If you have paid a lot of attention to the Canadian real estate market in the past, you are likely under the impression that Toronto real estate prices are the highest in the country. It seems as though anyone who wants to talk about condo real estate in Toronto or any other type of home market will tell you that this is one of the least affordable places to live in the country.

It's true that a condo at 763 Bay Street is more likely to be listed at a higher price than one in many other cities in Canada, but like a lot of things in Toronto tales of its inflated prices are highly exaggerated. Just ask the average citizen of Vancouver, Victoria, or Calgary, and they will tell you they could only dream of paying prices similar to what you will find the average Toronto home going for.

That's because as an East York or Etobicoke real estate agent is comparing prices in a market where a home is just as likely to be in the tens of millions as in the hundreds of thousands, western Canada has had a huge surge in the average price of a house. You won't find as many million dollar and over properties as you would in Toronto, but you will find that the average price of a house is well above those in most Toronto neighbourhoods.

The economy of Alberta is largely behind the price of a home in Calgary. Not far from the country's major oil reserves, Calgary has become the home base for thousands of people employed by this lucrative industry, and the market has risen accordingly. Where you might expect to pay around $310,000 by looking at average homes for sale in Mississauga, a look at the Calgary listings will have prices at $150,000 more, on average. That's right; the average Calgarian will be paying over $460,000 for a home!

That's a far cry from what you might expect to see in the Windsor Ontario real estate listings. In fact, it's entirely likely that a person tiring of the lifestyle they must maintain after buying a Calgary house for sale will be able to afford a rather luxurious home in Windsor after their Calgary sale. That has been one of the driving forces behind British Columbian real estate over the last decade, as rich Albertans seek a better place to spend their vacation and retirement times.

Make no mistake about it, Calgary is one of the most expensive places to buy a home anywhere in the country. While the east gets a lot of the buzz due to the number of high end homes and prices, the west carries much higher price tags.