Living in Canada starts with the same short sequence for everyone. Your work permit, your social insurance number, your provincial health card, your bank account and your rental application arrive in roughly that order, and several of them depend on the province you land in rather than on national rules. Where people diverge is settling in, and a family adds school registration and childcare to the list. This guide sets out each step in the order you will meet it, with separate settling-in advice for individuals and for families.

Living in Canada in 2026: What to expect

Canada is a federation, and that shapes daily life more than new arrivals expect. Immigration and income tax are handled nationally, while healthcare, schooling, driving licences and tenancy rules are set by each province, so guidance that applies in Ontario may not apply in British Columbia or Quebec. Two further points define the first year. Financial history does not transfer, so building a Canadian credit record from zero affects renting, phone contracts and borrowing.

Our expat checklist covers everything to organise before and after the move in a structured, phase-by-phase format.

Work permits for Canada

A work permit is your legal basis to work in Canada, and the route depends on whether a labour market assessment is required. Some categories are exempt under international agreements or intra-company arrangements, which usually makes them faster.

Route	Who it is for and what to know
Intra-company transfer	For employees moving from a foreign office to a Canadian branch, subsidiary or affiliate in a senior managerial, executive or specialised knowledge role. Requires at least one continuous year with the group in the previous three, and is exempt from a labour market assessment.
Global Talent Stream	An accelerated route for designated in-demand occupations, running through a modified labour market assessment with a labour market benefits plan. Processing is measured in weeks rather than months for eligible roles.
Labour market assessment based permit	The standard employer-sponsored route, where the employer demonstrates that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was available. Wage stream rules and regional restrictions apply and are revised periodically.
Free trade professional categories	Available to citizens of countries covered by agreements such as CUSMA, for listed professions meeting the qualification criteria. Exempt from a labour market assessment.
Express Entry	The points-based permanent residence system, scoring age, education, language and experience. Canadian work experience raises your score considerably, so a temporary permit is often the first step.

If you are relocating to Canada for work, understanding the visa process is as important as language preparation. See our work permits for Canada guide for a full breakdown of the application process and status categories.

Social insurance number, banking and credit history

A social insurance number is the first thing to arrange, since you cannot be paid without one. You apply online or in person at a Service Canada office with your passport and work permit, and the number is issued quickly. Opening a bank account is straightforward with your passport, work permit and proof of address, and most major banks run newcomer packages that waive fees for an initial period. The larger issue is credit history, which begins at zero regardless of your record elsewhere.

Finding somewhere to live in Canada

The rental market is competitive in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, and landlords assess applications on credit checks, employment evidence and references. Deposit rules are set by province: Ontario permits a deposit equal to the last month of rent, British Columbia permits half a month, and Quebec generally does not allow one at all, so check the rules where you are moving. Without a Canadian credit file, offer an employment letter, bank statements and additional months in advance where the province allows it.

Healthcare and insurance in Canada

Healthcare in Canada is publicly funded and administered by each province, and you apply for a provincial health card once you have an address. Some provinces cover new residents immediately while others apply a waiting period of up to three months, during which private cover is needed, so confirm the position in your province before you travel. Public cover includes doctor visits and hospital treatment, while prescriptions, dental care, optical care and physiotherapy generally sit outside it and are picked up by employer group insurance.

For a broader guide to the full range of insurance products expats need when living abroad, see our guide on insurance for expats.

Understanding Canadian tax basics

Income tax in Canada is charged federally and provincially, and both are deducted at source from salary. The tax year follows the calendar year and personal returns are filed by 30 April for the previous year. Your liability depends on residency for tax purposes, which turns on your ties to Canada rather than on your permit alone, and tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, which matters if you hold property, investments or pensions abroad. Provincial rates vary noticeably, so an identical salary produces a different net figure in Alberta and in Quebec. For a detailed guide on how expatriate tax compliance works across jurisdictions, see our expatriate tax compliance guide and for a plain-language overview of what expats are typically required to pay across jurisdictions, see our guide on expat tax: what it is and what you are likely to pay.

Cost of living in Canada in 2026

Cost of living in Canada varies sharply by city, with Vancouver and Toronto well ahead of the rest and the prairie cities considerably more affordable. Mercer, ECA International and AIRINC publish cost of living research used by mobility teams to compare locations, and the ranges below are indicative for 2026.

Cost area	Indicative monthly range in 2026
Rent, one-bedroom in Toronto or Vancouver	Around 2,300 to 2,900 Canadian dollars in central areas, the highest markets in the country
Rent, one-bedroom in Montreal or Ottawa	Around 1,600 to 2,100 Canadian dollars, with Montreal the more affordable of the two
Rent, one-bedroom in Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg	Around 1,300 to 1,800 Canadian dollars, noticeably lower
Groceries, single person	Around 400 to 600 Canadian dollars, higher in northern and remote areas
Utilities and internet	Around 200 to 350 Canadian dollars, with a winter heating peak

Culture and daily life in Canada

Canadian working culture is polite, consultative and relatively informal, with first names used across seniority levels and a strong expectation that personal time is respected. Disagreement is expressed carefully, and feedback tends to arrive framed positively, which takes adjustment for arrivals from more direct cultures. Canada is officially bilingual in English and French, and in Quebec, French is the language of work, schooling and public services under provincial law, which shapes daily life and school choice significantly.

Settling in as an individual

Settling in alone is shaped by city choice, cost and how quickly you build a network outside work. Toronto offers the deepest professional market and the largest international community, Vancouver combines a strong technology sector with mountains and coastline at a comparable cost, and Montreal is markedly more affordable with a strong cultural life for those willing to use French. Calgary and Ottawa suit those prioritising space and shorter commutes. Sharing an apartment is common and helps with both cost and the credit history problem.

Settling in as a family

Settling in as a family brings school registration and childcare into the planning early, and both are provincial responsibilities. Public schools are free and allocated by catchment area, so your choice of neighbourhood determines your school, and registration is done directly with the local school board with proof of address, immigration documents and vaccination records. French immersion streams are widely available outside Quebec and are popular with relocating families, while in Quebec, access to English-language public schooling is restricted by provincial law.

For a full breakdown of how dependent visa applications work and what rights family members hold in Canada, see our guide on what happens to your dependent’s visa when you relocate for work.

For a broader look at how organisations structure family support within a relocation programme, see our guide on expat relocation: supporting employees and families abroad.

Moving to Canada as a company assignee

Where an employer relocates you to Canada, most of the steps in this guide are coordinated rather than left to you to arrange alone. Companies commonly work with a relocation management company that brings together the immigration lawyer, the tax adviser, the destination services provider and the household goods provider, so that your permit, home search, school registration and shipment connect in the right order. For a full breakdown of how international household goods moves work, see our guide on moving household goods internationally.

The MOVEPLUS™ platform gives the mobility team a single view of key dates, documents and approvals, and the MOVEPLUS™ dashboard shows where each step sits at any point. The sequence itself is the same one set out above. 

For a full walk-through of what to expect when your company moves you abroad, see the complete guide to international employee relocation.

If your employer relocates you to Canada, MOVEPLUS™ coordinates every element of the move through our relocation service coordination offering from work permit coordination and household goods to destination services and settling-in support for you and your family, all managed through a single dedicated Advocate.

Get in touch to find out how MovePlus can support your Canada relocation.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the first thing to do when I arrive in Canada?

Apply for a social insurance number, online or at a Service Canada office with your passport and work permit, since you cannot be paid without one.

2. Is healthcare free in Canada?

Doctor visits and hospital treatment are publicly funded through your province, though some provinces apply a waiting period of up to three months for new residents, during which private cover is needed. Prescriptions, dental and optical care generally sit outside public cover and are handled through employer group insurance.

3. How do I rent a home in Canada without a credit history?

Offer an employment letter confirming your salary, recent bank statements and references, and additional rent in advance where your province permits it. Deposit rules are provincial: Ontario allows a last month of rent, British Columbia allows half a month, and Quebec generally does not allow a deposit.

4. How much does it cost to live in Canada in 2026?

It depends heavily on the city. A one-bedroom apartment ranges from around 2,300 to 2,900 Canadian dollars a month in central Toronto or Vancouver to around 1,300 to 1,800 in Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg. Provincial tax rates also differ enough to change your net pay noticeably.