Moving to Canada from Belarus

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Belarus to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Belarus to Canada, you would find that Canada is 2.4 times more expensive than Belarus overall. A BYN230,000 salary in Belarus would need to be roughly CA$257,000 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Belarus and Canada.

What does your salary buy?

BYN230,000 → CA$257,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Canada

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 95.1% more

Groceries

pay 2.2 times more

Transportation

pay 95.7% more

Housing

pay 3.8 times more

Childcare

pay 29.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BYN = 0.4689 CAD (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Belarus to Canada.

Moved in 2023
220 ↑ 52% vs 2022

people moved from Belarus to Canada · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Canada?

Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Canada compared to Belarus.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BY
2.4
CA
2.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BY
7.4
CA
4.7

Canada performs significantly better than Belarus across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BY
$2,194
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

BY
47.2
CA
28.2

Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BY
68.0
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BY
5.9t
CA
14.0t

Belarus generally does better on environment, though Canada leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BY
36.3
CA
42.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BY
4.7%
CA
3.7%

Canada performs significantly better than Belarus across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BY
3.4%
CA
6.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BY
$10,279
CA
$55,698

Belarus generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BY
74.4 yrs
CA
82.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BY
1.8
CA
4.7

Belarus generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus (2017), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), The World Factbook (2008). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Minsk Rain: 26.7 in/yr (677 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ottawa Rain: 37.1 in/yr (943 mm)
52° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Minsk Ottawa
Jan–Mar 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 64°/45°F (18°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) 75°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Minsk Ottawa
Jan 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)
Feb 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)
Mar 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)
Apr 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)
Jun 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)
Jul 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)
Aug 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)
Sep 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)
Oct 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)
Dec 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)

Data: Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring, Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belarus 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.

Belarus passport

Belarus passport holder visiting Canada

Visa Required
Belarus passport holders need a visa to enter Canada.
Canada passport

Canada passport holder visiting Belarus

Visa Free
Canada passport holders can enter Belarus without a visa.

Data: 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 Belarus?

On average Canada is around 138% pricier than Belarus, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Canada?

Budget about CA$64,250 for 3 months in Canada (based on a BYN230,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Canada?

Connectivity is usually fine (Canada: 42.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Canada offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Canada safe for expats?

Canada performs significantly better than Belarus across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.4 in Belarus.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Belarus?

Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 47.2 in Belarus. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belarus: 79).

What's the weather like in Canada compared to Belarus?

The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 50°F in Minsk. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Minsk gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Belarus, the official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

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At a Glance

BY CA
Population 9,085,991 41,651,653
Currency New Belarusian Ruble (BYN) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Belarusian, Russian English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +375 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number 112 911