💡 Think Québec Taxes Are Too High?

Here’s Why That’s Only Half the Story

We hear it all the time: “Isn’t Québec way more expensive because of taxes?”

🟠 Short answer: Yes, income taxes are higher.

🟢 Long answer: When you zoom out — it’s advantage Québec.

If you’re an Ontario family thinking about buying land or relocating to the Québec side of the Ottawa Valley, here’s what you really need to know. Because when you factor in property taxes, car insurance, electricity costs, and freedom to build, the savings — and the lifestyle — are hard to beat.

🧾 Income Tax: Yes, Québec Is Higher —

Let’s compare three household income levels:

Average Canadian income ($68,400):

• Québec: ~$22,800

• Ontario: ~$19,800

• Difference: Québec pays ~$3,000 more

Middle-income family ($100,000):

• Québec: ~$34,232

• Ontario: ~$29,500

• Difference: Québec pays ~$4,700 more

Higher-income family ($150,000):

• Québec: ~$52,000–$54,000

• Ontario: ~$45,000–$47,000

• Difference: Québec pays ~$7,000–$9,000 more

Yes, Québec leans a little “socialist” — but before you clutch your wallet, keep reading.

🏡 Property Taxes: Québec Wins Big

Ontario (Ottawa average):

• 1.07% property tax

• On a $639,500 home = ~$6,843/year

Québec (rural average):

• 0.59–0.88% property tax

• On a $400,000 home = ~$2,360–$3,520/year

Savings in Québec: Up to $3,000–$4,000/year → That’s a hot tub, a snowmobile, or a year’s worth of marshmallows.

🚗 Car Insurance: Québec Is Basically Giving It Away

Ontario:

• Average premium = ~$1,528/year

Québec:

• Average premium = ~$800/year

Savings in Québec: ~$700/year per vehicle

→ Two-car family = $1,400/year

→ Three-car family = you’re basically driving for free

⚡ Electricity: Québec’s Hidden Superpower

Ontario:

• ~$0.16–$0.18/kWh

• Fully electric home = ~$3,500–$4,500/year

Québec:

• ~$0.07–$0.09/kWh

• Fully electric home = ~$1,500–$2,000/year

Savings in Québec: Up to $2,500/year

→ That’s vacation money. Or a new shed. Or a lifetime supply of maple syrup.

🧒 Daycare: Québec Still Leads the Pack

Québec:

• Subsidized daycare = $9.35/day

• With tax credits = ~$7–$8/day

Ontario:

• CWELCC program = ~$19–$22/day

• Goal: $10/day by 2026

Savings in Québec: ~$2,500/year per child

→ Two kids = $5,000/year

→ Three kids = you’re basically getting paid to raise them

🏗️ Building Permits & Zoning: Napkin Sketches Welcome

Ontario:   Want to build a cabin? Better bring your environmental impact study, your soil report, your septic analysis, and a small army of consultants. Especially in conservation zones, the red tape can feel like a full-time job.

Québec:   Want to build a cabin? Sketch it on a napkin, walk into the municipal office, and say “Bonjour!” Okay, we’re exaggerating — but not by much. Rural municipalities in Québec are famously flexible. Whether it’s a tiny home, off-grid retreat, or a quirky A-frame with a slide instead of stairs, you’ll find fewer restrictions and more freedom to build what you want.

Advantage: Québec — where your dream home doesn’t need to come with a 300-page binder.

🌲 Lifestyle & Pace: Chill Is the Default Setting

Ontario:   Fast pace, high competition, and a growing pressure to develop. Even cottage country is starting to feel like the suburbs.

Québec:   Slower pace, stronger community feel, and relaxed building timelines. People wave. Neighbours help. And no one’s in a rush to bulldoze the forest.

Advantage: Québec — perfect for families who want nature, quiet, and a little breathing room.

🛠️ Why We Built Dreamy Estates

We started Dreamy Estates because we saw firsthand how hard it was for families to afford land growing up. Our parents, Jacqueline and Daniel, finally bought their dream property — but we were already off to university.

If smaller, affordable lots had existed back then, they could’ve bought a decade earlier. We would’ve grown up with weekends at the Cabane au Canada, building forts and making memories in the woods.

That’s why we do what we do: To help families buy land before the kids are grown and gone — and to show that Québec isn’t just affordable… it’s a smart move.

🧡 The Kicker: Welcome to the Most Unexpected Corner of Québec

Here’s the twist: our lots are in a quirky little pocket of Québec where the go-to language is… English.

Crazy but true.

This region — the MRC Pontiac, including Shawville, Otter Lake, Bristol, Danford Lake, Kazabazua, and Campbell’s Bay — was originally settled by Irish Protestants, Scottish farmers, German tradesmen, and United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. Then in the 1960s, a wave of hippie draft dodgers rolled in, adding cabins, guitars, and a love of off-grid living.

The result? A laid-back, English-speaking community inside a francophone province — with:

• Public schooling available in English

• Friendly town halls

• Cabin sketches on napkins (okay, maybe bring a ruler too)

• People who wave at strangers

• Firewood deals sealed with a handshake

Whether you’re looking to raise your family here or just escape for the weekend, this is the spot.

And if it’s just a weekend retreat? You still get:

• Lower property taxes

• Lower land prices

• Cheaper hydro

• No income tax hit if you’re just visiting

🎯 Win. Win. Win.

🌐 Ready to Explore?

Visit dreamyestates.ca to browse available lots, learn about financing, and follow the latest price drops.

📸 Follow us on Instagram @dreamyestates for real-time updates, land deals, and the occasional frog pic.

Let’s build something beautiful together.

Cheers,

Chris & Nick

(One hugs trees, the other hugs spreadsheets — and yes, they both wear boots.)

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