Moving from Ottawa to Sarasota

Siesta Key sand, arts scene and a favourite snowbird base. Here's how life in Sarasota compares with Ottawa, and what changes when you cross the border.

Sarasota is roughly 26°C warmer than Ottawa in January (about -10°C → 16°C), with little or no snow instead of about 223 cm a year and around 55 fewer sunny days. A typical home costs roughly 5% less in Sarasota (about C$680,000 vs US$470,000, compared at a sample exchange rate), and everyday costs in Sarasota are above the US average. Florida has no state income tax, compared with a medium provincial income tax in Ontario. For lifestyle, you gain warm winters, beach and golf and leave behind big city, skiing and hiking. (Approximate figures.)