About this calculator
Alberta is the outlier in Canadian real estate: it has never levied a land transfer tax. What you pay the province at closing is a registration fee under the Land Titles Act — $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of value (0.1%) to register the transfer, and the same again on the mortgage amount. On an $800,000 home with a $640,000 mortgage that is $850 + $690 = $1,540 all-in, against $12,475 of tax in Ontario or $14,000 in BC on the same home. (The per-$5,000 levy rose from $2/$1.50 in October 2024; older guides still quote the old, lower fees.)
Everything else works like the rest of Canada: rates compound semi-annually (a $640,000 mortgage at 4.50% over 25 years is $3,542.23 a month), CMHC insurance is mandatory under 20% down, and the federal stress test qualifies you at your rate + 2% or 5.25%, whichever is higher. Alberta does not tax the CMHC premium — Ontario and Quebec do — so the premium simply joins the mortgage.
How to use it
- Enter the home price and down payment — if the down payment is under 20%, the CMHC premium is calculated and added to the mortgage automatically.
- Add the mortgage rate and amortization (25 years is standard; 30 is available to first-time buyers and new builds).
- Enter your estimated annual municipal property tax — it is shown monthly as part of the total payment.
- Tick "first-time home buyer" if it applies: provincial transfer-tax reliefs are then applied.
- Read the total monthly payment, the transfer tax due at closing, and the stress-test payment your lender must qualify you at.
The formula
Canadian mortgage rates are quoted as nominal rates compounded semi-annually ("j2"), not monthly like US rates. Converting the quoted rate to its true monthly equivalent is why a Canadian payment at 4.5% is slightly lower than the same rate run through a US calculator. The CMHC premium, when the down payment is under 20%, is added to the loan before the payment is calculated.
Worked example
An $800,000 Alberta home with $160,000 down: the $640,000 mortgage at 4.50% over 25 years costs $3,542.23 a month in principal and interest, $4,142.23 with $7,200 a year of property tax. Total provincial closing fees are $1,540 — roughly a tenth of what Ontario or BC would charge. Buy the same home in Calgary with 10% down ($80,000) instead, and the CMHC premium at 90% LTV is 3.10% of $720,000 = $22,320, lifting the mortgage to $742,320 with no premium tax on top.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alberta really have no land transfer tax?
Correct — Alberta (like Saskatchewan's much smaller fee structure aside) does not charge a percentage transfer tax. You pay Land Titles registration fees: $50 + $5 per $5,000 or part thereof, charged once on the property value and once on the mortgage principal. On a $500,000 home with a $400,000 mortgage that is $550 + $450 = $1,000.
How much are Alberta registration fees on my purchase?
Transfer fee = $50 + $5 for every $5,000 (or part) of the price; mortgage fee = $50 + $5 for every $5,000 (or part) of the mortgage. An $800,000 home with a $640,000 mortgage: (50 + 160×$5) + (50 + 128×$5) = $850 + $690 = $1,540. The calculator shows this combined figure as the transfer tax line.
Why do some websites show lower Alberta fees?
The Tariff of Fees levy increased on October 20, 2024 — from $2 per $5,000 on transfers and $1.50 per $5,000 on mortgages to $5 per $5,000 on both. Pages written before then understate the fees by roughly 60%. The figures here use the current tariff.
What other closing costs apply in Alberta?
Budget for a real property report (survey) or title insurance, legal fees (often $1,500–$2,500), appraisal and home inspection, plus GST on a brand-new home. None of those are provincial taxes, and they vary by provider, so they are not in this calculator — but on a typical resale purchase they add roughly 0.5%–1% of the price beyond the registration fees shown.
What formula does this mortgage calculator — alberta calculator use?
Monthly rate j2 = (1 + annual rate ÷ 2)^(2/12) − 1; payment = loan × j2 ÷ (1 − (1 + j2)^−n) Canadian mortgage rates are quoted as nominal rates compounded semi-annually ("j2"), not monthly like US rates. Converting the quoted rate to its true monthly equivalent is why a Canadian payment at 4.5% is slightly lower than the same rate run through a US calculator. The CMHC premium, when the down payment is under 20%, is added to the loan before the payment is calculated. The worked example on this page applies the formula step by step with real numbers, so you can verify the result by hand.