Here are the highest car insurance price increases in Ontario

Car insurance premiums are up an average of 4.45 per cent across Ontario, but drivers in some cities are paying more than 8 per cent than they were in 2025, according to a new report.

The numbers come from insurance company MyChoice, and looked at the change in premiums for Ontario’s most commonly insured vehicles, including the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda CX-5.

Brampton was once again the province’s most expensive city for car insurance, with average annual premiums reaching $3,471. But average premiums in that city were up less than the provincial average at 3.90 per cent, while premiums in Vaughan ($2,705), Kingston ($1,738) and Milton ($2,003) saw increases of more than 8 per cent.

In Mississauga, premiums were up 7.34 to $2,494 – more than $1,000 cheaper than drivers just a few kilometres away in Brampton.

MyChoice says increasing premiums are tied to “local risk factors,” like the number of reported collisions and thefts in a specific municipality.

The report pointed to Barrie, which recorded the highest accident rate among major Ontario municipalities. More than 14.5 per cent of Barrie drivers have reported at least one accident on their record, where premiums jumped 6.21 per cent this year.

Kingston (14.12 per cent of drivers with at least one accident) and Burlington (14.22 per cent of drivers with at least one accident) also ranked among the province’s higher-risk communities.

“Because collision claims remain one of the largest costs for insurers, areas with consistently elevated accident frequencies often face greater upward pressure on premiums over time,” MyChoice says.

Cities with the Lowest Car Insurance Premium Increases in 2026

MyChoice CEO Aren Mirzaian says the 2026 market is “seeing premium increases spread across a much broader range of communities.”

“It’s no longer just the traditionally expensive cities driving the story. Insurers are responding to changing claims patterns, localized risk factors, and evolving market conditions across the province,” Mirzaian says.

A decline in vehicle thefts across the GTA is a “positive development” so far in 2026, but MyChoice says theft is still an important rating factor in many urban markets.

One positive development in 2026 is the continued decline in vehicle thefts in Toronto, MyChoice says. Rexdale and parts of Scarborough remain among Toronto’s highest-risk theft zones.

And while thefts aren’t as big a part of the premium jumps as in years past, insurers continue to account for theft exposure when pricing coverage, particularly for frequently targeted models.

Insurance fraud is also adding costs to Ontario’s auto insurance system, including staged collisions, exaggerated injury claims, and application misrepresentation remain ongoing concerns for insurers and regulators, MyChoice says.