Moving to Canada from Spain
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Spain to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Spain to Canada, you would find that Canada is 24.4% more expensive than Spain overall. A €64,750 salary in Spain would need to be roughly CA$113,085 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 68°F in Madrid, 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 Spain to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
€64,750 → CA$113,085
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.5% less
Groceries
pay 36.5% more
Transportation
pay 3.4% more
Housing
pay 43.8% more
Childcare
pay 51.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.2% 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 6% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Spain 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
- · · ·
-
94.11,521
Spain
Key Indicator Comparison
How Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in internet access.
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 Spain 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 Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, 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 | Madrid | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 8% higher than Spain 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 €64,750 comparable salary, that's around CA$28,271 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 Spain and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Spain 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 0.7 in Spain. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Spain?
Spain 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 44.8 in Spain. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
