Moving to Canada from Washington
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Washington to Canada — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Washington to Canada, you would find that Canada is 23.9% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly CA$80,000 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Canada cheaper than Washington?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 21.4% less
Groceries
pay 13.4% less
Transportation
pay 13.1% less
Housing
pay 31.7% less
Childcare
pay 56.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Canada?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → CA$80,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →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 17% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Canada
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Washington to Canada, based on official data.
people moved from United States 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
-
5.273,226
United States
- 254,831
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Washington to Canada.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada performs significantly better than Washington across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Washington performs better than Canada across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Canada performs significantly better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2008), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Canada vs Washington
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seattle | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 64°/49°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 46°/35°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seattle | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) | 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C) |
| Feb | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) | 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) | 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) | 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C) |
| May | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) | 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C) |
| Jul | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) | 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) | 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) | 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) | 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Can you move from Washington to Canada?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Free
Canada passport holder visiting United States
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 Washington?
Yes — Canada is on average about 24% cheaper than Washington. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CA$20,000 in Canada on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Usually fine from major cities in Canada. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Washington?
Canada performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Toronto is 55°F, compared to 60°F in Seattle. Toronto receives around 32.8 in of rainfall per year, while Seattle gets 37.5 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Washington, the official language is English.
