Moving to China from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to China, you would find that China is 44.6% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly CN¥248,700 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Beijing averages 64°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to China.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → CN¥248,700
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 73.4% less
Groceries
pay 46.2% less
Transportation
pay 41.1% less
Housing
pay 75.5% less
Childcare
pay 8.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 45.7% 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 China cost about 47% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to China, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to China?
Top countries of origin for China's foreign-born residents.
- 303,095
- 209,555
- 144,831
- 57,602
- 56,657
- 30,811
- · · ·
-
13.6,691
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths.
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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though China leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 performs better than China across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in unemployment 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
Canada performs better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, 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 | Ottawa | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China passport holder visiting Canada
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Canada?
Generally yes: China runs about 51% cheaper than Canada on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to China?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,294 comparable salary, that's around CN¥62,175 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and China.
Is China safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada. About 91% of people in China feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in China compared to Canada?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 25.0 in Canada. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in China compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
