Cost of living in Canada: everything you need to know before moving to Canada

How much will I be paid if I work in Canada? Is the standard of living better than in France? These are normal questions you may have. Read on to find out more about the possibilities of remuneration and the Canadian cost of living.

Cost of living in Canada

Big Mac Indicator

To give you a concrete idea of the cost of living in Canada, let's take the example of the very serious Big Mac Index, an international purchasing power indicator. We can compare the price of a Canadian Big Mac with its French counterpart. It turns out that a Big Mac is slightly more expensive in Canada ($4.64) than in France ($4.57).

This indicates that the cost of living is slightly higher in Canada. However, wages and purchasing power grow proportionally, which leads to a very comfortable standard of living.

Higher wages in Canada

In general, salaries are higher in Canada than in France.

What is also interesting in Quebec is the fact that the salaries are very advantageous for technicians since they do not have to be ashamed of the salaries of their engineering colleagues. Moreover, it is not uncommon to see that the salary of a junior technician, therefore having little experience, in Canada is clearly more profitable than a technician with the same profile in France. This phenomenon is caused by the important shortage of manpower that Canada is currently experiencing. Therefore, expatriation is a great opportunity for young European technicians.

Compare real estate prices

To get an idea of the cost of living in Montreal compared to the rest of the Quebec region, it is relevant to look at real estate prices. You can do a specific search on the Centris website.

A comparison not only financial

It is true that it can be tempting to compare Canadian salaries to those in Europe, thinking that the grass is greener next door. Even if the conversion of salaries gives the advantage to Canada, it is wise to keep in mind that the cost of living is proportional. In short, although remuneration is an important decision factor, expatriation should not necessarily be based solely on the amount of salary, but also on other factors such as the quality of life, the taste for adventure and the numerous opportunities for growth within Canadian companies.

Indeed, the standard of living and the possibilities for growth within a company are very different from what France offers as a general rule. In Canada, there is less of a hierarchy than in Europe. Companies tend to offer more flexible schedules and to be more understanding of the vagaries of daily life (illness, childcare, etc.). In addition, there are more opportunities for upward mobility and advancement within a company, regardless of experience and education.

In short, even if you plan to get rich in Canada by starting a maple syrup business or ethically raising sled dogs on your weekends, you are advised not to base your expatriation solely on the hoped-for remuneration 😉

Even though this can play into being comfortable with your expatriation project, it is necessary to have other motivations in mind.

Next step: take action!

If you are waiting for the right moment to leave, we advise you to read Nicolas Reinhart's testimonial who took the plunge into immigration. It may help you to "get your head around" the beneficial aspects of Canadian immigration!

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