Living in Canada Overview for Expats
Are you relocating to Canada? Or maybe you are new expats in Canada. Are you under the impression that because Canada is one of the world's wealthiest countries it is going to be easy and fun living in Canada?
To some extent you are right; Canada in general is a very safe country to live in, offers a comfortable and a good standard of living, and if you have enough knowledge in English or French, you are off to a good start of expatriate life in Canada.
However, getting used to living in a new country is always a challenge. The Day to day living can be sometimes frustrating.
To help you overcome the difficulties, we will do our best to provide useful information about living in Canada; Education, Health, Housing, Cost of Living etc'
We welcome any contribution of our readers to this overview. Together we can build the most comprehensive guide with useful information about living in Canada. Just fill out the relocating overseas country guides form.
Living in Canada Cost of Living in Canada
The local cost of living in Canada varies dramatically: In rural areas it can be significantly low. However, living in Canada in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver can be very expensive.
To help you prepare for living in Canada, we put together a list of common expenses you should expect when you are relocating to Canada:
Pay cheques deductions - If you work for a Canadian employer you should expect automatic deductions on most pay cheques; income taxes, employment insurance, pension plan, etc'. These deductions could reduce your pay by as much as 25% to 35% of your total income.
Sales taxes - Sales taxes are added to the price of goods and services. Common goods and services taxes include: GST - a Government of Canada tax of 5%. PST- provincial sales tax - added in most provinces and will range from an additional 7% to 8%. Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon do not have provincial or territorial sales taxes. HST - harmonized Sales Tax - in some provinces, the GST is combined with the PST, and is called the HST.
Household Expenses- More than half of a person's take-home pay will go to household expenses, which include: housing (electricity, heating, telephone service, and water), food, Clothing, health Insurance, transportation, car insurance.
Renting/Buying a house/apartment - Rental costs vary across cities and across Canada. You can expect to pay between $350-$500 a month to rent a room and up to more than $2,000 a month to rent a luxury apartment or a large house. If you want to buy a house, you will probably need to get a mortgage from the bank. Most banks will ask you to pay at least 10% of the cost of the house from your own money. In addition to your mortgage payments, you will also have to pay for property tax and household insurance.
Occasional Important Expenses - buying prescription medicine for a family member (not covered by health insurance), school expenses, long-distance calls to friends and family in your home country, etc'.
For more information about cost of living in Canada please visit Canada immigration
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Living in Canada - Canada Health Care and Health Insurance
Searching and gathering information about health care and health insurance of your destination country is one of the most important things to do.
Canada has a national health insurance program - "Medicare". This program offers national health care services on the basis of peoples need rather on their ability to pay; All residents have access to hospitals and doctors on a prepaid basis. However, in the recent years, crowded hospitals, and long waiting times for the treatment have lead to a public protest for better service and private health care centers.
The responsibilities for Canada's health care system are shared between the federal and provincial governments. Each province is responsible for its own health services and administrative regulations
Are you as an expat living in Canada eligible for Canada health care coverage?
If you entered Canada on a work permit then your employer is responsible for making sure you are covered by medical and health insurance and workers compensation.
If you entered Canada on a student visa then in most cases you are not eligible for Canada health care coverage. You should look into the possibility to purchase a private health insurance.
Are you a Diplomat? Most diplomats are covered by their own country health insurance.
Even if you are eligible for Canada health insurance, most provinces will ask for a waiting period (up to 3 months). During the waiting period, it is recommended to buy health insurance from a private company.
In any case, you should contact the Ministry of Health in the province or territory where you live in order to verify your medical status and your eligibility for health coverage. Don't delay this, do it as soon as possible after entering Canada.
What health care services are covered by Medicare Canada?
- Examination and treatment by family doctors
- Many types of surgery
- Most treatments by specialists are available through a referral from your family doctor.
- Hospital care
- X-rays
- Many laboratory tests
- Most vaccinations
Health care services that are
not covered by Medicare Canada:
- Ambulance services
- Prescription drugs However, the prices for prescription medications are regulated so may cost less than in some other countries.
- Dental care - you will need to purchase insurance that covers a part or all of your dental expenses, or the coverage might be provided by your employer.
- Glasses and contact lenses - For regular checkups and any other vision related matters; you will have to use your private coverage or employment coverage or pay for it out of your own pocket.
For more information about Canada Health care and Canada Health Insurance please visit
Health Canada .
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Living in Canada Canada Tax
Your liability for income tax in Canada is based on your status as a resident or non-resident of Canada.
Determining if you are a resident of Canada or not depends on the residential ties you have or established while living in Canada.
Residential ties to Canada include:
- A home in Canada
- A spouse or dependants who stay in Canada, while you are living abroad
- Personal property in Canada, such as a car or furniture
- Social ties in Canada
- Economic ties in Canada
Other ties that may be relevant include:
- A Canadian driver's license
- Health insurance with a Canadian province or territory.
- A Canadian bank account or credit cards
You are a non-resident of Canada for tax purposes if you do not establish significant residential ties with Canada and if you stay in Canada for less than 183 days during the year.
However, even if you are considered a non-resident of Canada, you still need to pay tax on income you receive from sources in Canada; For example many international students who study or carry on research are often supported by Canadian-source grants that cover several years of study or research.
For more information about Canadian taxes please visit Canada revenue agency
Other common taxes are:
Goods and services tax (GST) A country wide tax that applies for most goods and services in Canada. The GST rate is 5%.
Provincial Sales Taxes (PST) Each province apply its own provincial tax on some goods and services. In Ontario the PST rate is 8%, in British Columbia it is 7% and in Alberta it is 0%
Harmonized sales tax (HST) - Three provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador) combine their provincial sales tax (PST) with the GST tax to create the harmonized sales tax (HST). The HST rate is 13%.
Almost everyone has to pay GST, HST and PST on purchases of taxable supplies of goods and services.
Foreign representatives and diplomatic missions are exempt from paying PST, but have to pay GST and HST. However with proper documentation you may be eligible to apply for a rebate of the GST/HST you paid.
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Living in Canada - Education in Canada
The Education in Canada is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. There are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. Each province reflects its specific regional concerns, and historical and cultural heritage. Within the provinces ministry of education, there are district school boards which are administering the educational programs.
The public education in Canada is free up to and including secondary school in all the provinces. However there is no obligation for parents to place their children in the public school system and a certain percent of students study at the private system.
Each province deals differently with private religious schools. In Ontario the Catholic system continues to be fully publicly funded, but other faiths receive no such funding, and are funded through tuition fees.
Education in Canada is generally divided into:
Pre-School - Junior Kindergarten (ages 4-5, only in Ontario), and Kindergarten
(ages 5-6). Provincial funding, and the number of hours provided varies widely.
Elementary school - refers to grades 1 through 6, but may also include grades
7 and 8
Junior high school or "middle school" - In many places, junior high school and
high school are merged into one consisting of a high school with grades 8-12. In other areas, the junior high grades are merged into elementary schools consisting
of grades K-8.
High school or Secondary school- Grades 9 to 12. In some areas it can be from grade 8 to 12.
Post Secondary - University, College, Community Colleges/Technical Institutes Career Colleges.
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Living in Canada - Driving in Canada
Driving in Canada is an experience by itself, especially for people coming from small countries. The roads are wide, well marked and quite decent. However some Canadians are joking around saying that there are actually two seasons in Canada - winter and road constructions; after the winter there are cracks and holes in the roads, which are being fixed during the summer, so will be ready for the next winter.
Winter driving in Canada is a challenge; although the snow removals are doing an amazing job, the roads are still dangerous, full of ice and quite slippery.
Transport Canada has even issued safety tips for winter driving. For example: you should always keep the gas tank at least half full, and add gasoline antifreeze to every second tank, or top up antifreeze, transmission, brake and windshield-washer fluids, or use a matching set of all-season or snow tires that meet standards. You should relate to those tips seriously.
Canada is a huge country, and Canada's cities are spread over a large area. Although the public transportation is convenient, it is recommended to own a car, even in the big cities like Toronto and Montreal. This means that you will need to have a valid driver license.
Would you be allowed to use your own country driver license in Canada?
For a short period of time (from 90 days up to a year, depending on the province) you will be able to drive in Canada with your own country driver license. After that you will need to apply for a Canadian driver license.
Driver licenses are issued by the provincial governments in Canada. Each province has its own regulation; In Ontario it is enough to present your driver license from your own country (which must be translated), in order to receive a Canadian driver license, but other provinces might ask you to complete written, vision and road examinations prior to being issued a driver's license. Please make sure to check with the ministry of transportation of your province for the requirements.
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Living in Canada - Recreation and Sports in Canada
In spite of the cold weather the Canadians are involved in many sports and recreation activities such as - Ski, Tobogganing, Hockey, Ice skating, camping, water ski, fishing and ice fishing, golf, hiking, Canoeing, Bicycling, rollerblading, kayaking, hunting, etc'.
If you are an outdoor type of person who enjoys sports and recreational activities you sure have a lot to choose from. And the best part - it is not very expensive.
Do you want to go skiing? Did you come from a warm country and have no ski equipment? No problem, there is absolutely no need to buy new equipment. You can either rent the equipment at the ski resort, or buy used stuff, that can last for a few years.
Don't want to rent or buy used stuff? You can find good equipment at decent prices in retailers' stores.
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