Moving to Canada from Syria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Syria to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Syria to Canada, you would find that Canada is 3.1 times more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly CA$336,000 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 78°F in Damascus, 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 Syria to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → CA$336,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 2.5 times more
Transportation
pay 70.9% more
Housing
pay 5.4 times more
Childcare
pay 10.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Syria 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
- · · ·
-
34.57,031
Syria
Key Indicator Comparison
How Syria 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
Canada performs significantly better than Syria 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 Syria 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
Syria 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 Syria 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Syria leads in top income tax rate.
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 Syria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2008–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), Canada Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Damascus | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria 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.
Syria passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Required
Canada passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: 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 Syria?
Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 213% higher than Syria 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 SYP980,000,000 comparable salary, that's around CA$84,000 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
With 42.5 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 Syria and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Canada performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Syria?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
