Moving to Canada from Illinois
What to Expect
Considering a move from Illinois to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Illinois to Canada, you would find that Canada is 10.8% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly CA$93,600 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Canada cheaper than Illinois?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.3% less
Groceries
pay 4.6% less
Transportation
pay 4.7% less
Housing
pay 12.4% less
Childcare
pay 43.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% less
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 Canada?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → CA$93,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
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 Canada cost about 4% less than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Illinois to Canada.
people moved from United States to Canada · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
-
5.273,226
United States
- 254,831
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Canada compared to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs significantly better than Illinois 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
Illinois 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 significantly better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2008), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Canada vs Illinois
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Chicago | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) | 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 64°/49°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 46°/35°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Chicago | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) | 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C) |
| Feb | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) | 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C) |
| Mar | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) | 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) | 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C) |
| May | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) | 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C) |
| Jul | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) | 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) | 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) | 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) | 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Can you move from Illinois to Canada?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Free
Canada passport holder visiting United States
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 Canada than Illinois?
On average Canada is about 11% less expensive than Illinois, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Budget about CA$23,400 for 3 months in Canada (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
From major Canada cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Illinois and Canada are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Illinois?
Canada performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Toronto is 55°F, compared to 59°F in Chicago. Toronto receives around 32.8 in of rainfall per year, while Chicago gets 36.9 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Illinois, the official language is English.
