Moving to Canada from Iran

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Iran to Canada, you would find that Canada is 4.8 times more expensive than Iran overall. A IRR103,106,250,000 salary in Iran would need to be roughly CA$163,201 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 72°F in Tehran, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

IRR103,106,250,000 CA$163,201

To maintain the same standard of living in Canada

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.9 times more

Groceries

pay 3.9 times more

Transportation

pay 3.6 times more

Housing

pay 5.9 times more

Childcare

pay 10.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.2 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 IRR = 0.0 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
10,680 ↓ 4% vs 2022

people moved from Iran 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 Iran and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IR
2.4
CA
2.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IR
20.6
CA
4.7

Canada performs significantly better than Iran across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IR
$1,064
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IR
15.1
CA
25.0

Iran generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IR
51.0
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IR
9.1t
CA
14.0t

Iran 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

IR
12.3
CA
42.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IR
81.3%
CA
3.7%

Canada performs significantly better than Iran across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IR
9.1%
CA
5.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IR
$16,200
CA
$55,800

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IR
75.2 yrs
CA
83.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IR
14.8
CA
4.4

Canada performs significantly better than Iran across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tehran Rain: 9.1 in/yr (230 mm)
72° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tehran Ottawa
Jan–Mar 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)
Apr–Jun 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) 64°/45°F (18°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) 75°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Tehran Ottawa
Jan 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)
Feb 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)
Mar 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)
Apr 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)
May 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)
Jun 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)
Jul 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)
Aug 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)
Sep 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)
Oct 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)
Nov 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)
Dec 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)

Data: Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iran 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.

Iran passport

Iran passport holder visiting Canada

Visa Required
Iran passport holders need a visa to enter Canada.
Canada passport

Canada passport holder visiting Iran

Visa Required
Canada passport holders need a visa to enter Iran.

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 Iran?

Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 54% higher than Iran 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 IRR103,106,250,000 comparable salary, that's around CA$40,800 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Canada?

With 42.6 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 Iran and Canada.

Is Canada safe for expats?

Canada performs significantly better than Iran across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.4 in Iran.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Iran?

Iran generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 15.1 in Iran. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iran: 74).

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

The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 72°F in Tehran. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Tehran gets 9.1 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Iran, the official language is Persian (Farsi).

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At a Glance

IR CA
Population 86,758,304 38,232,593
Currency Iranian Rial (IRR) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Persian (Farsi) English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +98 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number 115 911