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Toronto vs Vaughan: where to buy
Vaughan borders Toronto to the northwest and is the one neighbouring city with a TTC subway station of its own. Its August 2026 median was $1,148,750 from 242 sales, against $770,000 from 1,767 in the City of Toronto.
Side by side, August 2026
| TRREB, August 2026 | City of Toronto | Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Sales, all property types | 1,767 | 242 |
| Median price, all property types | $770,000 | $1,148,750 |
| Average price, all property types | $979,684 | $1,234,758 |
| Detached sales | 550 | 122 |
| Average detached price | $1,525,749 | $1,671,824 |
| Condo apartment sales | 885 | 63 |
| Average condo apartment price | $651,648 | $607,650 |
| Land transfer tax at Vaughan's median | $38,900 | $19,450 |
| Toronto municipal land transfer tax | Yes | No |
A single month is a snapshot. Small categories in particular swing from one month to the next, so read these alongside our Toronto market reports, which follow the figures over time.
What a house and a condo cost
Vaughan's sales are weighted towards houses: 122 of its 242 sales in August 2026 were detached, compared with 550 of Toronto's 1,767. The detached average was $1,671,824 in Vaughan and $1,525,749 in Toronto.
Condo apartments averaged $607,650 in Vaughan and $651,648 in Toronto.
One subway line, two tax bills
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station, at 3150 Highway 7, is the northern end of TTC Line 1, so a Vaughan condo near the station has a one-seat subway ride into Toronto.
Crossing Steeles changes the tax. Toronto's municipal land transfer tax applies only to property in the City of Toronto, so at its August 2026 median of $1,148,750 a buyer pays $19,450 in Ontario land transfer tax. The same price in Toronto costs $38,900, before first-time buyer refunds.
Which trade-off matters to you
Buyers comparing the two usually weigh a larger house for the money in Vaughan against walkable streets and wider subway coverage in Toronto. Neither is right for everyone. Price the specific homes you would consider in each and add the tax difference before you decide.
Choosing within Toronto
Toronto is not one market. A condo near the waterfront, a semi in Riverdale and a detached house in Lawrence Park answer very different questions. Our Toronto neighbourhood guides set out the prices, housing and transit for twelve of them and the relocating to Toronto guide covers a move into the city.
Check the numbers on a real home
Put a specific price through the land transfer tax calculator and the mortgage calculator. You can also ask us to set two homes you are considering side by side.