Moving to Illinois from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 23.7% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $73,283 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°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 Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,234 → $73,283
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 10.0% more
Groceries
pay 7.2% more
Transportation
pay 5.3% more
Housing
pay 16.0% more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.8% 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 Illinois cost about 11% 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 Illinois.
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 Illinois compared to Canada.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Illinois 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
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Canada performs better than Illinois 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 | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°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 Illinois than Canada?
Illinois and Canada are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $18,321 for 3 months in Illinois (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 Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
