Independent guides for newcomers
A new chapter. A life in Canada.
Explore Canadian cities, plan your budget and find practical guidance for your next chapter.
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City guides
Four cities to start with
Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary: explore daily life, local resources and sourced budget references.
Each city guide links to official resources. Budget references describe a family of two adults and two children in 2025; adapt them to your own situation.
What your monthly budget covers
Build a personal budget across six monthly categories. Start with the 2025 family reference for four cities, or enter your own amounts for any household.
Every city reference includes its source, reference period and method. Personalise the amounts with your own quotes.
Six monthly categories
- Rent
- Groceries
- Utilities
- Transport
- Phone and internet
- Other essentials
Three routes through the site
Whether you are planning, already working or settling long term, start with the route that matches your situation.
Plan the move
Plan your first weeks: housing, transport and the everyday essentials to research before you leave.
Find work
Job search resources, credential recognition and the practical side of employment in Canada.
Recently arrived
Find your bearings with local services, neighbourhoods and practical city resources.
Latest guides
A Method for Safer Renting
A practical rental-safety checklist covering written inclusions, viewings, provider verification and payment evidence, with province-specific rules.
Questions Before Opening a Bank Account
What to compare before opening a Canadian bank account: fees, introductory expiry, transactions, debit versus credit and identification routes.
A Practical First 30 Days Checklist
An editorial sequence for your first month in Canada: documents, settlement support, housing, banking and a review, with no immigration assessment.
Why you can check our work
Primary sources
Facts about rules, fees and requirements link to the official federal or provincial source, with the date it was checked.
Editorial independence
HiCanadian is an independent project. It is not affiliated with the Government of Canada, and no government body reviews or approves this content.
Corrections
When a published fact changes or proves wrong, the page is corrected and the change is noted, not quietly deleted.