Moving to Washington from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Washington, you would find that Washington is 31.3% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$100,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $94,000 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Washington cheaper than Canada?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 27.3% more
Groceries
pay 15.5% more
Transportation
pay 15.1% more
Housing
pay 46.5% more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.6% 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 Washington?
What does your salary buy?
CA$100,000 → $94,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
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 Washington cost about 21% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Washington
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Washington, 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 Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Washington 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
Washington 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 Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2008), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Washington vs Canada
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Toronto | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C) | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/49°F (18°/10°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/35°F (8°/2°C) | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Toronto | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C) | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) |
| Mar | 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) |
| Apr | 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C) | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) |
| May | 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C) | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) |
| Jun | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C) | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) |
| Jul | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C) | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) |
| Aug | 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) |
| Sep | 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C) | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C) | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) |
| Dec | 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C) | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Canada to Washington?
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 Washington than Canada?
Day-to-day costs in Washington run about 31% higher than Canada on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$100,000 comparable salary, that's around $23,500 in Washington for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Washington?
Working remotely from Washington's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Washington.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Seattle is 60°F, compared to 55°F in Toronto. Seattle receives around 37.5 in of rainfall per year, while Toronto gets 32.8 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
