Moving to Canada from Montana
What to Expect
Considering a move from Montana to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Montana to Canada, you would find that Canada is 12.6% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly CA$100,589 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Montana and Canada.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → CA$100,589
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.6% less
Groceries
pay 3.8% less
Transportation
pay 17.9% more
Housing
pay 20.0% less
Childcare
pay 48.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.0% 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.
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 14% less than cities in Montana.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Montana 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 Montana.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs significantly better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs significantly better than Montana 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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Montana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Canada performs significantly better than Montana across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Helena | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Helena | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
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 Montana?
On average Canada is about 3% less expensive than Montana, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Budget about CA$25,147 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 Montana and Canada are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Montana?
Canada performs significantly better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Montana?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Montana, the official language is English.
