Moving to Canada from Japan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Japan to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Japan to Canada, you would find that Canada is 55.9% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,183,450 salary in Japan would need to be roughly CA$150,934 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Japan and Canada.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,183,450 → CA$150,934
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 16.0% more
Transportation
pay 4.7% less
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 67.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 65.6% 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.
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 37% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Japan to Canada.
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
47.29,332
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Canada compared to Japan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Japan generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan generally does better on environment, though Canada leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada performs significantly better than Japan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Japan generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
On average Canada is around 43% pricier than Japan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Budget about CA$37,734 for 3 months in Canada (based on a ¥12,183,450 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Connectivity is usually fine (Canada: 42.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Canada offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Canada safe for expats?
Japan generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Japan?
Japan 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 26.1 in Japan. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
