Photo: Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Gorgo, Public domain. Cropped.
Picture your everyday life in Canada
Urban neighborhoods, parks and varied landscapes offer an English- or French-speaking change of setting.
Pages in this story
Start with an ordinary week
Compare two neighborhoods using the home-to-groceries route, work schedule and a winter plan. Price insurance and continuing US expenses before assuming the move is financially simpler.
The honest tradeoffs
The visitor-based remote-work policy is temporary. Price housing and private medical coverage without assuming access to resident benefits.
- Visitor status is temporary and does not automatically become retirement or permanent residence.
- Get real housing and private insurance quotes; proximity to the US is not proof of a lower cost of living.
- Climate, winter routines and language needs differ by location.
The visitor-based remote-work policy is temporary. Price housing and private medical coverage without assuming access to resident benefits.
Try the routine before the move
Test your proposed routine in the season you intend to stay, not only during a summer visit.
Choose a recurring neighborhood activity, language class or interest group. Ask residents about current housing and healthcare access, and people of color about treatment in the actual area. A country’s multicultural reputation is not a promise about every encounter.
Adapted from this country’s lifestyle guide. Scouting suggestions are editorial planning ideas, not a guarantee of safety or suitability.
All sources for this story
Read next
Visas and residency. CanadaWorking remotely from Canada is not the same as moving there.A closer look at visitor status, Canadian jobs and the steps toward permanent residence.
Daily life. CanadaCanada beyond a long weekend: winter, healthcare and finding your people.Test the routines a holiday misses, from groceries in bad weather to getting the right health coverage.Page 1 of 2