Costs of Moving to the UK: A Guide for Canadians

How much does it cost to move to the UK?

You may hear the UK is an expensive place to live – especially London. However, did you ever consider that Canada is an expensive place to live too? Living in London is similar to living in a big Canadian city such as Toronto or Vancouver.

However, the cost of living in the UK and the cost of moving to the UK are two different things. When moving to another country you need to consider additional expenses to set up your new life there, such as flights and visas.

Listed below are the main costs to consider when moving to the UK:

UK Visa Costs: $425 CAD

As a Canadian, you can visit the UK for up to six entire months without a visa. This is amazing! However, you won’t be able to work in the UK without a visa – which could cause some issues if you need to pay rent. Therefore, you will need to apply for a visa.

Not to worry! If you have a Canadian passport and are between the ages of 18-30 (inclusively) then you can apply for a working holiday visa. To learn more about the qualifications visit our UK Working Holiday page.

The UK working holiday visa fee is £244 – or about $425 CAD depending on the exchange rate. If your visa application is rejected, unfortunately, you will not be refunded the visa fee. Therefore, we will also add in the cost of Stepabroad’s expert support in obtaining this visa. Our team ensures that you do not have to go through the process multiple times and keep repaying the fee. Our UK Send-Off Package also comes with a ton of additional support such as setting you up with accommodation in the UK, a bank account, phone plan and more.

UK healthcare: $1,640 CAD

When applying for a visa to live and work in the UK you are required to enroll in the UK’s national healthcare program. Essentially, this means you will be covered for healthcare costs the same way as UK residents. This is very similar to Canada’s healthcare program. The benefit is that you will not need to purchase travel insurance.

One downfall, however, is that you need to pay the full healthcare fee upfront – there is no option for monthly payments. In addition, you have to pay for the entire duration of your visa even if you don’t stay in the UK for the entire length of your visa.

The UK healthcare fee is currently £624 per year. However, with the UK working holiday visa or student visa you receive a discounted rate of £470 per year – or about $820 CAD depending on the exchange rate. Therefore, on a working holiday visa you will need to pay about $1,640 CAD for UK healthcare at the time of your visa application since this visa lasts for 2 years.

Note: If your visa application is rejected the healthcare fee will be refunded to you.

Flight: $600 CAD

It goes without saying that you can’t swim to the UK and so will need to purchase a flight. When entering the UK on a visa, they do not require a return ticket. This means that you only need to worry about the price of a one-way ticket when taking into account your total cost for moving to the UK.

You can look for cheap flights on platforms such as Skyscanner and Kayak. Since London is a major hub you can usually find really great flight prices. Of course, the cost will depend on which city in Canada you are flying from. For the sake of creating a budget, let’s estimate about $600 CAD.

First month’s rent: $1,100 CAD

While this isn’t exactly a cost for “moving” to the UK it is something that you should work into your budget because you will be expected to pay your first month’s rent before moving in. The reason it is important to work rent into your budget is that you likely won’t have a job at this point – or your first paycheque.

Since you will be using Canadian dollars to pay for your first month’s rent, the exchange rate won’t be in your favour. Once you start making money in British Pounds though you will be smooth sailing! For your first month’s rent, let’s assume you are living with roommates in London (the most expensive city in the UK) and spend about $1,100 CAD on rent.

Security deposit: $700 CAD

When moving into a new place in the UK you are required to pay a security deposit. This is also required in Canada. However, in Canada, we are used to paying a security deposit equal to half a month’s rent. In the UK, the security deposit – which they call a bond – is often closer to a full month’s rent (sometimes more if they know you are from abroad). However, it’s usually just under the first month’s rent so we will estimate about $700 CAD.

If you are moving out of a place in Canada, you can apply your Canadian security deposit amount to your UK security deposit. Remember, you should receive this money back when you move out – as long as you don’t incur any damages to the property.

Living expenses: $500 CAD

As previously mentioned, when moving to the UK you should plan to cover your first month’s living expenses to allow yourself time to find a job and earn your first paycheque. This includes grocery, phone bills, and transportation. Phone bills are cheap in the UK. Groceries will depend on the food you eat, and transportation will depend on where you are living and how much commuting you do. As a ballpark, about $500 CAD will have you covered.

Fun! $500 CAD

You are on a working holiday so let’s not forget to add in a budget for sightseeing and entertainment. The UK is great for sightseeing because by simply walking around you can see iconic buildings, markets, and attractions. In London, they also have an abundance of free museums. It’s better to be over-budget than under-budget, so plan for $500 CAD for sightseeing, entertainment, drinks, and eating out.

Total Expenses:

Now you know what expenses to account for when moving to the UK, let’s see how much you should have saved before making the move:

UK visa costs: $425
Stepabroad UK Send Off Package: $249
UK healthcare costs: $1,640
Flight: $600
First month’s rent:$1,100
Security deposit: $700
Living expenses: $500
Fun: $500
TOTAL: $5,714 CAD

Keep in mind this is just a guideline. You can definitely find cheaper rent and decrease your living and leisure expenses. However, we always recommend over-budgeting rather than under-budgeting.