Apparently Canadians Want The City, The Career... And The Beach
Canadians aren't exactly rushing for the exits. When Angus Reid asked Canadians where they'd choose to live if they could live anywhere in the world, 72% still picked Canada. But if staying home wasn't an option, and the wish list included big cities, better career opportunities, and beautiful beach views, this is where Canadians say they'd go.
And believe it or not, they don't necessarily have to go very far to find what they're looking for.
#25. Croatia
For Canadians picturing Europe with a heavy dose of coastline, Croatia makes a compelling case. Zagreb is the country's largest city and economic center, while Split, Rijeka and Dubrovnik put the Adriatic within easy reach.
The job market isn't nearly as large as those in countries higher on this list, but anyone prioritizing European city life with beautiful beaches nearby could certainly understand the appeal.
Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons
#24. Greece
Athens delivers the big-city component, while the Athens Riviera means beaches are much closer to the capital than many Canadians might expect. Thessaloniki provides another sizeable urban option beside the Aegean.
Greece is stronger on lifestyle than career opportunities, but Mediterranean weekends would certainly make February back in Canada feel very far away.
#23. Costa Rica
San José is Costa Rica's main economic and employment center, while Tamarindo, Jacó and Manuel Antonio provide the tropical beaches many Canadians already know from vacations.
The professional market is smaller than in the countries higher on our ranking. Still, for Canadians prioritizing warm weather and outdoor living, Costa Rica makes a pretty convincing argument.
Tamarindowiki, Wikimedia Commons
#22. Colombia
Bogotá provides the enormous metropolitan job market, while Medellín has become an increasingly international city. Then there's Cartagena, where historic streets and Caribbean beaches occupy the same destination.
Colombia also ranked highly in InterNations' 2025 expat survey, although safety and security remain important considerations depending on where someone chooses to live.
Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons
#21. Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur offers skyscrapers, multinational businesses and a major metropolitan economy. Penang and Langkawi, meanwhile, provide the tropical coastline.
Malaysia also performs well for expats when it comes to personal finances and getting established. For Canadians wanting Asian city life without giving up affordable weekend beach escapes, that's an interesting combination.
Sharon Hahn Darlin, Wikimedia Commons
#20. Thailand
Bangkok is one of Asia's great megacities, while Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Koh Samui give Canadians an almost ridiculous selection of beaches.
Thailand ranked 4th overall among 46 destinations in InterNations' 2025 Expat Insider survey. If the goal is replacing snowbanks with palm trees without completely giving up big-city life, Thailand makes sense.
#19. Japan
Few places can compete with Tokyo when sheer city scale is the goal. Osaka, Yokohama and Fukuoka provide additional major employment centers, while Okinawa delivers the beaches.
Japan ranked 9th for quality of life in InterNations' 2025 survey, including strong results for healthcare and transportation. The cultural adjustment, however, would be considerably larger than moving somewhere like Australia.
tenaciousme from Toronto, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
#18. South Korea
Seoul offers an enormous metropolitan economy with major technology, manufacturing and corporate employers. Then there's Busan, where a substantial city sits directly beside beaches such as Haeundae and Gwangalli.
That's a surprisingly rare combination. Canadians could theoretically chase a serious big-city career without saving every beach trip for vacation.
Seoul Tourism Organization, Wikimedia Commons
#17. Brazil
Brazil may be showing off when it comes to this particular wish list. São Paulo provides one of the world's largest urban economies, while Rio de Janeiro famously puts city life directly beside Copacabana and Ipanema.
For Canadians craving a dramatic change involving huge cities, warm weather and spectacular coastlines, Brazil certainly delivers one.
#16. Panama
Panama City offers a skyline-filled international business center, while Pacific destinations such as Coronado put beaches within relatively easy reach. Caribbean options aren't far away either.
Panama has also performed extremely well in recent expat surveys, particularly among people who appreciate its lifestyle and relatively easy adjustment to living abroad.
Matthew Straubmuller, Wikimedia Commons
#15. Mexico
Canadians already know Mexico extremely well as a vacation destination. Living there opens up a much bigger picture.
Mexico City supplies the giant urban economy, while Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos cover the beach requirement rather enthusiastically. Canadians can choose megacity life or palm trees without leaving the country.
#14. Italy
Milan is Italy's financial and business heavyweight, while Rome provides another enormous metropolitan employment center.
For beaches, Canadians can look toward Naples, Sicily, Sardinia or Puglia. Italy might not offer the easiest career transition on this list, but few destinations compete with what happens once the workday ends.
Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons
#13. Germany
Germany's biggest advantage is choice. Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg all provide substantial employment markets, particularly for skilled professionals.
The beach component is less obvious, but Hamburg provides access toward Germany's North Sea and Baltic coasts. This destination definitely leans more heavily toward "cities and jobs" than "permanent flip-flops."
#12. Netherlands
Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague pack major employers and dense city living into a remarkably compact country.
There are beaches, too. Scheveningen sits beside The Hague, while Zandvoort is easily reached from Amsterdam. Granted, Canadians aren't moving there for Caribbean water, but we're hardly known for being picky about swimming temperatures.
#11. Singapore
Singapore takes the big-city requirement to another level because the city basically is the country. Finance, technology, international companies and excellent transportation create serious career possibilities.
And yes, there are beaches. Sentosa Island gives residents somewhere to escape the skyscrapers without even leaving the city-state.
#10. Ireland
Dublin offers Canadians an English-speaking European employment hub packed with multinational companies, while Cork and Galway provide smaller urban alternatives.
Ireland's beaches aren't exactly tropical, but there's coastline everywhere. More importantly for career-minded Canadians, Ireland finished 2nd for working abroad in InterNations' 2025 survey.
The waters of the Shweli River, Wikimedia Commons
#9. Portugal
Lisbon may be one of Europe's best combinations of city life and ocean access. Porto provides another urban option, while the Algarve supplies the classic sunny beaches.
Expats overwhelmingly praise Portugal's climate and natural environment. Its weaker point is employment, which is why this otherwise extremely tempting destination doesn't rank even higher.
#8. United Arab Emirates
The UAE doesn't make Canadians choose between skyscrapers and sand. Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide both.
The country ranked 5th for working abroad in InterNations' 2025 survey and performed particularly well for career prospects. Canadians who have spent years fantasizing about warmer winters should just be warned that Dubai may take "warmer" a little too seriously.
Xiaotong Gao, Wikimedia Commons
#7. Spain
Spain almost seems designed for this list. Madrid supplies a huge employment center, while Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga combine substantial cities with beaches.
Spain ranked #1 for quality of life in InterNations' 2025 survey, and 84% of expats surveyed said they were happy with their lives there. That's a tough combination to ignore.
#6. France
Paris offers one of Europe's great job markets, while Nice, Cannes and Marseille provide the Mediterranean version of city living.
France also has direct Canadian appeal. In the Angus Reid survey, 14% of Canadians who preferred living outside Canada selected France. For francophone Canadians especially, the transition could feel considerably less intimidating.
Acediscovery, Wikimedia Commons
#5. United Kingdom
The U.K. doesn't immediately scream "beach destination," but it deserves its place this high. London provides one of the world's largest employment centers, while Brighton, Bournemouth and Cornwall supply the coastline.
More importantly, 21% of potential Canadian emigrants selected the United Kingdom in Angus Reid's survey. English and longstanding cultural connections certainly help.
#4. New Zealand
Auckland comes remarkably close to checking every box by itself. It's New Zealand's largest urban center and economic hub, yet beaches are scattered around the metropolitan area.
Wellington and Christchurch provide additional options. Angus Reid grouped New Zealand with Australia, and together they attracted 32% of Canadians who preferred living outside Canada.
Richard N Horne, Wikimedia Commons
#3. Australia
Australia almost feels purpose-built for Canadians who want cities, careers and beaches without giving up an outdoorsy lifestyle.
Sydney combines a huge employment market with Bondi and Manly. Melbourne offers major employers and coastline, while Brisbane, Perth and the Gold Coast provide even more sunshine. Roughly 58,800 Canadian-born people were living in Australia in 2020.
Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons
#2. South Africa
Johannesburg provides the country's largest concentration of corporate and financial activity, while Cape Town delivers one of the strongest city-and-beach combinations anywhere on this list. Clifton, Camps Bay and Muizenberg are all within the Cape Town metropolitan area.
Durban adds another major coastal city with warm Indian Ocean beaches. Employment conditions and safety require careful consideration, but purely on the combination of major cities, professional opportunities and spectacular coastline, South Africa is difficult to overlook.
#1. United States
For Canadians seeking all three things at once, the United States is extremely difficult to beat.
New York City offers an enormous employment market with Atlantic beaches nearby. Los Angeles and San Diego combine major economies with the Pacific. Miami delivers international business and beaches, while Honolulu takes the beach portion of the assignment to another level.
Then there are entire states that fit the formula. California, Florida and Hawaii are obvious examples, while Texas combines huge employment centers such as Houston with Gulf Coast access.
And the numbers don't lie.
The Numbers Point In One Direction
Most importantly, this isn't simply our guess. When Angus Reid asked Canadians who would prefer living outside Canada where they'd go, 36% chose the United States, more than any other individual country.
Statistics Canada also estimated that approximately 794,000 Canadian-born people were already living in the United States in 2020. That's far more than in any other country it examined.
And unlike virtually every other destination on this list, Canadians don't need to cross an ocean to get there.
Apparently Canadians Don't Need To Go That Far
The countries near the top reveal a pretty clear pattern. Canadians appear particularly drawn to places where the transition doesn't require completely reinventing everyday life, especially when English, recognizable cities and established Canadian connections are part of the package.
Add big employment markets, genuinely major cities and easy access to beaches, and the list gets much shorter.
Apparently, Canadians searching for all three might find that the destination checking the most boxes was sitting right next door all along.
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