Moving to United States from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to United States? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to United States, you would find that United States is 22.7% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $96,400 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is United States cheaper than Canada?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.9% more
Groceries
pay 13.7% more
Transportation
pay 5.4% more
Housing
pay 35.1% more
Childcare
pay 88.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.2% 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.
What salary do you need in United States?
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → $96,400
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →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 States cost about 58% 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 United States.
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
The numbers behind daily life in United States compared to Canada.
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 performs better than United States 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 United States 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 United States 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 States 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 States 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 United States leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2008–2010), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Internal Revenue Service (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in United States vs Canada
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Toronto | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/49°F (18°/10°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/35°F (8°/2°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Toronto | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Canada to United States?
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 United States than Canada?
On average United States is around 23% pricier than Canada, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Budget about $24,100 for 3 months in United States (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 United States?
Connectivity is usually fine (United States: 38.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does United States offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is United States safe for expats?
Canada performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada. About 63% of people in United States feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Canada?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 28.2 in Canada. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Toronto. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Toronto gets 32.8 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
