How much do you need to earn per hour to actually afford to live in a Canadian city? Pick your city and household to see the 2026 living wage.
Hourly (full-time, 40h × 52 weeks)
$27.08/hr
Annual gross
$56,323
Take-home (after tax)
$44,475
Monthly cost covered
$3,661
| City | Living wage (hourly) | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Iqaluit, NU | $34.73/hr | $4,695 |
| Vancouver, BC | $28.03/hr | $3,790 |
| Toronto, ON | $27.08/hr | $3,661 |
| Yellowknife, NT | $26.78/hr | $3,620 |
| Victoria, BC | $24.04/hr | $3,250 |
| Ottawa, ON | $23.22/hr | $3,140 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo, ON | $22.46/hr | $3,036 |
| Halifax, NS | $22.45/hr | $3,035 |
| Hamilton, ON | $21.91/hr | $2,962 |
| Calgary, AB | $21.83/hr | $2,951 |
| Whitehorse, YT | $21.38/hr | $2,890 |
| London, ON | $20.45/hr | $2,765 |
| Edmonton, AB | $19.82/hr | $2,679 |
| Windsor, ON | $19.19/hr | $2,595 |
| Montreal, QC | $18.93/hr | $2,560 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $18.51/hr | $2,503 |
| Thunder Bay, ON | $18.31/hr | $2,475 |
| Charlottetown, PE | $18.27/hr | $2,470 |
| Saskatoon, SK | $18.11/hr | $2,449 |
| St. John's, NL | $17.83/hr | $2,410 |
| Moncton, NB | $17.83/hr | $2,410 |
| Regina, SK | $17.66/hr | $2,388 |
| Fredericton, NB | $17.44/hr | $2,358 |
| Quebec City, QC | $16.83/hr | $2,275 |
| Sherbrooke, QC | $14.89/hr | $2,013 |
Method: monthly cost (rent + food + transit + utilities + phone + misc + childcare) × 12, grossed up by 22% average tax burden, divided by 2,080 hours/year. Family scenarios assume 2 kids in licensed childcare. Excludes savings, debt repayment, vacations.