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Mortgage Payment Calculator Canada

Get a sense for your mortgage payments, the cash you'll need to close and the monthly carrying costs with Ratehub.ca’s mortgage payment calculator. 

Ratehub.ca's mortgage payment calculator

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WATCH: How to change your mortgage payment amount

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the mortgage payment calculator?


Is the mortgage payment calculator free?


Why does the down payment automatically change on the calculator?


How much is the monthly mortgage payment for a $500,000 house, over 30 years?


What is an amortization schedule?


How does my salary impact my mortgage payment?


Are mortgage payments made every month?


How do I calculate monthly payments on a mortgage?


What is mortgage default insurance?


Why does my rate change when I adjust my amortization from 25 years to 30 years?


What if I’m a first-time home buyer?


Are closing costs included in my mortgage payment result?


Why does the Land Transfer Tax output change when I select Toronto, Ontario, as my purchase location?


Find the right calculators for all your mortgage and home buying needs

WATCH: March 6, 2024 Bank of Canada announcement

February 2024: Mortgage market update

The mortgage market in Canada has experienced a great deal of volatility in the last couple of months, and the start of 2024 has proved to be no exception. Bond yields are once again on the rise, ending a brief descent begun in December and exerting upward pressure on fixed mortgage rates. Meanwhile, variable mortgage rates remain high after a total of 10 rate hikes carried out by the Bank of Canada between March 2022 and July 2023 that brought the Overnight Lending Rate to 5%. If you’re currently looking for a mortgage rate in Canada, read on:

  • Real estate update: On February 14, 2024, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) published the numbers for the Canadian housing market for the month of January. The latest figures indicate that the housing market in Canada is showing signs of recovery after a relatively sluggish end to 2023. A grand total of 25,540 residential properties were sold across the country in January, up by a notable 22% year over year, and up by 3.7% monthly. The number of new listings, meanwhile, rose by just 1.5% in January. This was not enough to keep pace with renewed demand, which added fresh pressure on the housing market. As a result, the average home price in Canada rose by 7.6% on an annual basis to $659,395. Reasonably robust demand and a relatively small number of new listings helped to push Canada’s housing market towards the “seller-friendly” of the balanced market spectrum, with the sales-to-new-listings ratio (SNLR) ticking up to 58.8%. The SNLR is used by CREA to gauge competition in the marketplace, and is considered balanced with a ratio between 40-60%. Above and below that range reflect sellers’ and buyers’ markets, respectively.

    Read more: Canadian realtors hopeful sales growth will continue

  • CPI update: At last, there is some welcome good news on this front, with the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure for the month of January coming in at just 2.9%, according to Statistics Canada. January’s CPI not only beat expectations, but it marks the first month since March 2021 where the CPI rose by less than 3%. The biggest factor contributing to this lower CPI was falling gas prices, which came in at 3.2% in January, down by 0.3% from December. In fact, gas prices have been falling steadily for the past five months. Food costs were also significantly down, at just 3.4%, compared to 4.7% the month before. Given that this most recent CPI reading falls within the Bank of Canada’s inflation target range of 1 - 3%, market observers are now expecting the Bank to hold rates steady in the near term. Then, provided inflation continues to trend downwards, experts are predicting that the Bank will begin cutting rates as early as the second quarter of this year.

Read more: Inflation falls to 2.9% in January

 

2024 Housing market forecast

Taking into account the growing anticipation of rate cuts along with pent-up buyer demand, CREA revised its projections for 2024 and 2025. 

The organization projects that some 489,661 homes will be sold across the nation in 2024, up by 10.3% from 2023. Sales growth is anticipated to be most significant in markets that have seen consistent housing demand, such as Alberta. That said, growth is also expected in markets that have suffered from historically low demand, including Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. CREA predicts that the average home price in Canada will climb by 2.3% to $694,173 in 2024, with Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador seeing the biggest increases. Home prices in British Columbia and Ontario are expected to remain relatively flat. 

Housing market activity should continue to gather momentum in 2025, with home sales forecast to total 525,498 homes (a year-over-year increase of 7.3%, while the average home price in Canada is expected to reach $722,063, up by 4%.

Highlights from the Bank of Canada's December 6, 2023 announcement

On December 6, 2023, the Bank of Canada left the target for its trend-setting overnight rate unchanged at 5.00% for the third time in a row.

  • The central bank’s decision to hold rates was due to a number of factors, including lower-than-anticipated Q3 GDP performance, decreasing inflation, and overall declining consumer activity. 
  • Canadians with variable-rate mortgages and home equity lines of credit (HELOC) will see their rates stabilize for the foreseeable future. 
  • Although fixed mortgage rates are not directly affected by the Bank of Canada’s rate hold, the bond market has cooled in reaction to the announcement, meaning that fixed mortgage rates could well come down in the near future.
  • Canadians looking to buy a home or whose mortgage is up for renewal are wise to get a rate hold now to protect themselves against any future rate volatility. If  mortgage rates change at any time during your rate hold, you are still eligible for the lowest rate.

Why use a mortgage payment calculator?

When planning to buy a home, it's easy to focus on the final purchase price or your mortgage amount. But actually, the most relevant number to you will be your regular repayment. After all, your mortgage payments are the amount that you'll need to take from your paycheque each month.

 

What is a mortgage payment?

Your mortgage payment is the amount of money you must pay every month to pay down, and ultimately pay off, your mortgage loan. Your mortgage payment covers both the principal (the actual amount of the loan) and the interest on the loan. It can also include mortgage default insurance, also sometimes known as CMHC insurance (required when your down payment is less than 20% of the cost of your home), property taxes and other fees. When you first begin making payments, more of it goes towards covering interest, but over time, more of your payment will eventually go to paying down your mortgage balance.

What are some factors that can affect your mortgage payments? 

There are several key factors that can affect the size of your mortgage payments. Some of these include:

  • Your home price: This dictates how much you will need to borrow. 
  • Your down payment: The more you are able to pay up front towards the purchase of your home, the smaller your required mortgage amount. In turn, the smaller your monthly mortgage payment will be.
  • Your total mortgage amount: This is the price of your new home, less the down payment, plus mortgage insurance, if applicable.
  • Your interest rate: The lower the interest rate on your mortgage, the lower your monthly payments will be. Ratehub.ca can help you find the best mortgage rates available today to keep your payment as low as possible. When choosing between a variable or fixed mortgage rate, generally speaking, variable rates provide lower mortgage payments as they tend to be lower. According to a landmark 2001 study, historically, over 90% of Canadians who have maintained a variable mortgage rate throughout their entire mortgage term have paid less in interest than those who have stuck to a fixed rate. However, if you seek stability throughout your mortgage term, a fixed rate may be more suitable for you.
  • Your amortization period: Your amortization period is the length of time it takes to pay off your entire mortgage. The longer your amortization period is, the lower your monthly mortgage payments will be. That said, since it will take you a longer time to pay off your mortgage, you will end up paying more in interest.

 

How do I get approved for a mortgage?

When thinking about your monthly mortgage payments, it’s also important to consider what you’ll need in order to get approved for a mortgage. Here are some of the most important things that prospective lenders will want to see: 

  • A good credit score: You need a credit score of 680 or higher to qualify for the best mortgage rates that allow for the lowest monthly mortgage payments. To qualify for any mortgage at all, you’ll need a credit score of at least 560. Read more on how your credit score affects your ability to get approved for a mortgage.
  • Proof of income: You’ll need to provide proof of income in the form of pay stubs and/or tax documents like your Notice of Assessment (NOA). If you recently started a new job, even with proof of income, many lenders will want to see that you’ve held the position for at least a year. 
  • Ability to pass a mortgage stress test: You will need to pass a mortgage stress test, which ensures that you can still afford your mortgage payments at a rate known as the “qualifying rate”, set by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), or your contract rate + 2%, whichever is the higher of the two. Following the Bank of Canada's historically large July 13, 2022 rate hike, even with the lowest mortgage rates on the market you will be stress tested at your contract rate + 2%, as this will always be higher than 5.25% (until rates come down again). 
  • Down payment: The size of your down payment affects the house you can afford as well as the size of your mortgage and associated monthly payments. As well, it affects whether you will need to purchase mortgage default insurance, which is required if your down payment is less than 20% of the value of the home you are purchasing. The minimum down payment you’ll need to have depends on the home you’re looking to buy:

Purchase Price

Minimum Down Payment

Less than $500,000

5%

$500,000 - $999,999

5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of any amount over the first $500,000

$1,000,000 or more

20%

 

See today's best mortgage rates

Compare current mortgage rates across the Big 5 Banks and top Canadian lenders. Take 2 minutes to answer a few questions and discover the lowest rates available to you.

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How to lower your mortgage payments

There are a few ways to lower your monthly mortgage payments. You can reduce the purchase price, make a bigger down payment, extend the amortization period or find a lower mortgage rate. Use the calculator to see what your payment would be in different scenarios.

Keep in mind that if your down payment is less than 20%, your maximum amortization period is 25 years. As for finding a lower mortgage rate, it’s always a good idea to speak to a mortgage broker for assistance.

 

How can you pay off your mortgage faster? 

If you are able to pay your mortgage off faster, it can save you thousands of dollars in interest. However, any of the methods required to pay off your mortgage faster will result in larger monthly payments on your part, albeit for a shorter period of time. Be aware that some lenders may include pre-payment penalties with your mortgage, so it’s important to understand the fine print. That said, some of the ways you can pay off your mortgage more quickly include:

  • Accelerate your mortgage payment schedule: Switch to a more frequent payment plan. For example, if you were making payments on a monthly basis, you may want to consider paying on a bi-weekly basis.
  • Increase the amount of your mortgage payments: Any increase in the amount you are paying towards your mortgage on a monthly basis will speed up the time it takes to pay off your mortgage. 
  • Make a lump sum payment: If you receive a lump sum such as a tax refund, inheritance, a bonus, etc., and you can afford it, apply that lump sum towards your mortgage payments. 

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