Moving to Oregon from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Oregon — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 13.6% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $73,308 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Salem averages 64°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 Oregon.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,234 → $73,308
To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 14.8% more
Groceries
pay 7.0% more
Transportation
pay 4.1% more
Housing
pay 18.2% more
Childcare
pay 47.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.5% 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 Oregon cost about 18% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Oregon
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Oregon, 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 Oregon stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Oregon 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
Oregon 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 Oregon 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 | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon than Canada?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Oregon and Canada; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Oregon?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,234 comparable salary, that's around $18,327 in Oregon for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Oregon?
Working remotely from Oregon's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Oregon.
How is healthcare in Oregon compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Oregon compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Oregon?
The official language in Oregon is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
