Moving to Canada from Estonia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Estonia to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Estonia to Canada, you would find that Canada is 43.0% more expensive than Estonia overall. A €67,000 salary in Estonia would need to be roughly CA$153,000 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?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Estonia to Canada.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → CA$153,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Canada

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.0% more

Groceries

pay 62.3% more

Transportation

pay 7.0% more

Housing

pay 97.1% more

Childcare

pay 71.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (October 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 29% more than cities in Estonia.

Estonia

Narva 40%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Estonia to Canada, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
20 ↑ 33% vs 2022

people moved from Estonia 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

How Estonia and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

EE
1.5
CA
2.0
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

EE
75%
CA
88%

Estonia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

EE
$3,741
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

EE
34.7
CA
28.2

Estonia 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

EE
13.0
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

EE
7.8t
CA
14.0t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

EE
35.4
CA
42.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

EE
13.1%
CA
3.7%

Canada performs significantly better than Estonia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

EE
8.3%
CA
6.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

EE
$34,418
CA
$55,698

Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Estonia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

EE
79.3 yrs
CA
82.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

EE
1.5
CA
4.7

Estonia generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), The World Factbook (2008). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tallinn Rain: 27.3 in/yr (693 mm)
48° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tallinn Ottawa
Jan–Mar 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)
Apr–Jun 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) 64°/45°F (18°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) 75°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Tallinn Ottawa
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)
Mar 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)
Apr 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)
May 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)
Jun 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)
Jul 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)
Aug 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)
Sep 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)
Oct 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)

Data: Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Estonia 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.

Estonia passport

Estonia passport holder visiting Canada

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

Canada passport holder visiting Estonia

Visa Free
Canada passport holders can enter Estonia 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 Estonia?

Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 43% higher than Estonia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Canada?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around CA$38,250 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Canada?

With 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Estonia and Canada.

Is Canada safe for expats?

Estonia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Estonia. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Estonia?

Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 34.7 in Estonia. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Estonia: 79).

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

The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 48°F in Tallinn. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Tallinn gets 27.3 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Estonia, the official language is Estonian.

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At a Glance

EE CA
Population 1,366,475 41,651,653
Currency Euro (€) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Estonian English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +372 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number 112 911