Moving to Wisconsin from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Wisconsin — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 3.0% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $80,900 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Wisconsin cheaper than Canada?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.0% more
Groceries
pay 2.6% less
Transportation
pay 8.1% less
Housing
pay 2.1% more
Childcare
pay 92.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Wisconsin?
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → $80,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin cost about 4% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Wisconsin
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin vs Canada
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Toronto | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C) | 35°/21°F (1°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/49°F (18°/10°C) | 65°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 76°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/35°F (8°/2°C) | 46°/32°F (8°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Toronto | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C) | 29°/16°F (-1.7°/-9.1°C) |
| Feb | 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C) | 33°/19°F (0.3°/-7.1°C) |
| Mar | 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C) | 42°/28°F (5.8°/-2.4°C) |
| Apr | 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C) | 54°/37°F (12.1°/2.9°C) |
| May | 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C) | 65°/47°F (18.3°/8.1°C) |
| Jun | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C) | 75°/57°F (24.1°/13.9°C) |
| Jul | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C) | 80°/64°F (26.7°/17.5°C) |
| Aug | 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C) | 78°/63°F (25.8°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C) | 71°/55°F (21.8°/12.7°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C) | 59°/43°F (15.2°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C) | 46°/32°F (7.8°/0.0°C) |
| Dec | 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C) | 33°/20°F (0.4°/-6.6°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Canada to Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin than Canada?
Day-to-day costs in Wisconsin run about 3% higher than Canada on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$110,000 comparable salary, that's around $20,225 in Wisconsin for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Wisconsin?
Working remotely from Wisconsin's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Canada and Wisconsin.
How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Wisconsin compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Milwaukee is 55°F, compared to 55°F in Toronto. Milwaukee receives around 34.8 in of rainfall per year, while Toronto gets 32.8 in.
What language do they speak in Wisconsin?
The official language in Wisconsin is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
