskatchewan, one of only two provinces with no land transfer tax — only registration fees apply: ~$1,000 on $500,000 (title $550 + mortgage $450 on a $400,000 loan). The levy MORE THAN DOUBLED on October 20, 2024: from $2 per $5,000 (title) and $1.50 per $5,000 (mortgage) to $5 per $5,000 for both.
Saskatchewan ~$2,275
- Rate schedule
- No tax. Title: 0.4% of value (since July 29, 2023). Mortgage registration, by loan amount (schedule of April 15, 2026): $200 (< $250,000) · $275 ($250,000–$500,000) · $525 ($500,000–$750,000) · $775 ($750,000–$1M)
- First-time buyer rebate
- No transfer tax. Provincial first-time buyer credit up to $1,575 (10.5% × $15,000, since Jan 1, 2025); federal HBTC $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer — Law Society of Saskatchewan
On $500,000: title $2,000 (0.4%) + mortgage registration $275 on a $400,000 loan = ~$2,275. ISC fees rose twice: the title fee from 0.30% to 0.4% on July 29, 2023, then mortgage registration, which moved from a flat fee to a tiered schedule and was raised again on April 15, 2026. "No land transfer tax" therefore does not mean "nothing to pay": Saskatchewan costs more to register than Alberta.
New Brunswick $5,000
- Rate schedule
- Flat 1.0% of the greater of sale price or assessed value (Act R-2.1, s. 2)
- First-time buyer rebate
- No provincial rebate. Federal HBTC $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Lawyer (or N.B. bilingual notary) — Law Society of New Brunswick / Barreau du N.-B.
Quebec $5,611
- Rate schedule
- Base scale: 0.5% ≤ $62,900 · 1.0% to $315,000 · 1.5% above (municipalities add upper tiers)
- First-time buyer rebate
- Refundable provincial credit up to $1,400 (TP-752.HA); federal HBTC $1,500; in Montreal, Accès Habitation program (targeted help).
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 500 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Notary (mandatory in Quebec) — Chambre des notaires du Québec
Transfer duties are charged by the municipality, each with its own upper brackets. Montreal: up to 4% (very high tiers). Quebec City (2026): adds 2.5% ($500,000–750,000) then 3% (> $750,000). Lévis (2026): 3% from $500,000, with no 2.5% step. At $500,000 the example (~$5,611) is the same everywhere — the upper tiers apply only above that.
Ontario $6,475
- Rate schedule
- 0.5% ≤ $55,000 · 1.0% to $250,000 · 1.5% to $400,000 · 2.0% to $2M · 2.5% above
- First-time buyer rebate
- Provincial rebate up to $4,000 (full ≤ $368,000). In Toronto, +$4,475 municipal (combined up to $8,475).
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 200–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer (no notary in Ontario) — Law Society of Ontario
Toronto adds the municipal MLTT on top of the provincial tax; on $500,000 each is ~$6,475, for $12,950 total. Official source: toronto.ca (schedule updated April 1, 2026).
Nova Scotia $7,500
- Rate schedule
- Municipal, ~0.5%–1.5% depending on the municipality. Halifax (HRM): 1.5%
- First-time buyer rebate
- No tax rebate. NS pilot program (2% down payment). Federal HBTC $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer — Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
The Deed Transfer Tax is set by each municipality (~0.5% to 1.5%). The example uses the Halifax rate (1.5%), the highest.
Manitoba $7,650
- Rate schedule
- 0% ≤ $30,000 · 0.5% to $90,000 · 1.0% to $150,000 · 1.5% to $200,000 · 2.0% above
- First-time buyer rebate
- No major provincial rebate. Federal HBTC $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer — Law Society of Manitoba
British Columbia $8,000
- Rate schedule
- 1.0% ≤ $200,000 · 2.0% to $2M · 3.0% to $3M · +2% above
- First-time buyer rebate
- First-Time Home Buyers’ Program: full exemption ≤ $500,000 (up to $8,000), partial to $525,000. Federal HBTC $1,500.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 150–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Lawyer or public notary (both allowed in BC) — Law Society of British Columbia
BC has the heaviest tax on $500,000 ($8,000), but an eligible first-time buyer can be fully exempt up to $500,000.
Toronto (municipal) $12,950
- Rate schedule
- Municipal MLTT (own scale) ADDED on top of the provincial tax (≈ same amount up to $400,000). “Luxury” 1-2 unit residential tiers (since April 1, 2026): 2.5% ($2–3M) · 4.40% ($3–4M) · 5.45% ($4–5M) · 6.5% ($5–10M) · 7.55% ($10–20M) · 8.6% (> $20M)
- First-time buyer rebate
- Combined provincial ($4,000) + municipal ($4,475) rebate = up to $8,475.
- Legal fees
- 1 000–2 000 $
- Title insurance
- 200–400 $
- Total closing (excl. tax)
- 1,5–4 %
- Legal oversight
- Real estate lawyer — Law Society of Ontario
Methodology and limits
- Land transfer tax: brackets validated at the official source (government/municipality/statute) for Ontario, Toronto, New Brunswick, Halifax, Quebec City and Lévis, and Saskatchewan, on 2026-06-26. BC (gov.bc.ca, unreadable from our tool) remains on Ratehub; Cape Breton and Truro (NS) not validated at source (rates set by municipal by-law).
- Legal/notary fees and title insurance: no province publishes an official schedule — these are indicative market ranges, confirm with a local quote. Alberta's and Saskatchewan's land-title REGISTRATION fees, by contrast, are set by public schedule: re-validated at source on 2026-08-10 (alberta.ca; ISC saskregistries.ca). The low-value tiers of the Saskatchewan title fee (properties worth a few hundred dollars) are not source-validated on our side — no effect on the $500,000 example.
- Programs: the federal HBTC (up to $1,500) applies almost everywhere. The federal GST relief on new builds (bill) was not yet in force at the time of research.
- Examples computed on a $500,000 property (principal residence, resident buyer). Amounts vary with price and circumstances. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, registration fees ALSO depend on the amount borrowed: the example assumes a 20% down payment (a $400,000 mortgage) — a stated, not a hidden, assumption.