Moving to Canada from South Africa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Africa to Canada — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Africa to Canada, you would find that Canada is 2.1 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,766 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly CA$194,729 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 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Africa to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,766 → CA$194,729
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 95.2% more
Groceries
pay 98.8% more
Transportation
pay 23.4% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 3.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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 66% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from South Africa to Canada, based on official data.
people moved from South Africa 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
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
37.48,093
South Africa
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Africa to Canada.
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 performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa 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 South Africa 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 performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Canada generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Required
Canada passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
No — Canada is on average about 83% more expensive than South Africa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CA$48,682 in Canada on a ZAR1,223,766 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Canada has 42.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Canada performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to South Africa?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Canada
At a Glance
ZA
|
CA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 38,232,593 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Canadian Dollar (CA$) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English, French |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +1 |
| Time zones | 1 | 6 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |