Moving to Colorado from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to Colorado? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 28.8% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $84,657 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Canada and Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,234 → $84,657
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 27.5% more
Groceries
pay 13.6% more
Transportation
pay 9.6% more
Housing
pay 39.6% more
Childcare
pay 81.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.2% more
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 Colorado cost about 29% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Canada to Colorado.
people moved from Canada to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
13.793,897
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Colorado compared to Canada.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Colorado performs significantly better than Canada across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Colorado across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado performs significantly better than Canada across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Canada performs better than Colorado across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting United States
Visa Free
United States passport holder visiting Canada
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Canada?
On average Colorado is around 13% pricier than Canada, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Budget about $21,164 for 3 months in Colorado (based on a CA$106,234 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Colorado?
From major Colorado cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Colorado are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Canada?
Colorado performs significantly better than Canada across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Colorado?
The official language in Colorado is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
