How much house can I afford in Edmonton?
Edmonton has no land transfer tax: buyers pay Alberta Land Titles fees, $995 on a $450,000 home with the minimum down payment, and no sales tax on the CMHC premium. The local factor is property tax. Edmonton's 2026 residential rate is 1.036%, higher than Calgary's 0.665%, so the same income buys a little less: about $502,000 versus $523,300 in our example.
Worked examples use 4.12%, the Bank of Canada's average effective rate on new insured 5-year-plus fixed mortgages (2026-08), and are recalculated whenever our rules or rates are updated.
What's different about buying in Edmonton
Edmonton shares Alberta's low closing costs: no land transfer tax, only Land Titles registration fees, and no sales tax on the CMHC premium. What sets Edmonton apart is its property tax rate. For 2026 the residential rate is 1.03637% of assessed value, about 56% higher than Calgary's.
Because property tax counts in your GDS ratio every month, that rate lowers the price a lender will approve. The ratios themselves are the national ones (GDS up to 39%, TDS up to 44%, at the stress-test rate).
Edmonton's 2026 property tax
The City's 2026 residential rate has three parts:
- Municipal: 0.77419%
- Education: 0.25409%
- Education requisition allowance: 0.00809%
At a few example assessed values, with Calgary's 2026 rate for comparison:
| Example value | Edmonton per year | Per month | Calgary per year | Difference per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | $3,627 | $302 | $2,328 | $1,300 |
| $450,000 | $4,664 | $389 | $2,993 | $1,671 |
| $600,000 | $6,218 | $518 | $3,990 | $2,228 |
| $750,000 | $7,773 | $648 | $4,988 | $2,785 |
The bill is based on the City's assessed value, which may not match your purchase price. Check the property's assessment and recent tax notice before you budget.
Land Titles fees
Alberta's fee schedule (updated October 1, 2026, with the same formula as before) charges $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of value to register the transfer, and $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of the principal to register the mortgage. With the minimum down payment and an insured mortgage:
| Example price | Transfer fee | Mortgage fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | $400 | $400 | $800 |
| $450,000 | $500 | $495 | $995 |
| $600,000 | $650 | $640 | $1,290 |
| $750,000 | $800 | $780 | $1,580 |
On a $450,000 purchase the two fees total $995, less than one year's property tax on the same home ($4,664). There is no first-time buyer exemption from these fees. In Edmonton the ongoing cost matters more than the one-time one.
An Edmonton affordability example
A first-time buyer household earning $110,000, with a $50,000 down payment (closing costs come on top), $450 a month of other debts and an example rate of 4.12% over 25 years, using Edmonton's 2026 rate and $100 a month for heat. The lender maximum is about $502,000 (GDS). The same household in Calgary could go to about $523,300. Paying off the $450 of monthly debts wouldn't raise it, because GDS (housing costs, including that property tax) is the tighter limit here. A 30-year insured amortization would lift it to $530,600.
| Household income | Down payment | Maximum price | Property tax per year | Land Titles fees | Cash to close | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | $30,000 | $340,500 | $3,528 | $770 | $33,470 | TDS |
| $110,000 | $50,000 | $502,000 | $5,201 | $1,080 | $53,780 | GDS |
| $145,000 | $80,000 | $683,100 | $7,077 | $1,410 | $84,110 | GDS |
| $190,000 | $130,000 | $921,500 | $9,547 | $1,845 | $134,545 | GDS |
Cash to close is the down payment, the Land Titles fees and our planning estimates of $1,800 for legal fees, $350 for title insurance and $550 for an inspection.
Why the tax rate changes your budget
A lender treats property tax like part of your mortgage payment. In the GDS test, every dollar a month of tax is a dollar a month you can't spend on principal and interest. On a $500,000 home, Edmonton's 2026 rate works out to $432 a month; Calgary's to $277. That gap of about $155 a month has to come out of the mortgage payment, and at the stress-test rate of 6.12% over 25 years, $155 a month of payment supports about $23,918 of mortgage.
In the example above, the result is a maximum about $21,300 lower in Edmonton than in Calgary for the same household; it isn't exactly the figure above because the CMHC premium rate also changes with the loan-to-value. That doesn't by itself make Edmonton the more expensive place to buy: what comparable homes cost in each city, which this page doesn't cover, matters too. It does mean you should use Edmonton's rate, not a generic one, when you set a budget. A calculator using 0.75% would overstate what you can borrow here.
Income needed for a given price
Working the other way: how much income does a household need to buy at a given price with the minimum down payment, the same $450 a month of other debts and the same example rate? Edmonton's higher tax rate means a higher income for the same home:
| Example price | Minimum down | Income needed, Edmonton | Income needed, Calgary |
|---|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $94,200 | $90,800 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $114,700 | $110,000 |
| $650,000 | $40,000 | $146,700 | $140,500 |
Try your own target price in the income needed calculator.
First-time buyers
With no transfer tax, there is no provincial first-time exemption to claim. First-time help comes from federal programs: the FHSA ($8,000 a year, $40,000 lifetime), the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan (up to $60,000 per person), the home buyers' amount, and the first-time GST rebate on a new home. See first-time home buyer programs.
Next steps
- Run your numbers in the affordability calculator with Edmonton selected; it uses the 2026 rate.
- Check fees and estimates in the closing costs calculator.
- Read the Alberta guide for the province-wide rules and federal first-time buyer help.
What typical homes cost in Edmonton, and the income each takes
| Home type | Typical price | Down payment | Household income needed | Cash to close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All homes (composite) | $423,100 | $42,310 | $92,900 | $45,930 |
| Detached (single-family) | $518,900 | $51,890 | $112,800 | $55,695 |
| Townhouse | $269,500 | $26,950 | $64,200 | $30,275 |
| Apartment | $197,400 | $19,740 | $50,700 | $22,925 |
Prices: REALTORS Association of Edmonton, MLS® HPI benchmark price, September 2026 (MLS® HPI benchmarks are CREA data published by the board). Collected November 1, 2026. Typical prices, not appraisals; the income figures are our calculation.
For comparison, a household earning $120,000 with $60,000 down could afford about $557,500 here. Run your own plan for Edmonton, AB.
Run the numbers for Edmonton, AB
This calculator starts with Edmonton, AB's transfer tax and first-time relief. Open your full affordability plan set to Edmonton, AB (property tax 1.036%).
Closing costs and land transfer tax calculator
Cash you need on closing day on top of your down payment.
| Alberta land titles fee: transfer ($50 + $5 per $5,000) | $700 |
|---|---|
| Alberta land titles fee: mortgage ($50 + $5 per $5,000) | $655 |
| Legal / notary | $1,800 |
| Title insurance | $350 |
| Inspection / appraisal | $550 |
| Total | $4,055 |
Estimate, not advice. Your lawyer or notary prepares the final statement of adjustments, including property-tax and utility adjustments not shown here.
Closing costs $4,055, of which land transfer tax or fees $1,355.
Assumptions & sources
Assumptions
- Transfer tax is calculated on the purchase price (NB, PE and NS use the greater of price or assessed value).
- First-time buyer rebates assume you meet every condition (residency, occupancy, never owned).
- Legal, title insurance and inspection figures are our planning estimates; get quotes.
Sources
- Government of Alberta — Land Titles and Surveys common documents fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026). Checked .
- City of Edmonton — Property taxes (2026 rates). Checked .
Frequently asked questions
Is there a land transfer tax in Edmonton?
No. Alberta has no land transfer tax. Edmonton buyers pay Land Titles fees of $50 plus $5 per $5,000 on the property's value and on the mortgage amount.
What is Edmonton's property tax rate for 2026?
1.03637% of assessed value for residential property: 0.77419% municipal, 0.25409% education and 0.00809% education requisition allowance.
Can I afford more house in Calgary or Edmonton?
On the same income, a little more in Calgary, because its property tax rate is lower. With $110,000 of income, $50,000 down and an example 4.12% rate, about $523,300 in Calgary and $502,000 in Edmonton.
How much house can I afford in Edmonton on $110,000?
About $502,000 with $50,000 down, $450 a month of other debts and an example 4.12% rate over 25 years, using Edmonton's 2026 tax rate.
Primary sources
- Government of Alberta — Land Titles and Surveys common documents fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026). Checked .
- City of Edmonton — Property taxes (2026 rates). Checked .
- City of Calgary — How your property tax bill is calculated (2026). Checked .
- CMHC — Calculating GDS / TDS. Checked .
- OSFI — Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages (Guideline B-20). Checked .
- CMHC — Homeowner mortgage loan insurance: Purchase (eligibility). Checked .