Calgary is often known as one of the more affordable places to live when it comes to major Canadian cities, but it might not be as cheap as you might think. Recently the living wage for the Alberta city was revealed, and it’s now almost $10 per hour higher than the province’s minimum wage.
Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) worked in collaboration with the Alberta Living Wage Network (ALWN) to find the living wage and determined that it’s $24.45 per hour for Calgary. That puts it at 63 percent above the Alberta minimum wage, which is $15 per hour.
“Living wage is the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and have a modest standard of living, once government transfers have been added and taxes have been subtracted,” the release said.
In the release they pointed to the fact that food and housing costs are up for Calgarians, who are now paying around 10 percent more for food. Compared to Edmonton, people in Calgary are also paying “between $3,300 to $4,500 more on shelter, annually.”
Although often seen as the more pricey city, Vancouver’s Living wage is $25.68 — not too far ahead of Calgary — although the most recent data is from 2023. Toronto on the other hand does have a 2024 living wage released, and it’s $25.05.
If Alberta is calling out to you, it seems like you might want to look towards Edmonton if affordability is at the forefront of your mind!
