🇨🇦 Buy Property in Ottawa, Canada

3,285 properties from $109K to $1970K

Median Price

$481K

Avg Size

807 sq ft

Listings

3,285

About Ottawa

Canada's capital is bilingual (English/French), safe, and surprisingly affordable compared to Toronto or Vancouver. The federal government is the dominant employer, but the tech sector (Shopify, etc.) is growing fast. Winters are serious (expect -25°C), but the Rideau Canal skating rink, excellent museums, and easy US border access (2 hours to upstate NY) make up for it.

Living in Ottawa

What American expats need to know about Canada

Visa

Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) — points-based system scoring age, education, language, and work experience. Processing takes ~11 months, costs CA$1,525. Leads directly to permanent residency. Provincial Nominee Programs offer alternative pathways with lower requirements if you target a specific province.

Cost of Living

Excluding rent, a single person needs ~$950 USD/mo; a family of four ~$3,400 USD/mo. Rent (1-bed, city center): Toronto ~$2,100, Vancouver ~$2,200, Montreal ~$1,300, Calgary ~$1,400. Groceries run C$12-18/day per person. Overall similar to US; Toronto/Vancouver rival SF, Montreal/Calgary 20-30% cheaper.

Key Fact

Canada has universal healthcare, but wait times for specialists can be months. Having French language skills dramatically improves your Express Entry score and opens up Quebec programs.

Life in Canada

Hockey-night camaraderie, vast wilderness an hour from any city, and a multicultural mosaic where poutine shops sit next to dim sum restaurants and everyone apologizes for everything.