Key points
The official minimums are C$2,500 for a working holiday (the PVT, an open work permit for ages 18 to 35) and C$15,263 for a single person in Express Entry, the federal permanent residence system for skilled workers. To actually live, plan for three months without pay, alone in a one-bedroom apartment and flights not included: about C$10,300 in Montreal, C$13,900 in Vancouver and C$14,400 in Toronto.
- Average asking rent for a one-bedroom in Q2 2026: C$1,480 in Montreal, C$2,090 in Toronto, C$2,280 in Vancouver.
- A room in a shared apartment costs about half: C$720 in Montreal, C$840 in Toronto, C$1,010 in Vancouver.
- In Quebec, landlords can only ask for the first month; in Ontario (the province that includes Toronto) they can also ask for a deposit equal to the last month.
- Express Entry (federal selection of skilled workers for permanent residence): C$15,263 for one person, C$19,001 for two, in force since July 2025.
- Carrying C$10,000 or more in cash, traveller’s cheques or bearer instruments on arrival must be declared to the CBSA, Canada’s customs agency.
The official amounts don’t tell you what a move costs; they only prove you can support yourself without becoming a burden on Canada. The real budget, the one that carries you until you find a job and get your first paycheque, depends mostly on rent in the city you pick and on what your province lets a landlord ask for when you sign.
- CanadaFunds required for a working holiday
- C$2,500
- Statement under a week old
- CanadaExpress Entry, one person
- C$15,263
- Federal skilled workers
- CanadaOne-bedroom in Montreal
- C$1,480
- Average asking rent, Q2 2026
- CanadaOne-bedroom in Toronto
- C$2,090
- Average asking rent, Q2 2026
What immigration requires, and what it doesn’t cover
Each status has its own threshold, and some have none at all. Either way, the officer checks a bank balance and doesn’t ask whether that amount will be enough to live on.
| Status | Funds to prove | When and how |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | C$2,500 | At the border, bank statement issued no more than a week before departure |
| Young Professionals, International Co-op (the other youth permits besides the working holiday) | C$2,500 | At the border, as for the working holiday |
| Express Entry, one person | C$15,263 | In your profile, then in the permanent residence application |
| Express Entry, couple | C$19,001 | Updated yearly; in force since July 2025 |
| Express Entry, family of four | C$28,362 | Same rule |
| Canadian Experience Class (for people who have already worked in Canada), or a valid job offer | None | A letter explains why proof of funds doesn’t apply |
Express Entry amountsSource: IRCC are recalculated every year from the low-income cut-offs set by Statistics Canada (the national statistics agency, like France’s Insee), and the 2026 update still hasn’t been published as of mid-October 2026. The working holiday minimum is much further from reality: the C$2,500 requirementSource: IRCC is meant to cover your first three months, yet in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, it covers little more than one month’s rent.
What does rent cost, city by city?
Rent outweighs everything else combined. Statistics Canada publishes asking rents every quarter, meaning the prices in listings, and those are the ones that apply to you, since you arrive without a lease. Expect them to be well above what existing tenants pay.
- Vancouver
- Toronto
- Ottawa (Ontario side)
- Halifax
- Calgary
- Montreal
- Quebec City
Average asking rents, Q2 2026, census metropolitan areas. Average across Canada’s big cities: C$1,730.
The gap between cities is wide: from C$1,210 in Quebec City, the capital of the province of Quebec, to C$2,280 in Vancouver, on the Pacific coast in British Columbia. In between come Ottawa, the federal capital, Halifax, in Nova Scotia on the Atlantic coast, and Calgary, the big city of Alberta, on the Prairies.
A room in a shared apartment roughly halves the bill, and it’s often the best move for the first months: no furniture to buy, no utilities to set up, and a short lease.
| City | One-bedroom apartment | Room in a shared apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | C$2,280 | C$1,010 |
| Toronto | C$2,090 | C$840 |
| Calgary | C$1,550 | C$710 |
| Montreal | C$1,480 | C$720 |
| Quebec City | C$1,210 | C$580 |
Take Montreal, the largest city in Quebec, as an example. In euros, a C$1,480 one-bedroom there, what the French would call a deux-pièces, comes to about €940. That’s less than the average private rent in Paris, €1,307 in early 2025, but more than in Lyon or Toulouse. The comparison also depends on what the rent includes, and in older buildings heating is often part of it, so check each listing.
What a landlord can ask for when you sign
In France you are used to a one-month deposit and a guarantor. In Canada the rules change from province to province, and with no credit history (the record of how you repay your debts) you start at a disadvantage with landlords.
| Compared | France | Canada (by province) |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit | 1 month excluding charges (unfurnished) | Banned in Quebec; last month in Ontario; half a month in British Columbia |
| First month’s rent | Paid on move-in | Paid on move-in |
| Guarantor | Often required | Rare; a credit check instead |
| What you show | Pay stubs, tax notice | Employment letter, bank statements, references, credit score |
Takeaway: Arrive with an employment letter or solid bank statements; they stand in for the credit score you don’t have yet.
In Quebec, a landlord can only require the first month’s rentSource: Québec.ca, and asking for a deposit on top is illegal. In Ontario, the only deposit allowed is a rent deposit equal to the last monthSource: Ontario.ca, which pays for that last month rather than covering any damage. British Columbia, home to Vancouver, is the only one of the three provinces that allows a real security deposit, capped at half a month. Wherever you rent, the landlord will also want to see a rental application before signing, so have the documents from the guide to renting in Canada ready before you start viewing.
A normal month once you’re settled
Back to the Montreal example: on your own in a one-bedroom, budget about C$2,270 a month. Groceries and tenant insurance are assumptions, so swap in your own figures if you know them.
- RentAverage asking rent, Q2 2026C$1,48065% share of total
- GroceriesAssumption; a family of four spends about C$1,460 a month in 2026C$45020% share of total
- Public transitMonthly all-modes pass, zone A of the Montreal networkC$1105% share of total
- Home internetAverage 50 Mbps plan, CRTCC$944% share of total
- ElectricityHydro-Québec (Quebec’s public power utility), small apartment; often included in older buildingsC$603% share of total
- Mobile planAverage 50 GB plan, CRTCC$532% share of total
- Tenant insuranceAssumption; often required by the leaseC$251% share of total
Excludes flights, going out and clothes. Taxes included unless stated. Euro at about C$1.57: roughly €1,450 in total.
Source: Statistics Canada, asking rents
In Toronto, the same month costs about C$2,950: C$600 more in rent, and pricier transit (the monthly fare cap on the TTC, Toronto’s public transit network, works out at C$155). In Vancouver, budget about C$3,100. For many jobs, those gaps are wider than the salary gaps, so a higher salary in Toronto doesn’t necessarily leave you more at the end of the month. Before you pick a city, work out what you’ll have left after rent and tax with the France–Canada salary calculator.
The budget for your first three months
Your first three months cost more than three ordinary months, because setting up comes on top of everyday life. Besides the monthly costs, plan for:
- temporary accommodation for two to four weeks while you view apartments, counted at C$1,500;
- basic furniture (bed, table, kitchen) bought second-hand, about C$1,500;
- winter clothes if you arrive in the fall, about C$500;
- the deposit your province allows: nothing in Quebec, a month in Ontario, half a month in British Columbia.
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Montreal
Three months of running costs, temporary housing, furniture, winter clothes and provincial deposit. Excludes flights and private health insurance. Euro at C$1.57.
With roommates, these totals fall by about C$4,000 in Montreal and C$6,000 to C$6,500 in Toronto or Vancouver, because rent is halved and furniture is provided. If you arrive with a job starting straight away, think one month rather than three: the first paycheque usually lands two to four weeks after you start.
- Minimum required at the border
- Montreal, 3 months
- Toronto, 3 months
Amounts in Canadian dollars, for one person.
The costs French newcomers forget
Health care before your provincial card
Public health insurance is run by each province, and it doesn’t always cover you from the day you arrive. In Quebec, for example, RAMQ (the province’s health insurance plan) has a three-month waiting period unless you bring form SE 401-Q-207 (the certificate under the France–Quebec agreement) from your French health insurance fund; working holiday participants aren’t covered at all. So you need private insurance, bought before you leave and long enough to bridge the gap: first check when your province will start covering you in the guide to health cover on arrival.
Sales tax and tipping
In France, VAT is included in the shelf price; in Canada it isn’t. Add 5% in Alberta, 13% in Ontario and nearly 15% in Quebec at the checkout, except on basic groceries, which are exempt. At restaurants, add a 15–18% tip.
The cost of having no credit
With no Canadian credit history, your first mobile plan may require a deposit, your first credit card will often be secured by a deposit, and a car dealer will offer you a worse rate. Expect a few hundred dollars to be tied up for the first months.
How to bring your money over
Keep your French account open
You will need it for remaining direct debits, the tax return for the year you leave and transfers to Canada.
Open a Canadian account on arrival
The big banks open accounts for newcomers with a passport and permit, even without a job. Some let you start from France.
Send a small test transfer
Send a few hundred euros before the large amount, to check the details and the rate actually applied.
Move the rest through a currency service
A standard bank transfer often adds a 2–3% markup to the exchange rate; specialist services usually cost less. Compare the dollars received, not the fee displayed.
Declare cash of C$10,000 or more
Banknotes, traveller’s cheques and bearer instruments count together. You declare on arrival; failing to do so can mean seizure.
CBSA →
The main transfer has to land before your first rent is due, so put it in the moving checklist alongside housing, insurance, taxes and your driver’s licence, and time it against the rest of your preparations.
Common questions
Can you show a credit card instead of the C$2,500?
No, the officer expects an account statement showing the available balance. A credit card doesn’t prove the money is yours.
Can the balance be in a French account?
Yes. For a working holiday or Express Entry, a French account is fine as long as the funds are available and in your name. The amount is assessed in Canadian dollars at the day’s rate.
Do families need more?
Yes, mostly for housing: a two-bedroom rents for C$1,820 on average in Montreal and C$2,650 in Toronto. In Quebec, subsidized daycare changes a family’s budget a great deal.
How long does it take to find a job?
Often one to three months, depending on your field, the city and your English; budgeting three months keeps you from taking the first offer that comes.
Should you bring euros in cash?
No need. Cards are accepted everywhere, and withdrawing a few hundred dollars on arrival covers the first days.
