Moving to Poland from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Poland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Poland, you would find that Poland is 32.7% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly PLN203,000 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Poland.
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → PLN203,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Poland
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 26.5% less
Groceries
pay 44.9% less
Transportation
pay 9.4% less
Housing
pay 39.8% less
Childcare
pay 47.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.5% less
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 Poland cost about 26% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Canada to Poland, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Poland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Canada generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate.
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
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
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 Poland 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 performs better than Poland across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Poland 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
Canada generally does better on family life, though Poland leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Ministry of Finance, Poland (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 | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and Poland. To live, work, or study long-term in Poland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Poland's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting Poland
Visa Free
Poland 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 Poland than Canada?
Yes — Poland is on average about 33% cheaper than Canada. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Poland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly PLN50,750 in Poland on a CA$110,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Poland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Poland safe for expats?
Canada generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada. About 11% of people in Poland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Poland compared to Canada?
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 28.2 in Canada. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Poland compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Poland?
The official language in Poland is Polish. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
