Moving to Netherlands from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to Netherlands? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 22.6% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly €84,400 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Canada and Netherlands.
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → €84,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 40.3% more
Groceries
pay 8.0% less
Transportation
pay 68.8% more
Housing
pay 19.5% more
Childcare
pay 38.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.1% 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 Netherlands cost about 17% 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 Netherlands.
people moved from Canada to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Netherlands compared to Canada.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics.
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
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Netherlands 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Netherlands leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), The World Factbook (2008). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa Free
Netherlands passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Netherlands than Canada?
On average Netherlands is around 23% pricier than Canada, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?
Budget about €21,100 for 3 months in Netherlands (based on a CA$110,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Netherlands?
Connectivity is usually fine (Netherlands: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Netherlands offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Netherlands safe for expats?
Netherlands performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada.
How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Canada?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 28.2 in Canada. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Netherlands?
The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
