Moving to Canada from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Canada, you would find that Canada is 11.0% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,867 salary in Australia would need to be roughly CA$103,493 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,867 → CA$103,493
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 10.7% less
Groceries
pay 8.6% more
Transportation
pay 12.1% less
Housing
pay 3.2% more
Childcare
pay 32.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Canada cost about 4% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Canada, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
58.22,731
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than Canada across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada performs significantly better than Australia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Canada than Australia?
Generally yes: Canada runs about 3% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,867 comparable salary, that's around CA$25,873 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
With 42.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Australia?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Australia, the official language is English.
