Sell a typical Lower Mainland home and buy in Nanaimo, and you walk away with money left over, often a six-figure cushion, and for many detached sellers, enough to retire without a mortgage. In 2026 the gap between the two markets is still wide. A benchmark detached home in Greater Vancouver sits near $1.85 million, while a benchmark single-family home in Nanaimo is about $815,000. That difference is the reason this move works.
How much you keep depends on both ends of the trade, what you are selling and what you are buying. A Burnaby townhouse and a West Side detached are different starting points. A Nanaimo waterfront condo and a single-level house in the south end land in different places. Below is what the trade looks like at 2026 prices, what is left once the costs of moving are out, and where retirees put the difference.
We make this move with people most weeks, from Vancouver, the North Shore, the Fraser Valley, and the islands. This is the version we give them: the numbers, the costs included, and the part that catches people off guard once the sale closes.
What does a Lower Mainland home sell for in 2026, and what does that buy in Nanaimo?
Start with the benchmark prices, which track a typical home rather than the top or bottom of the market. As of May 2026:
- Greater Vancouver detached: $1,847,900
- Greater Vancouver townhouse: $1,048,200
- Greater Vancouver condo: $697,800
- Nanaimo single-family: $815,000
- Nanaimo condo: $407,700
Put the two ends together and the move does something different depending on where you start:
- Selling a detached home. A typical Greater Vancouver detached near $1.85 million buys a typical Nanaimo house at $815,000 with roughly a million dollars left before costs. For most retirees that clears the mortgage and funds the rest of the plan.
- Selling a townhouse. A $1.05 million Greater Vancouver townhouse buys a detached house in Nanaimo and still leaves more than $200,000 over, so you gain space and leave strata fees behind at the same time.
- Selling a condo. A $698,000 Greater Vancouver condo buys a Nanaimo condo near $408,000, or trades toward a small house, depending on the area.
These are MLS Home Price Index benchmarks for May 2026, from Greater Vancouver REALTORS and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. They move with the market, so we pull current numbers for the home you are selling and the area you are considering.
+7 moreAll 8 guides, one download
You're reading the equity guide. The set adds seven more for the same move:
- Retiring in Nanaimo
- Lower Mainland to the Island
- Health Care on the Island
- Neighbourhood Guide
- Right Sizing
- Nanaimo 90-Day Checklist
- Community Fit
What is left after the costs of selling and moving?
The gap above is before costs. A few come out of the middle, and they are worth planning for so the leftover number is the one you can actually count on.
- Selling costs on the Lower Mainland. Commission and legal fees come off your sale. On a home over a million dollars that is a meaningful figure, so subtract it before you count the equity.
- Property transfer tax in BC. You pay it on the purchase, not the sale. It is 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the balance to $2 million. On an $815,000 Nanaimo home that is about $14,300. The first-time-buyer and newly-built exemptions usually will not apply to a move like this, so budget for it.
- The move itself. Movers, the ferry, and a short overlap if you carry both homes for a few weeks. Most people do one scouting trip, buy, and move once, which keeps this down.
None of these change the headline. For most detached sellers the gap is wide enough that a six-figure cushion survives them. They just make the leftover number the one you can plan around.
Where are Lower Mainland retirees buying in Nanaimo?
Most people settle on two or three areas, usually weighing single-level living, walkability, and being close to the hospital and the ferries. A few starting points:
- North Nanaimo. Newer single-level homes, shopping, and quick access to the hospital, a common landing spot for retirees.
- The old city and Departure Bay. Walkable, near the water and the ferry, with a mix of character homes and condos.
- Cedar and the south end. More space and a semi-rural feel for people who want a bit of land under them.
To compare areas side by side, prices, pace, and who each one suits, see the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide.
What does the leftover equity do for your retirement?
That is a personal question, and one worth running by a financial planner, but the moves we see most often:
- Retire without a mortgage. The most common one. The Nanaimo purchase is covered outright and the monthly payment disappears.
- Turn some into income. The leftover joins the retirement plan instead of sitting in the walls of a larger house.
- Keep a cushion. For health costs, helping family, or simply room to breathe.
This is the part that makes the move more than a change of scenery. For many people, it is what makes the retirement math work on their terms.
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is Nanaimo than Vancouver in 2026?
As of May 2026, a benchmark detached home in Greater Vancouver is about $1,847,900, while a benchmark single-family home in Nanaimo is about $815,000, a gap of roughly a million dollars before costs. Condos and townhouses show smaller but similar gaps. Benchmarks track a typical home, so the figure for your own sale and purchase will differ.
What does it cost to move from the Lower Mainland to Nanaimo?
The main costs are commission and legal fees on your Lower Mainland sale, BC property transfer tax on the Nanaimo purchase (about $14,300 on an $815,000 home), and the move itself. For most detached sellers the equity gap is wide enough that a six-figure cushion remains after these.
Can I buy a house in Nanaimo after selling a Vancouver townhouse?
Usually yes. A benchmark Greater Vancouver townhouse sold near $1,048,200 in May 2026, while a benchmark Nanaimo single-family home was about $815,000, so many townhouse sellers buy a detached house in Nanaimo and keep the difference, while leaving strata fees behind.
Where do Lower Mainland retirees usually settle in Nanaimo?
Most choose between a few areas based on single-level living, walkability, and being close to the hospital and ferries: North Nanaimo for newer homes and services, the old city and Departure Bay for walkable waterfront living, and the south end for more space. The Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide compares them in detail.
Do I pay property transfer tax when I buy in Nanaimo?
Yes. BC charges property transfer tax on the purchase: 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the balance to $2 million. On an $815,000 home that is about $14,300. The first-time-buyer and newly-built-home exemptions usually do not apply to a relocation like this, so budget for it, and confirm current rules on gov.bc.ca.
Thinking about the move from the Lower Mainland?
Where you land shapes the whole plan, so it is worth talking through early. You can book a quick call with Travis or Kiel to run your own numbers, and the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide walks through the areas in detail. Click here for the full set of retiree guides: equity and costs, health care, neighbourhoods, and the move itself.