- Calgary has generally held up better through 2026 than the softer conditions seen in the GTA and Vancouver.
- Continued interprovincial migration into Alberta has supported demand relative to other major markets.
- Alberta's lack of land transfer tax remains a distinct, ongoing cost advantage for buyers relocating from other provinces.
Why Calgary has been more resilient than Ontario and BC
Calgary has generally avoided the sharper price declines seen in the GTA and Vancouver through 2026, part of a broader pattern in which Prairie markets have held up better than Ontario and BC over the same period. Calgary entered this cycle with a lower price base and less exposure to the pre-construction investor supply wave that's specifically weighed on Toronto and, to a lesser extent, Vancouver condos.
The migration factor
Continued interprovincial migration into Alberta, driven partly by relative affordability compared to Ontario and BC, has supported demand in Calgary even as national immigration targets have been reduced. This is a distinct dynamic from the international immigration story: it's Canadians moving within Canada, drawn by a combination of housing costs, no provincial sales tax, and, for some, employment opportunities, rather than newcomers to the country.
The land transfer tax advantage, still in effect
Alberta remains one of only two provinces with no land transfer tax, charging only small flat title registration fees instead — a genuine, ongoing cost advantage for anyone comparing a Calgary purchase against a similarly priced home in Ontario or BC. See our Ontario land transfer tax guide for what a comparable Ontario purchase would cost instead. Combined with generally lower home prices than Toronto or Vancouver, total upfront costs for a comparable purchase can differ substantially between the markets.
Comparing a Calgary purchase against another province? Run both through the closing cost calculator to see the real difference.
- Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) — accessed September 2026
- Statistics Canada — accessed September 2026