Moving to Minnesota from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 19.5% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $73,280 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,234 → $73,280
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 16.0% more
Groceries
pay 16.3% more
Transportation
pay 2.4% more
Housing
pay 7.7% more
Childcare
pay 81.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.3% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Minnesota
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Minnesota, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Canada and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°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 Minnesota than Canada?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Minnesota and Canada; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,234 comparable salary, that's around $18,320 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Minnesota?
Working remotely from Minnesota's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Minnesota.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Minnesota?
The official language in Minnesota is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
