Moving to Canada from Poland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Poland to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Poland to Canada, you would find that Canada is 52.9% more expensive than Poland overall. A PLN284,812 salary in Poland would need to be roughly CA$138,162 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Poland to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
PLN284,812 → CA$138,162
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 21.5% more
Groceries
pay 88.2% more
Transportation
pay 31.1% more
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 77.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 55.7% 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 24% more than cities in Poland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Poland to Canada, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
11.157,733
Poland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Poland and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Canada generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate.
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
Poland 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
Poland 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 Poland 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
Poland generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in gdp per capita.
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
Poland generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, 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 | Warsaw | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Warsaw | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.
Poland passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Poland
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 Poland?
Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 30% higher than Poland 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 PLN284,812 comparable salary, that's around CA$34,540 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 Poland and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Canada generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Poland. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Poland?
Poland 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 33.9 in Poland. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Poland?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Poland, the official language is Polish.
