The Cost of Owning | Monthly Cost
The real monthly cost of owning
The mortgage is the number everyone checks. The strata fee, property tax, and insurance are the ones that decide whether the budget works. Here they all are, on measured figures.
The short answer
On the regional median newly built home of $1,338,800, with the minimum down payment of $108,880 at a 5% rate over 25 years, the full monthly cost is $8,251. That is $7,439 in mortgage, $365 in strata fee, $347 in property tax, and $100 in insurance.
- On the median home
- $1,338,800
- Total monthly
- $8,251
- Mortgage share
- $7,439
- Everything else
- $812
The whole monthly bill on the median home
$1,338,800 home, $108,880 down, 5% over 25 years
| Mortgage payment On a loan of $1,279,117, which includes $49,197 of mortgage default insurance added to the principal. | $7,439 |
|---|---|
| Strata fee Regional median, from the 691 listings that state one. | $365 |
| Property tax Regional median annual figure divided by twelve, from the 464 listings that state one. | $347 |
| Home insurance Assumed at $1,200 a year. This is the one figure on the page our data cannot supply. | $100 |
| Monthly cost per month | $8,251 |
Utilities and any strata special levy are extra. The 5% rate is one row of the grid below, not a quote.
Mortgage payment at each price and rate
Minimum down payment at each price, with mortgage default insurance added to the loan where it applies. Find the row that matches the rate you have actually been quoted.
$800,000 home
$55,000 down , $29,800 insurance premium added to the loan
| Rate | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4.00% | $4,076 | $3,684 |
| 4.50% | $4,288 | $3,907 |
| 5.00% | $4,506 | $4,135 |
| 5.50% | $4,729 | $4,369 |
| 6.00% | $4,957 | $4,609 |
$1,000,000 home
$75,000 down , $37,000 insurance premium added to the loan
| Rate | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4.00% | $5,060 | $4,574 |
| 4.50% | $5,324 | $4,851 |
| 5.00% | $5,595 | $5,134 |
| 5.50% | $5,872 | $5,425 |
| 6.00% | $6,155 | $5,722 |
$1,300,000 home
$105,000 down , $47,800 insurance premium added to the loan
| Rate | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4.00% | $6,537 | $5,910 |
| 4.50% | $6,879 | $6,266 |
| 5.00% | $7,228 | $6,633 |
| 5.50% | $7,586 | $7,008 |
| 6.00% | $7,952 | $7,392 |
$1,600,000 home
$320,000 down , 20% minimum so no mortgage insurance
| Rate | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4.00% | $6,733 | $6,087 |
| 4.50% | $7,084 | $6,454 |
| 5.00% | $7,445 | $6,831 |
| 5.50% | $7,813 | $7,218 |
| 6.00% | $8,190 | $7,614 |
$2,000,000 home
$400,000 down , 20% minimum so no mortgage insurance
| Rate | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4.00% | $8,416 | $7,608 |
| 4.50% | $8,856 | $8,067 |
| 5.00% | $9,306 | $8,539 |
| 5.50% | $9,766 | $9,023 |
| 6.00% | $10,237 | $9,517 |
Payments are calculated on the semi-annual compounding convention that applies to Canadian fixed mortgages, so they match what a lender will quote rather than the higher figure a US-style calculator produces.
About the rates on this page
The Bank of Canada publishes a posted five-year conventional mortgage rate, currently 6.09% as of 23 September 2026. The policy interest rate is 2.25% as of 23 September 2026.
The posted rate is not the rate you will pay. Discounted contract rates are meaningfully lower and depend on your lender, your term, your down payment, and your file. That is exactly why this page shows a grid rather than picking one number and calling it yours.
Common questions
What does it cost per month to own a townhouse in Metro Vancouver?
On the regional median price of $1,338,800, $8,251 a month at a 5% rate over 25 years with the minimum down payment. The mortgage is $7,439 of that. The rest is the strata fee, property tax, and insurance, which together add $812.
Why do you show a grid of rates instead of the current rate?
Because the rate you are offered is not a published number. The Bank of Canada publishes a posted conventional five-year rate, currently 6.09% as of 23 September 2026, but discounted contract rates are materially lower and depend on your lender, your term, and your file. Showing one rate as though it were yours would mislead. Find your row in the grid instead.
Does a 30 year amortization make a home affordable?
It lowers the monthly payment and raises the total interest you pay over the life of the loan. Thirty year amortizations on insured mortgages are restricted to specific buyer and property categories, so confirm you qualify before you plan around one. Your broker can tell you in a single conversation.
What is missing from these numbers?
Utilities, maintenance on anything the strata does not cover, and any special levy the strata approves. Home insurance is shown at an assumed $1,200 a year because our listing data does not carry it. Everything else on this page comes from measured figures or published rules.
How much income do I need for this?
Lenders test you against a qualifying rate higher than your contract rate, and they measure the payment plus heating and half the strata fee against your gross income. The exact thresholds depend on the lender and your other debts, so treat the monthly figures here as the cost side and get the income side from a broker.
What price points does the mortgage payment grid cover?
The grid covers $800,000, $1,000,000, $1,300,000, $1,600,000, $2,000,000, each shown with the minimum down payment, mortgage default insurance where it applies, and a payment for every combination of rate and amortization in the grid. A reader finds the row matching their own quoted rate rather than a single assumed number.
What is the current Bank of Canada posted mortgage rate used on this page?
6.09% as of 23 September 2026, pulled from the Bank of Canada at build time rather than typed into the page. This is the posted conventional five-year rate, not the discounted rate a lender actually offers, which is why the payment grid covers a range instead of one figure.
What monthly costs are not included in the carrying cost example?
Utilities, maintenance on anything the strata does not cover, and any special levy the strata approves are all left out. Home insurance is included only as an assumed figure, since the listing data used across this hub does not carry an actual insurance amount for any property.
Where these figures come from
- VanPlex active listings, MLS® data
Active townhouses, half duplexes, and row houses built in the last two years across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
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- Bank of Canada, Canadian interest rates
Posted 5-year conventional mortgage rate and the policy interest rate.
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- CMHC, mortgage loan insurance premiums
2.80% at 80.01 to 85% LTV, 3.10% to 90%, 4.00% to 95%.
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- CMHC, mortgage loan insurance for consumers
Insurance is unavailable at a purchase price of $1.5M or more, where 20% down is required.
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- Government of BC, home owner grant
Reduces annual property tax on a principal residence, subject to an assessed value threshold.
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See the homes behind these numbers
Every figure on this page comes from listings you can open. Search the full set of newly built townhouses, half duplexes, and row houses, and filter by price, bedrooms, freehold or strata, pets, and parking.