Cost of Living: Moncton vs. Toronto for a Growing Family (2026)
Hi :) I get asked some version of this question almost every week now — from Toronto friends thinking about the move, from clients here in Moncton wondering what they gave up, and honestly from myself sometimes, three years into this whole thing. So let’s talk real numbers.
I moved from Toronto to Moncton in 2023. I didn’t do it because Toronto stopped being home — it’ll always be home — I did it because I wanted more space and I wanted to actually see the math work out on paper before I believed it. It did. Here’s what it looks like right now, heading into fall 2026.
Housing: the big one
In Toronto and the GTA right now, the benchmark price sits around $934,600, with the average sold price closer to $1,003,956 (July 2026 numbers). In Moncton, the average residential sale price is sitting around $386,000 to $397,000.
That’s not a typo. That’s roughly half.
For a growing family, that gap isn’t abstract. It’s the difference between a condo and a detached home with an actual backyard. It’s “maybe someday we’ll have space for a home office and a playroom” versus just having it now.
Land transfer tax: the part nobody warns you about
This one genuinely surprised me when I first ran the numbers, and I want every family thinking about this move to know it upfront. New Brunswick charges a flat 1% land transfer tax. On a $700,000 home, that’s about $7,000.
Toronto is a different story entirely. You’re paying both the Ontario provincial land transfer tax and the City of Toronto municipal land transfer tax, stacked on top of each other. On that same $700,000 home, you’re looking at roughly $23,950 combined, plus admin fees.
That’s almost $17,000 more, due at closing, before you’ve unpacked a single box. It’s real money that most people don’t budget for until it’s staring them in the face.
What this actually means for your family
I’m not going to sit here and tell you Moncton is “better” than Toronto — they’re different cities for different chapters of life, and Toronto will always have things Moncton doesn’t (and vice versa, honestly, ask me about the seafood sometime). But if you’re a growing family looking at your budget and wondering if there’s a version of this where you get more space and less stress about the mortgage payment, the numbers are worth a real look.
I’ve lived both sides of this move. I know what you’re giving up and what you’re gaining, because I gave up and gained the exact same things.
Thinking about what a move — or an upsize — from Toronto to Moncton would actually look like for your family? I help families run these exact numbers for their situation and find the right home in the right neighbourhood. Let’s talk.
Tags: Moncton vs Toronto cost of living, cost of living Moncton NB, Toronto to Moncton relocation, land transfer tax Ontario vs New Brunswick, growing family upsize, Moncton real estate 2026, Toronto to Atlantic Canada move, affordable homes for families
