Moving to Canada from Croatia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Croatia to Canada — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Croatia to Canada, you would find that Canada is 35.5% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK494,038 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly CA$124,300 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Croatia to Canada.

What does your salary buy?

HRK494,038 CA$124,300

To maintain the same standard of living in Canada

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 7.4% less

Groceries

pay 61.0% more

Transportation

pay 4.3% less

Housing

pay 63.5% more

Childcare

pay 2.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 0.213 CAD (July 2026)

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 Canada cost about 7% more than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 56%
Zadar 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Croatia to Canada, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
150 ↓ 19% vs 2022

people moved from Croatia to Canada · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Canada?

Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Croatia to Canada.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.8
CA
2.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
CA
4.7

Croatia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

HR
$3,229
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HR
36.1
CA
25.0

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HR
31.0
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
CA
14.0t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though Canada leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
27.0
CA
42.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
CA
3.7%

Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Croatia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
6.1%
CA
5.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$41,300
CA
$55,800

Canada performs significantly better than Croatia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HR
77.2 yrs
CA
83.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
8.7
CA
4.4

Canada generally does better on family life, though Croatia leads in education spending.

Data: Croatia Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Zagreb Rain: 33.7 in/yr (856 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ottawa Rain: 37.1 in/yr (943 mm)
52° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Ottawa
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 64°/45°F (18°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 75°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Ottawa
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Croatia and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting Canada

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Croatia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Canada.
Canada passport

Canada passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
Canada passport holders can enter Croatia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Canada than Croatia?

No — Canada is on average about 18% more expensive than Croatia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Canada?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CA$31,075 in Canada on a HRK494,038 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Canada?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Canada has 42.6 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 Canada safe for expats?

Croatia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Croatia?

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 36.1 in Croatia. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

What's the weather like in Canada compared to Croatia?

The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR CA
Population 4,188,853 38,232,593
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Croatian English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number 112 911