Moving to Ohio from Canada

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Ohio — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Canada to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 9.3% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $66,235 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

CA$106,234 $66,235

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.9% more

Groceries

pay 1.1% more

Transportation

pay 9.1% more

Housing

pay 3.9% more

Childcare

pay 58.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CAD = 0.706 USD (June 2026)

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 Ohio cost about 2% less than cities in Canada.

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Ohio

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Ohio, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
19,010 ↓ 2% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Canada and Ohio stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CA
29.4%
OH
39.5%

Canada performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CA
93.0%
OH
89.0%

Canada performs better than Ohio across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CA
5.4%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CA
$55,800
OH
$60,669

Ohio generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CA
83.8 yrs
OH
75.3 yrs

Canada performs better than Ohio across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ottawa Rain: 37.1 in/yr (943 mm)
52° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ottawa Columbus
Jan–Mar 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Ottawa Columbus
Jan 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada, National Weather Service 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

Canada passport holder visiting United States

Visa Free
Canada passport holders can enter United States without a visa.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Canada

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Canada without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Canada?

Generally yes: Ohio runs about 12% cheaper than Canada on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,234 comparable salary, that's around $16,559 in Ohio for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Ohio?

Working remotely from Ohio's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Ohio.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Canada?

Canada performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Canada?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.

What language do they speak in Ohio?

The official language in Ohio is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.

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At a Glance

CA
Population 38,232,593 11,536,504
Currency Canadian Dollar (CA$) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English, French English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +1
Time zones 6 11
Emergency number 911 911