Moving from Toronto to Victoria

We're Harrison Siemens and Corey Lister, REALTORS® with Caliber Property Group and Coldwell Banker Oceanside Real Estate. We both made our own moves to Victoria, and now we help people relocate here from across Canada, including a steady stream from the Greater Toronto Area. Before real estate, Harrison spent six years as a property appraiser.

Most people who leave Toronto for Victoria aren't chasing a cheaper house. They want a shorter commute, a milder winter, and a city where the ocean and the trails are 10 minutes away. The surprise is that they usually get all of that for about the same money.

We've helped Toronto clients make exactly this move, and they're blown away by how much easier West Coast and island life feels: less traffic, a less hectic pace, and errands that take minutes instead of an afternoon.

Toronto vs Victoria at a glance

Sources are listed in each section below.

Home prices: about the same money, with a lot more ocean

A typical detached house in Victoria's core costs about $84,000 more than the Greater Toronto Area benchmark, and a condo about $21,000 more. Compared with the City of Toronto itself, Victoria often comes out ahead: detached homes there sold for an average of $1,562,966 in September 2026.

MLS® HPI benchmark prices, September 2026. Sources: TRREB data via Mortgage Sandbox, City of Toronto average from TRREB Market Watch, and Victoria Real Estate Board.

Toronto buyers pay land transfer tax twice. Victoria buyers pay once.

This is the biggest money surprise for people leaving Toronto. Buying in the City of Toronto means paying both Ontario's land transfer tax and Toronto's municipal land transfer tax. BC has one property transfer tax.

That's roughly $20,500 more in your pocket on closing day in Victoria. (Rates: Ratehub, Zealty)

Why Victoria homes hold their value

• The ocean sets the limit. Victoria is surrounded by water on three sides, with the Malahat and protected farmland to the north and west.
• The GTA keeps spreading. New supply keeps coming across a region that runs from Hamilton to Oshawa and north into York Region.
• Demand keeps coming. People move to Victoria from across Canada every year for the climate, the lifestyle and retirement.

Limited land plus steady demand is why Victoria has a strong long-term track record of appreciation, and why we expect prices to keep rising over time. No one can promise where the market goes in any single year, but constrained supply has historically worked in Victoria owners' favour.

What you gain, and what you give up

We'd rather you move with your eyes open. Here's the honest trade.

For most of the people we help, the first column wins. The ones who are happiest here usually have their work sorted before they move, or they're retiring.

Climate: no slush, no humidex

Victoria is about 10°C warmer than Toronto on a typical January afternoon, and its summers skip the sticky heat. It also gets less rain and snow in total: 705 mm a year versus 831 mm.

Environment Canada climate normals, 1981–2010, via Current Results: January, July, snowfall, precipitation.

Those cool July nights matter: 12°C lows mean you sleep with the window open instead of the air conditioner on. And Victoria gets the equivalent of about 308 sunny days a year. (Daily Hive)

Getting around: get your evenings back

Toronto's average commute was 34.9 minutes in May 2025. Victoria's was 20.5 minutes in May 2024, the shortest of the eight cities in Statistics Canada's commuting study. Over a working year, that's roughly 120 hours back. (Statistics Canada, 2025, Statistics Canada, Victoria)

Visiting family back east: non-stop flights between Victoria and Toronto Pearson take about 5 hours and run on select days; other days connect through Vancouver or Calgary. (Flightmapper)

Planning a cross-country move: a timeline

Moving 4,300 km takes more lead time than a move within a province. Here's the order we suggest.

3 to 6 months before

1. Start your Victoria search remotely. We send video walkthroughs and recent comparable sales, then you fly out for a focused weekend of showings.
2. Decide how your belongings travel. Get quotes for a cross-country mover or a moving container, or plan a 5-day drive across the country.
3. Line up the sale of your Toronto home so the closing dates work with your Victoria purchase.

The month you move

4. Ferry booking. Driving or trucking in? Reserve your BC Ferries crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.
5. Health coverage gap. Apply for BC's Medical Services Plan when you arrive. Coverage starts after the rest of that month plus two months. Ontario coverage during the gap is limited, so many people buy short-term private health insurance. (BC Government, GMS)

Within 90 days of arriving

6. Driver's licence. Exchange your Ontario licence for a BC licence through ICBC. (ICBC)
7. Your car. Out-of-province vehicles need a BC inspection before you can register and insure them with ICBC.
8. Family doctor. Sign up with BC's Health Connect Registry.

One small adjustment: Victoria is 3 hours behind Toronto, so your 9 a.m. call with the Toronto office is at 6 a.m. here.

Where Torontonians feel at home in Victoria

Frequently asked questions

Is Victoria cheaper than Toronto?

For most buyers it's about the same. In September 2026 the benchmark detached house was $1,280,100 in Victoria's core versus $1,196,400 across the Greater Toronto Area, and detached homes in the City of Toronto averaged $1,562,966. Victoria buyers also skip Toronto's municipal land transfer tax.

How much land transfer tax will I save in Victoria?

On a $1,280,100 home, a City of Toronto buyer pays about $44,150 in combined Ontario and Toronto land transfer tax. In Victoria, BC's property transfer tax is about $23,600, roughly $20,500 less.

What's the weather like in Victoria compared with Toronto?

Milder all year. January highs average 9°C in Victoria versus −1°C in Toronto, Victoria gets about 33 cm of snow a year versus 122 cm, and summer nights cool to about 12°C.

How long is the flight from Victoria to Toronto?

About 5 hours non-stop, on select days. Other days connect through Vancouver or Calgary. Victoria is 3 hours behind Toronto.

What happens to my OHIP when I move to BC?

BC's MSP starts after the rest of the month you arrive plus two months. Ontario coverage during that wait is limited, so many people buy short-term private health insurance for the gap.

Can I find work in Victoria?

The job market is smaller than Toronto's. Many people who move here work remotely, work for government, health care or tech, or are retiring.

Can I buy a Victoria home without flying out first?

You can start remotely: we send video walkthroughs and recent comparable sales, then most buyers fly out for a focused weekend of showings before they commit.

Thinking about the move?

Leaving Toronto is a big decision, and a quick call can save you a lot of guesswork. Call or text Harrison at 778-966-1078 or Corey at 250-709-3753, or email harrison@caliberpropertygroup.ca. We're 3 hours behind you, so evening calls from Toronto work well.

Prices and rents last updated October 2026. Photos via Unsplash: Vlad D, Jim Luo, Sharissa Johnson.