Cost of moving from the US to Canada

What to do first

1. Check your route on canada.ca, or with a licensed consultant (RCIC), before paying any fee.
2. For Express Entry, keep the proof-of-funds amount available until you land: it is not a fee, but you must show it.
3. Get moving quotes that include customs brokerage, GST and insurance; many cross-border quotes leave them out.
4. Prepare a list of goods to declare at the border (form BSF186); household goods you have owned and used are usually duty-free.
5. Line up a first-month stay; landlords often ask for Canadian credit history, so expect to show savings or pay more upfront where the law allows.

Visa and permit fees for Canada

The fees below are the official charges for each route, per person, as published on the date shown. They are what you pay the government; agent or lawyer fees are extra. The fee that applies is usually the one in force when you submit and pay, not when you started.

Express Entry permanent residence

Permanent; the proof-of-funds check applies to the skilled worker and trades streams.

Not included: language tests, educational credential assessment, medical exam and police certificates.

Employer-specific work permit

Temporary; a spouse can apply for an open work permit. US citizens give no biometrics for it.

Not included: children’s study permits or visitor records (separate fees), and the employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment fee, which the employer pays.

Rent, deposit and the first month

The rent figures are official statistics, not asking prices, so a new lease in a popular area often costs more. The deposit is set by law in each place, which is why it differs between cities:

• Toronto (Ontario): CA$2,547 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). No damage deposit; a last month’s rent deposit (at most 1 month) is allowed (Landlord and Tenant Board: A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act (rent deposits)).
• Vancouver (British Columbia): CA$2,696 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). Security deposit at most half a month’s rent (BC Residential Tenancy Branch: deposits and fees).
• Calgary (Alberta): CA$1,836 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). Security deposit at most 1 month’s rent (Alberta: starting a tenancy (security deposits)).
• Montréal (Québec): CA$1,644 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). No deposit of any kind allowed; only the first month’s rent in advance (Gouvernement du Québec: requiring a security deposit is illegal (Civil Code of Québec, art. 1904); only the first month’s rent may be required in advance).

Flights, shipping and setting up

Flights are our estimate of a one-way economy fare from the US (US$200 to US$600 per person); type your own fare to replace it. Shipping prices are the ranges movers publish, door to door unless they say otherwise:

• Suitcases only (extra checked bags): US$100 to US$300 per person (our estimate).
• Moving container or small move (studio to 1 bedroom): US$2,000 to US$6,500 (Mover price guides: ConsumerAffairs, Jordan River Moving, moveBuddha).
• Full-service mover (2–3 bedrooms): US$6,300 to US$14,000 (Mover price guides: ConsumerAffairs, Jordan River Moving, moveBuddha).

Setting up covers about two weeks of temporary accommodation, basic furniture and kitchen kit, a phone plan and local transport for the first weeks: CA$3,500 to CA$8,000 for one or two people, our estimate, scaled up for larger households. The buffer is the number of months you choose multiplied by your rent plus other monthly spending; most people need at least one month before the first pay arrives.

Rules that cost money after you arrive

The calculator counts what you pay to get there. These rules decide what the first year costs once you land, and most cost guides leave them out:

• Tax US citizens keep filing US returns. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, so you still file a US return after you move. The foreign earned income exclusion (US$132,900 for 2026) and credits for tax paid abroad usually remove most or all of the US bill, but only if you claim them. (IRS: foreign earned income exclusion (US citizens are taxed on worldwide income); IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.39: 2026 exclusion US$132,900)
• Driving licence Ontario swaps most licences; other provinces vary. Ontario exchanges car licences from the UK, Ireland, Australia and every US state after a vision test, with tests only if your driving experience cannot be shown. Each province has its own agreements, so check the one you are moving to. (Ontario: exchange an out-of-province driver’s licence)
• Health cover Provincial health cover may not start on day one. Ontario has no waiting period. Alberta covers you from the day you become resident if you apply within 3 months. British Columbia makes you wait the rest of your arrival month plus two more months, and Québec up to 3 months (children under 18 are exempt). Budget for private cover to bridge the gap. (Ontario: apply for OHIP (no waiting period); Alberta: AHCIP coverage when moving to Alberta; BC Government: MSP coverage wait period; RAMQ: Québec Health Insurance Plan, what you need to know (waiting period))
• State pension Your US Social Security record still counts. The US and Canada have had a social security agreement since 1 August 1984. It stops you paying social security tax to both countries on the same pay, and lets work credits from both count towards a pension. (Social Security Administration: US international social security agreements)

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