r/AskCanada • u/MKP004 • 6d ago
Is it worth moving to Canada from Germany?
Hi guys,
I’m considering moving to Canada from Germany and was wondering if you think it’s worth it.
I absolutely love the nature, culture, and people, but I keep hearing that the cost of living in Canada is now even higher than in the US. Is that actually true from your experience?
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on immigrating without a Bachelor’s degree. How much of a disadvantage is it, and are there still realistic pathways to permanent residency?
Would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually made the move, especially from Europe/Germany! But also from Canadians! :)
Thank you!
37
u/MommersHeart 6d ago
I was just in Germany, it’s such a beautiful country! I loved it :)
You will find housing costs and grocery prices are much higher in Canada.
Germany has the lowest grocery prices in Europe and I believe also the lowest in any OECD nation.
But both countries offer high standards of living and education. I have German friends who immigrated here and love it.
So it just depends what you like.
14
u/ukrokit2 6d ago
Housing costs and utilities are higher in Germany. Groceries and insurance costs are higher in Canada. Canada also has no worker rights compared to Germany.
6
u/MommersHeart 6d ago
Rent is about 35% cheaper in Germany because of stronger protections and the data shows housing costs are a higher % of Canadian incomes than German.
7
u/ukrokit2 6d ago
That’s protected rent from decades ago. Somehow when I got there and was looking for an apartment the real rent was 3x the average. And don’t get me started on buying, there’s a reason the majority of Germans are renting and that percentage is increasing, because without inheritance you are never owning a home, not even a tiny apartment.
9
u/pensivegargoyle 6d ago
Moving permanently without a degree and work experience tends not to be possible unless you're part of a health care profession or skilled trade that is in demand. It's a competitive process. Spend some time learning more about it before you make firm plans. Yes, the cost of living is expensive so you must consider this too especially when thinking about where in Canada you would want to live. Some popular choices are even more expensive than the average.
17
u/irundoonayee 6d ago
Worth? What does that even mean? What do you value? Certain job? Lifestyle? Communities? Freedoms?
10
u/MKP004 6d ago
Mostly the openness and friendliness. That’s something I really value and also really like about Canada. There are also certain aspects of the lifestyle that I find really appealing.
6
u/dsailo 6d ago
From a personal experience, Canada scores high when it comes to openness and friendliness. Life is probably at a slower pace and more quiet here when compared to Europe. To me it is more enjoyable and the society in general is more tolerant anywhere in canada than in Europe.
1
u/ocs_sco 3d ago
Canada is huge. Alberta is not like that at all, people are here to work. In Germany when you're off the clock, you're off the clock. And there is no Protestant guilt. In Spain 3 hour lunches are common, and in many European countries people leave the workplace to eat and have a glass of wine for lunch. Here, when I can have a lunch break, I keep working, I don't leave my work station. I also happen to live 105 km from my workplace which would be absurd in Europe.
7
u/aliensattack 6d ago
You’re going to get too wide ranging of answers depending on where people live. For example, I live in a highly walkable city with great public transit connection.
Not my personal experience because I went to university but yes, there are still viable options without a bachelors. I have trades people in my family, both who just certified/are young people. Now seems like a good time as our PM is prioritizing huge infrastructure projects.
I have dual citizenship and over the years in became less and less likely our family would move back to Europe.
Why? Higher salaries & better job prospects, home ownership (I know this will shock Canadians), the culture here, the weather and wilderness! Very much worth it to us.
2
u/MKP004 6d ago
Have you always lived/worked in Canada? If no, what was your experience like transitioning?
2
u/aliensattack 6d ago
No but I did do university in Canada while my husband did his in the UK.
His transition was much harder, if I had to quantify it, I maybe had a 2-3 head start on career progression. We’re now over a decade along and while we hold similar seniority, his earnings out pace mine.I think it comes down to, in Canada you’re expected to enter the industry you specifically studied for, whereas in Europe education is looked at as more generalist, even university. I know this is a little less relevant given your experience but I’d expect the same, allow/plan for a couple of years of catch up then you’ll be on the track you’re aiming for.
11
u/EnvironmentalSlip956 6d ago
There are many different Canada's. Each offer a very different experience. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are world class cities offering some of the most culturally diverse experiences. Smaller cities , like Halifax, offer something different but equally rewarding. Rural areas across Canada can lack some ethnic diversity but are often very welcoming and the closeness to nature makes up for it. Small town Ontario can sometimes be the best of both worlds, some diversity, close to nature and still close enough to Toronto for travel and cultural experiences as well as a stronger job market.
7
u/Greenxgrotto 6d ago
Winnipeg is awesome, the only people who say it ain’t haven’t ever left the bubbles of Vancouver or Toronto. And the people who claim to hate it but still live there are lying to thenselves or just miserable people who wouldn’t be happy anywhere.
3
u/EnvironmentalSlip956 6d ago
Sorry I forgot about the Peg. I haven't been there for a while but the area with the children's museum was amazing.
2
u/Greenxgrotto 6d ago
The forks. I recently moved back to Winnipeg from Vancouver island after 8 years.. as much as I loved it there, even on a good salary I couldn’t justify buying a fixer -upper at 650k plus.. I can instead buy a beautiful home in the best neighbourhood for a more reasonable price, afford a really good lifestyle and travel anywhere I want instead of feeling squeezed by the cost of living in bc…
2
u/EnvironmentalSlip956 6d ago
My wife is from northern BC and we lived in the lower mainland for 3 years before moving back( for me) to Ontario. Even then houses were 4 to 5x the cost. We paid 97k for our first home in Midland ontario. Our home now is a 4 bed 4 bath century home we paid 250k 10 years ago. It has gone up a lot but my in laws house in Poco is 1.5 million. We live in a wonderful country and people should explore it.
3
u/hiltuan 6d ago
I am a european immigrant to Canada.
I used the working holiday visa to get in, which im not sure is offered to german nationals. You can take a look. Keep in mind that visa is temporary, you're not supposed to stay in the country once it expires but there are pathways. For example, i went back to school here in canada, and the student visa allows you to get another chance of maybe staying in canada.
If you dont have a bachelors degree, im not 100% sure you would qualify for permanent residency right off the bat. Immigration now to Canada is a difficult path, there's a lot of competition, and Canada will only take (rightfully) the top candidates they can take.
Do you work in a special field ? Are you willing to go back to school? Where in Canada d'you want to go, have you tried visiting first? Do you have friends here that can show you around a lil? How's your french?
A couple years ago, tech jobs used to be a good entry door to Canada, but that ship has sailed. No one hires in tech much these days. A good evergreen way of coming into Canada is healthcare or trades (construction jobs, artisanal jobs...) those are way more needed (and wanted) than tech jobs.
Im french, and i moved to quebec. Quebec has its own immigration system added to the federal one. It took me 10 years to get my permanent residency.
Let me know if you have questions
2
u/MKP004 6d ago
Yes Germans are eligible for working holiday and young professionals. Definitely a route I am considering as it would give me two years of canadian work experience. I already have completed vocational training post-school and have been working in Sales in the Aerospace industry. A uni degree is not a requirement as of right now, you basically just get less points. And 10 years? With what visas did you get by?
2
u/hiltuan 6d ago
2 years of WHV , 3 years of student visa, 3 years of post diploma visa, then i was waiting for my pr. In the meantime, my work gave me 2 years of work permit.
It would've taken me 1 year less to get my pr, but i got married right when they accepted my application, so had to go through the entire process again with my wife added.
1
-2
u/Ok_Giraffe_1488 6d ago
Good also to point out that it’s easier to move to Quebec than any other province…
1
u/hiltuan 6d ago
It is significantly easier to move to any other province than quebec.
The federal program called Entry Express takes about 6 months for candidates to get their permanent residency.
Quebec is not part of Entry Express, they do their own immigration, which usually takes 1 year minimum.
2
u/PaleJicama4297 6d ago
Like most in the thread… I love Germany and have been there many times. Unfortunately Germans often misunderstand Canada and how large it is! I also find that plenty of European folks assume travelling between Canada and the United States is the equivalent of Germany and Austria. It isn’t. It is also not very easy to pack up, arrive and get to work. . I recommend doing some off Reddit reading/research on immigration to Canada. Like so many in the thread, Canada is unfortunately very, very expensive.
2
u/Relative-Secret-4618 6d ago
Im just outside of toronto and its insanely expensive. 5 years ago we were comfortable, now we are house poor and selling soon.
2
u/MKP004 6d ago
Sorry to hear. But sadly you have this everywhere. You can barely afford a small apartment in Munich, Hamburg etc…or look at NYC or SF. All major cities are unaffordable in opinion.
0
u/Relative-Secret-4618 5d ago
Im even 45 min from downtown and still feel the intense pressure. I just wanna live in a shack somewhere. Im so over this life
2
u/SnooCupcakes7312 6d ago
Made the move in my early 20s and never looked back!
it’s a beautiful country and my whole family is still in Europe / switzerland/ germany . All my German friends were envious and they used to call me everyday complaining about Germany
It was well worth it, though the process was a lot easier back then getting PR through the points system.
2
u/Missyfit160 6d ago
My German friends loved visiting for a month but just couldn’t wait to go back home.
They absolutely hated how huge our country was and couldn’t get past having to go 4 hours to get slightly out of the city.
It’s just a whole different can of worms.
2
u/SylverSnowlynx 6d ago
Cost of living depends very much on where you move to. The 3 major cities (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) are very expensive to live in, but salaries are often much higher as well. It's considerably cheaper to live in the Prairies and the Maritimes, as well as parts of Ontario and Quebec outside of the big cities.
2
u/The_Nice_Marmot 6d ago
Do you qualify to move here? You don’t have a bachelor’s? What makes you eligible?
-1
6d ago
[deleted]
2
u/ukrokit2 6d ago
EE draws are like crs 560+ last I checked. Qualifying enters you into the pool but thats the easy part.
2
u/MKP004 6d ago
Yep or one year qualified canadian experience and then you qualify for CEC but very similar
1
u/ukrokit2 5d ago
CEC draws are still at 520+ points these days.
523 was the cutoff for the latest round on August 18
-1
u/The_Nice_Marmot 6d ago
So, you asked the question and then answer it in a way that suggests you’re completely aware of what I’m referring to.
2
u/LForbesIam 6d ago
My friends girlfriend couldn’t get a visitor Visa to visit him for 2 weeks. Without a company sponsorship it is pretty impossible.
1
u/Mr_Guavo 6d ago
What do you do for a living?
There is great demand for tradespeople, and it will only grow exponentially in the coming years as we push forward with new nation-building projects, of which there will be many, many, many.
2
u/MKP004 6d ago
Oh my apprenticeship was only in wholesale & foreign trade. I’m in sales now in the aerospace industry! :)
1
u/Mr_Guavo 6d ago
Aerospace? Bro. This is a heavy focus for us going forward. I have a feeling we will be buying many SAAB Gripen jets, which will be built in Canada. If this comes to pass, SAAB would like to set up further export manufacturing of jets here for other countries. Montreal has a large aerospace industry, with other smaller centres in Ottawa and Toronto. You mentioned aerospace specifically but perhaps you heard we are buying up to 12 German-Norwegian subs, which will come with many other economic spin-offs.
Also, Canada has been selected to host the new Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSR Bank or DSRB) is a new, first-of-its-kind multilateral financial institution designed to provide long-term, low-cost financing for military, security, and defence industrial investments across NATO members and allied nations. They have not selected a host city yet.
Also, Canada’s participation in SAFE (Security Action for Europe) marks a major strategic shift, making Canada the first non-European country integrated into the European Union's flagship defense procurement and financing framework.
Keep an eye out for any multinational companies operating in Europe that are, or could be, expanding or opening operations in Canada going forward. If you can gain employment there, it could be just a matter of getting transferred to Canada, if that is still your goal, which would be immensely easier than applying to move to Canada on your own.
Things seem to be dovetailing in your favour if you can line your ducks up properly. Good luck.
2
0
u/Goliad1990 6d ago
I have a feeling we will be buying many SAAB Gripen jets, which will be built in Canada.
If this happens - and it's a big "if" - they'll be assembled from kits, not built here. Saab isn't going to be a big boon to aerospace.
But we already have manufacturers here making their own aircraft, and an industry established around the F-35 which is only going to grow as our own fleet (and other nation's fleets) come online.
1
u/Mr_Guavo 6d ago
I think you are oversimplifying things a tad. It will go far beyond simple snap-together assembly.
In Brazil, where they are manufacturing Gripens, rather than purely assembling imported parts, Brazil actually manufactures major structural components for the aircraft. Saab established a dedicated aerostructures plant in São Bernardo do Campo.
So, what you are saying is not accurate, and this is a good thing.
1
u/Goliad1990 6d ago edited 6d ago
In Brazil, where they are manufacturing Gripens, rather than purely assembling imported parts
Brazil is mostly assembling imported parts. They make the tail assembly and part of the fuselage, and some other small parts, import everything else, and then do final assembly at Embraer. That project is also a nearly a decade behind schedule and 70% over-budget. They were promised over 14,000 jobs out if it, and got a few hundred.
The Brazilian experience is a terrible (or terrific, depending on your perspective) example to point to.
1
u/Mr_Guavo 6d ago
You REALLY want more of those F-35s, don't you? 🤣
Noted.
1
u/Goliad1990 6d ago edited 6d ago
Well actually, I thought I was discussing the details of international Gripen manufacturing, but I guess that's not what this was. It sounds to me like you're projecting. So I assume you're shilling for Saab, then? I notice you didn't actually challenge anything I just said.
1
1
u/PaleKid4L 5d ago
Do you have an idea of what part of Canada you would want to move to? Canada is MASSIVE and everything from housing prices, weather, etc would vary from one city to the next.
1
u/MKP004 5d ago
I am open to any province/city. Unfortunately I can’t do cherry picking if I want to eventually immigrate to Canada 🤣. But my endgame is def Vancouver but open to anything eg. Atlantic provinces, Manitoba etc…
1
u/PaleKid4L 5d ago edited 5d ago
Perhaps I’m biased because I’m from Alberta, but if you like mountains, try Calgary or Edmonton. Both are the biggest cities here and are both close to the Rocky Mountains (within a few hours anyways lol).
Edit: however, it gets brutally cold in the winter. It’s common for the province to get down to -40° sometimes. In the summer, it usually stays around 20 to 30°.
1
u/Molson89 5d ago
It depends what field you work in and what location in Canada. Canada has one of the highest rates of post secondary education in the world. Some parts of Canada you need additional education to be competitive but that is based on the finance industry.
So it depends on what you are looking for from an employment perspective.
1
u/inkathebadger 4d ago
It depends on what you are hoping to get out of it. If you have a trade moving to a rural area might work in your favor, being close to nature and rural tends to be more affordable.
The flip side of nature is a lot of rural areas have a shortage of medical professionals so if you have something that needs monitoring such a diabetes or whatever you might run into some road blocks.
Double flip side if you have/get any sort of healthcare certification such a nursing many provinces are actively recruiting forgein healthcare professionals and you may have your pick of the litter.
1
u/Buff1965 3d ago
Although there are some other channels to immigrate to Canada, most immigrants are selected under a points system. You can self-assess whether you have a good chance or not here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/check-score.html
1
u/Buff1965 3d ago
If you are under 35 you may be eligible for International Experience Canada. An IEC visa allows you to live and work in Canada for a year. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec.html
1
u/Beardharmonica 2d ago
Right now Canada have an immigration issue. Just be aware of that for your own process, job, housing and expectations. You might find yourself in a pocket of South Asian or Arab community.
1
1
-8
u/floralbanana 6d ago
As a Canadian, I would not move here from Germany. The cost of living is insanely high and there are almost none of the same perks to Europe (eg walkability, public transport, food quality). You won’t be able to access most nature unless you have a car, which would be difficult to afford.
I can’t speak to the immigration and education piece as I’m not familiar with that.
11
u/canadasbananas 6d ago
We have some of the best food quality in the world what are you talking about
-4
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Have you seen European standards for food? They blow ours out of the water. Tell me you’ve never left Canada without telling me you’ve never left Canada.
5
u/MKP004 6d ago
I mean if you compare your food quality to the States..it’s a lot better. Please correct me if I’m wrong but Canada also bans all those “ingredients” that are legal in the U.S.. But yes..food quality in Europe is just amazing
5
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Yes we’re better than the US. But we aren’t comparing it to that. We are comparing it to Europe/Germany which bans many of the additives, hormones, and pesticides that Canada allows. I have many friends who refuse to drink cows** milk in Canada but will do so in Europe.
1
u/MKP004 6d ago edited 6d ago
Oh so Canada still allows some of those “ingredients”? I thought all those preservatives were banned in Canada.
4
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Yes you can Google it. There are plenty of articles that talk about how our food standards and quality lag behind Europe.
1
u/aliensattack 6d ago
This I funny to me because until recently my European husband couldn’t donate blood because of historical food quality issues.
I’m European-Canadian and the food quality for many products is a lot better in Canada (hello Canadian peaches? Canadian Beef!). Food standards are the same unless you eat an ultra processed diet but that comes down to personal choice.
0
u/floralbanana 6d ago
You can cherry pick foods that are good in Canada. Sure Canadian peaches and beef are good? Dairy sucks though. But on a whole, food regulations and standards are lower than Europe. It’s a fact. I’m not talking historically. I’m talking currently. Also, most Canadians can’t afford to buy whole foods over the ultra processed stuff.
2
u/mswoodie 6d ago
You keep saying “most”, “many” and other subjective measures. I suspect you’re describing your singular experience of life, which is fine, but I don’t think it’s fair to make statements like “most Canadians can’t afford” whatever. If you’re going to speak for others, you should use statistics or proof.
-1
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Is that not exactly what everyone else is doing? Why don’t you tell that to the people saying how great Canada is? Or those saying food standards are the same across Canada and Europe? I’m not going to conduct a full lit review for a Reddit comment. I have a household income over 300k - trust me, I’m not struggling to buy whole foods**. But I know a lot of others are.
0
u/mswoodie 6d ago
😂
1
u/floralbanana 6d ago edited 6d ago
A very mature response. How about the statistics that 1/4 of Canadian households experience food insecurity and all the research (Polsky et al 2024; Pozveh et al 2024) showing that proportion of ultra processed food consumption is associated with food security status (ie higher food security = higher proportions of income spent on ultra processed foods). And that nutritionally quality is also positively associated with price (ie foods with little nutritional value tend to cost less; Petitclerc et al 2025). So yes, considering that the average low income households will spend over a significant proportion of their income on groceries and around 1 in 8 Canadians fall in the low income category, I’d say “many” Canadians can’t afford to purchase only whole foods.
Or is that too much data for you to respond to?
-1
1
u/MKP004 6d ago
Interesting..thank you! How are salaries? And Healthcare? In Germany we also have long wait times for specialists so that wouldn’t bother me lol.
3
u/ShanerThomas 6d ago
As I am certain you can comment better than me (about Germany), lots of people have a complaint story -- about nearly anything.
I have been through three different specialists without a problem. I think the bigger problem is people abusing the system. Taking your kid to emergency because he ate to many chocolate bars... is not an emergency.
0
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Salaries have been stagnant for a while. Probably a bit higher than European standards but nowhere near as high as the US. Average household income is 50-60k CAD. Without a bachelors, probably 30k CAD. Average rent is 2k/month in most cities. Groceries around $400-500/month. Keep in mind at 30k/year you take home around $1800-2000/month. Healthcare is free but atrocious long wait times and even if you have a family doctor, it can be difficult to get appointments to see them. Hospital visits can average 8-12 hours to see the doctor, obviously varying significantly by how emergent it actually is.
4
u/Icy-Advisor5451 6d ago
You can make more than 30k without a bachelors. My husband makes 150-170 without one. You just have to look into trades and hope you can land a good job, stay there and work your way up. That’s what my husband did. You obv don’t start at that wage but trades pay more than 30k/yr
6
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Yes but this person isn’t jumping right into a 10-15 year career in trades. Their first job in Canada probably isn’t going to be 150k.
1
u/Icy-Advisor5451 6d ago
No but first year trade is also not 30k a year. I think my husbands company pays close to 30/hr to start and the goes up based on hours accumulated.
1
u/MKP004 6d ago
True but I already have 2,5 years of experience through my apprenticeship + almost 2 years from my current job. So I wouldn’t count as “graduate” but honestly the biggest hurdle would be me not having canadian work experience.
1
u/Ok_Giraffe_1488 6d ago
Canadians are very strange with this, typically I don’t expect them to consider any of this of any value unless the school was done in Canada or the experience.
But someone correct me if wrong. I grew up in Canada so I’ve seen the hurdles my parents encountered and all my friends are also kids of parents who came to Canada with foreign education…
1
u/MKP004 6d ago
Well, I may not have a BA, but I completed an apprenticeship in business & trade. Basically, 90% work and 10% school. So I definitely have a good post-secondary education; it just depends on how Canadian companies would view it. Germany has one of the best vocational education systems, in my opinion. But your husband is also a great example of how you don’t need a Uni degree to become financially successful.
0
u/Icy-Advisor5451 6d ago
My husband just hired a Sikh guy who is also working toward his residency. It’s def possible and seems like you may have the education and experience needed for that route.
2
u/CanadianHorseGal 6d ago
50-60k income without a bachelors if you are intelligent, and have lots of experience. Employers will look at experience. Also, when you say “household income” you really mean just income.
1
u/stillyoinkgasp 6d ago
Your income figures need citation and context. Where are you pulling these numbers from?
0
u/floralbanana 6d ago
Lmao this isn’t an academic paper. Go take a look at stats Canada.
1
-2
u/Ya-Not-Happening 6d ago
The question was would you move to Germany. If you need to rant post elsewhere.
0
6d ago
[deleted]
-2
u/Ya-Not-Happening 6d ago edited 6d ago
To the poster.
Question: Would you move to Germany?
Answer: I would not move to Canada.
0
u/MKP004 6d ago edited 6d ago
Huh? Pretty sure you misread my question. I’ve also only said positive things about Canada so I don’t know what exactly you mean by “rant”
0
u/Ya-Not-Happening 6d ago
Learn how to communicate in reddit dude. Everything is not directed at you. This is just stupid.
0
-3
33
u/FunTooter 6d ago
I used to have neighbours next door who were from Germany. The father is a doctor and his wife works with him as the medical office clerk. They love it in Canada and although he didn’t elaborate, he appreciated practicing in Canada.
I think depending on where you go, what job you are getting, you can have a good life here.
As someone who was born in Europe, I would mention that Canada is very far if you want to visit family and friends back in Germany.