Moving to Canada from Singapore
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Singapore to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Singapore to Canada, you would find that Canada is 12.4% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,870 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly CA$47,820 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 89°F in Singapore, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Singapore to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
SGD96,870 → CA$47,820
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 45.8% more
Groceries
pay 6.5% less
Transportation
pay 23.0% less
Housing
pay 10.6% less
Childcare
pay 50.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 23.3% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Singapore 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
- · · ·
-
90.12,721
Singapore
Key Indicator Comparison
How Singapore and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs better than Canada across all safety metrics.
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
Singapore 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
Singapore 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 Singapore 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
Singapore performs better than Canada across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Singapore generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, 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 | Singapore | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore 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.
Singapore passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Singapore
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 Singapore?
Generally yes: Canada runs about 55% cheaper than Singapore on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 SGD96,870 comparable salary, that's around CA$11,955 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 Singapore and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Singapore?
Singapore 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 26.0 in Singapore. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
