Living in Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa is a large inland city in Ontario, Canada (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 7°C over the year with about 949 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,832 a month to live centrally, and Canada sits in our high tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Canada is comparatively open.
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- Est. cost
- €3,832
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 7°C
- 949 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 60/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~170 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Ottawa
- Colder than 96% of the cities we track
- Pricier than 86% of the cities we compare
- Stronger healthcare than 81% of the cities we compare
- English is widely spoken
Climate
Ottawa averages 7°C across the year with about 949 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 4% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: English, French. English proficiency: native or near-native. Social openness scores 85 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,832 a month to live centrally in Ottawa, 40% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 14% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Healthcare
Canada scores 72 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 81% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Canada.
Taxes
Canada sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Ottawa in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Long-term residency runs through points-based skilled economic streams (Express Entry's Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class) and Provincial Nominee Programs, with no fixed income or self-funded investment threshold for a capable applicant.
For short visits, 1 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 52 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 145 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Canada runs at about 170 Mbps, faster than 58% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Canada scores 60 out of 100 on safety, safer than 50% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.9 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Canada. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Ottawa
Is Ottawa a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Ottawa scores well on healthcare, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a cool, moderately wet climate (7°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Ottawa and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Ottawa?
We estimate about €3,832 a month for a couple living centrally, 40% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Ottawa?
Canada is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Ottawa in their results.
Can foreigners live in Canada long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Long-term residency runs through points-based skilled economic streams (Express Entry's Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class) and Provincial Nominee Programs, with no fixed income or self-funded investment threshold for a capable applicant.
What is the weather like in Ottawa?
Ottawa averages 7°C across the year with about 949 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 4% of the cities we track.
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