Moving to United Kingdom from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to United Kingdom — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 27.3% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly £61,719 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to United Kingdom.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → £61,719
To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 8.5% more
Groceries
pay 19.4% less
Transportation
pay 50.8% more
Housing
pay 20.0% more
Childcare
pay 86.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.4% 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 United Kingdom cost about 9% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to United Kingdom, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and United Kingdom stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom leads in internet access.
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 United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | London |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | London |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) |
Meteorological Service of Canada
Met OfficeVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and United Kingdom. To live, work, or study long-term in United Kingdom, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Kingdom's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom than Canada?
Day-to-day costs in United Kingdom run about 10% higher than Canada on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,294 comparable salary, that's around £15,430 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?
With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and United Kingdom.
Is United Kingdom safe for expats?
United Kingdom performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada.
How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Canada?
United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 25.0 in Canada. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in United Kingdom?
The official language in United Kingdom is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
