B.C. or Alberta: What Changes When You Move?

Many people who contact Sean are weighing Alberta against Vernon. This independent guide from a local real estate agent gathers official figures on taxes, everyday costs, migration and paperwork. It is general information from official sources, not tax, legal or financial advice, and it is not affiliated with any government. Numbers change, so check the linked sources, and talk to an accountant about your own situation.

Which is better to live in?

Which is better to live in, B.C. or Alberta?

Neither province is better across the board; it depends on which trade-offs matter most to you. Alberta has no provincial sales tax and lower top income tax rates, while B.C. adds a 7% PST but taxes the first slice of income at a lower rate: 5.6% compared with Alberta's 8% in 2026.

Winters differ most. Environment Canada's 1981 to 2010 climate normals put the average January temperature near -2°C at Vernon's Bella Vista station, -7°C at Calgary's airport and -12°C at Edmonton's. Housing costs depend heavily on the type of home, so compare like with like using the cost answers further down this page. Both provinces run public health plans, so ask about family doctor availability where you land.

Are people moving from Alberta to B.C. or the other way?

People move in both directions, but over the latest 12 months more people moved from B.C. to Alberta than the other way. Statistics Canada counts 23,848 moves from B.C. to Alberta and 22,201 from Alberta to B.C. between July 2025 and June 2026, a net gain of about 1,647 for Alberta. The year before, the figures were 25,901 and 21,690.

The gap has narrowed, but treat the newest quarter as preliminary. Statistics Canada also changed its data source in July 2025 to Canada child benefit data, so year-to-year comparisons need care. The table is on the Statistics Canada site.

Which province are most Canadians moving to?

Alberta has had the biggest net gain from other provinces: about 21,700 more people moved in than left between July 2025 and June 2026. B.C. was second, with a net gain of about 6,900, while Ontario lost roughly 18,000, and Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan also had net losses.

B.C.'s overall gain came even though it lost about 1,600 more people to Alberta than it gained from there, because it gained from other provinces. The latest quarter is preliminary, and Statistics Canada changed its data source in July 2025, so compare years carefully. The data are in Statistics Canada table 17-10-0045-01.

How do the taxes compare?

Who pays more tax, B.C. or Alberta?

Neither province is cheaper for everyone: Alberta has no provincial sales tax and lower top income tax rates, while B.C. starts at a lower rate on the first slice of income. For 2026, B.C. runs from 5.6% on the first $50,363 up to 20.5% above $265,545; Alberta runs from 8% on the first $61,200 up to 15% above $370,220.

Both charge 5% GST, and B.C. adds 7% PST on most goods and many services. Neither has a consumer carbon tax. Alberta's fuel tax is 0 cents a litre from October 1, 2026, though it resets quarterly; B.C. charges 14.5 cents outside the Vancouver and Victoria areas. Use the CRA rates page or an accountant for your own numbers.

What are the tax brackets in Alberta?

For 2026, Alberta has six provincial income tax brackets, starting at 8% on the first $61,200 of taxable income and topping out at 15% above $370,220. In between, the rates are 10% up to $154,259, 12% up to $185,111, 13% up to $246,813 and 14% up to $370,220.

These are provincial rates only. Federal tax is charged on top, and the brackets apply to taxable income, not your gross pay. Your own bill depends on credits and deductions, so use the CRA rates page or an accountant for your numbers.

What are the tax brackets for 2026?

For 2026, the federal income tax brackets run from 14% on the first $58,523 of taxable income up to 33% on income over $258,482. The steps between are 20.5% up to $117,045, 26% up to $181,440 and 29% up to $258,482.

Your province or territory charges its own tax on top, and the provincial brackets are different from the federal ones. For example, B.C. starts at 5.6% and Alberta at 8%. This is general information, not tax advice; the CRA rates page lists the federal and provincial figures, and an accountant can apply them to your situation.

Which Canadian province has the most taxes?

There is no single answer, because it depends on which tax you look at. Among the provinces on the CRA's 2026 list, the highest top income tax rates are in Newfoundland and Labrador (21.8%), Nova Scotia (21%) and B.C. (20.5%). Alberta tops out at 15% and Ontario at 13.16%. Quebec sets and publishes its own rates, so it is not part of this comparison.

Those top rates start at very different incomes: B.C.'s 20.5% applies above $265,545, while Newfoundland and Labrador's starts above $1.14 million. Sales taxes differ as well, from Alberta's 5% GST alone to combined rates in provinces with HST. The CRA rates page lists every province except Quebec.

What does daily life cost?

What is cheaper in Alberta than B.C.?

The clearest saving is sales tax: Alberta charges only the 5% GST, while B.C. adds a 7% PST on most goods and many services. Alberta's provincial fuel tax is also 0 cents a litre as of October 1, 2026, though it is reset quarterly with oil prices, compared with 14.5 cents outside the Vancouver and Victoria areas in B.C.

Home prices are harder to compare. In September 2026, Calgary's benchmark for all home types was $566,700 and Edmonton's composite benchmark was $423,100. The North Okanagan benchmark for a single-family home, excluding lakefront and acreage, was $794,300 in August. These cover different home types and months, so compare listings for the same kind of home.

Is car insurance more expensive in B.C. or Alberta?

It depends on your driving history, vehicle and where you live, and no official source compares average premiums in the two provinces. In B.C., ICBC Basic insurance is the mandatory public coverage, and since Enhanced Care began on May 1, 2021, injured people can get care and income benefits even if they were at fault, without suing. Alberta has more than 25 private insurers working under provincial rate caps, and its Care-First system starts January 1, 2027.

Tell your Autoplan broker about your Alberta driving. ICBC credits up to 15 years of driving experience from outside B.C. once you provide a driver's abstract or letter of experience from the licensing authority that issued your first non-learner licence.

Is $70,000 a good salary in Alberta?

It is close to what the average Alberta employee earns, but whether it feels like a good salary depends on your housing costs and family situation. Statistics Canada put Alberta's average weekly earnings at $1,371.07 in March 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), which works out to roughly $71,000 over a year. B.C. was $1,348.36 a week, or about $70,000.

That average includes overtime and part-time workers, so it is a rough yardstick rather than a typical full-time pay cheque. Before you accept an offer, compare the figure with your likely rent or mortgage costs. The Statistics Canada table has the full figures.

Is there PST and GST in Alberta?

Alberta charges the 5% federal GST but has no provincial sales tax, so the PST is zero. There is no HST either, so the 5% GST is the only sales tax on most purchases.

B.C. is different. It charges the same 5% GST plus a separate 7% PST on many goods and some services, so an identical taxable purchase usually costs more in Vernon than in Calgary. Some items are exempt, and some categories use a different rate; short-term accommodation in B.C., for example, carries 8% PST. Check the CRA rate calculator and the Province's PST pages for specifics.

Do Alberta residents have to pay PST in BC?

Yes, in most cases: if you live in Alberta and buy taxable goods or services while you are in B.C., you pay the same 7% PST as anyone else. B.C.'s PST bulletin for non-residents says the rule applies whether or not you live in the province, and accommodation carries 8% PST.

There are exceptions. Goods the seller ships out of B.C. for delivery outside the province, with no use here, are generally exempt, and some vehicle and business purchases qualify with a form. The bulletin also says non-residents generally are not taxed on personal goods they simply bring in. Read PST Bulletin 309 (revised February 2026) for the details.

Making the move

What does it cost to move from Calgary or Edmonton to Vernon?

There is no single price: your cost depends on how much you move, the season and whether you hire movers or drive it yourself. Tourism Vernon lists Calgary to Vernon at about 556 km, roughly six hours of driving. Edmonton is farther.

If you are moving for a job, the CRA allows a moving expenses deduction when your new home is at least 40 kilometres closer to your new work location, measured by the shortest usual public route. You calculate it on Form T1-M, and it can only be deducted from income earned at the new location. See the CRA moving expenses page, keep receipts and get written quotes before you commit.

How does Alberta's health card work when I move to B.C.?

Alberta covers you for the month you leave plus the next two months, so keep your Alberta plan until B.C. coverage starts. When you leave for good, you must cancel AHCIP at a registry agent office or by contacting AHCIP with your name, health care number and forwarding address.

B.C.'s MSP wait period is the rest of the month you become a B.C. resident plus two more months, and the province advises keeping your former plan during it. Apply for MSP as soon as you arrive; coverage dates depend on your leave and arrival dates, so check both. Details are on the Vernon health care page.

Related guides

• Moving from Calgary to Vernon
• Moving from Edmonton to Vernon
• Cost of living in Vernon, compared
• Moving to B.C.: the checklist
• Buying a home in B.C. when you're moving from out of province

Updated October 28, 2026. Published by Sean Phillips, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Executives Realty. General information from official sources, not legal, tax, immigration or medical advice.

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