Last Updated On 26 April 2025, 7:44 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
New living wage Canada 2023 rates for the top 52 major Canadian cities have now been revealed, pointing to the actual wage that individuals and families need to afford basic needs.
A living wage is the hourly pay that a worker must earn in order to satisfy their basic costs and contribute to their community.
The provincial government sets the minimum wage for all employers, but a living wage is not the same as the minimum wage.
The living wage shows what people need to earn to pay the actual costs of living in their neighbourhood, and it is based on community-specific data.
Employers who pay a living wage actively choose to keep their certification as new rates are computed for their area.
All The New Living Wage Canada 2023 Rates
| City/Region | Province | Living Wage For 2023 | Living Wage For 2022 | |
| 1 | Canmore | Alberta | 38.80 | 32.75 |
| 2 | Clayoquot Sound | British Columbia | 26.51 | Not Available |
| 3 | Halifax | Nova Scotia | 26.50 | 23.50 |
| 4 | Daajing Giids | British Columbia | 26.25 | Not Available |
| 5 | Golden | British Columbia | 25.78 | 25.56 |
| 6 | Metro Vancouver | British Columbia | 25.68 | 24.08 |
| 7 | Sunshine Coast | British Columbia | 25.61 | Not Available |
| 8 | Greater Victoria | British Columbia | 25.40 | 24.29 |
| 9 | Annapolis Valley | Nova Scotia | 25.40 | 22.40 |
| 10 | Cowichan Valley | British Columbia | 25.20 | 23.53 |
Canmore in Alberta continues to top the list of the highest living wage in Canada, followed by Clayoquot Sound and Halifax.
| City/Region | Province | Living Wage For 2023 | Living Wage For 2022 | |
| 11 | Powell River | British Columbia | 25.06 | 23.33 |
| 12 | Southern | Nova Scotia | 25.05 | 22.55 |
| 13 | Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | Ontario | 25.05 | 23.15 |
| 14 | Jasper | Alberta | 24.90 | Not Available |
| 15 | Revelstoke | British Columbia | 24.60 | 23.60 |
| 16 | Kelowna | British Columbia | 24.60 | 22.88 |
| 17 | Fort McMurray | Alberta | 24.50 | 22.50 |
| 18 | Northern | Nova Scotia | 24.30 | 20.40 |
| 19 | St. Albert | Alberta | 23.80 | 22.40 |
| 20 | Calgary | Alberta | 23.70 | 22.40 |
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has a new living wage of $25.05, which is quite higher than the official minimum wage in Ontario of $16.55 per hour.
| City/Region | Province | Living Wage For 2023 | Living Wage For 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Nanaimo | British Columbia | 22.87 | 20.49 |
| 22 | Cape Breton | Nova Scotia | 22.85 | 20.00 |
| 23 | Grey Bruce Perth hyuron Simcoe | Ontario | 22.75 | 20.70 |
| 24 | Columbia Valley | British Columbia | 22.63 | 21.85 |
| 25 | Edmonton | Alberta | 22.25 | 21.40 |
| 26 | Prince George | British Columbia | 22.09 | 21.19 |
| 27 | Comox Valley | British Columbia | 22.02 | 20.26 |
| 28 | Ottawa | Ontario | 21.95 | 19.60 |
| 29 | High River | Alberta | 21.70 | Not Available |
| 30 | Lac La Biche County | Alberta | 21.60 | Not Available |
Living wage rates have increased in all the major Canadian cities in 2023 so was the case in 2022 due to rising cost of living.
| City/Region | Province | Living Wage For 2023 | Living Wage For 2022 | |
| 31 | Trail | British Columbia | 21.55 | 21.13 |
| 32 | Nelson | British Columbia | 21.14 | 20.83 |
| 33 | Stony Plain | Alberta | 21.10 | 20.40 |
| 34 | Spruce Grove | Alberta | 21.00 | 20.70 |
| 35 | Kamloops | British Columbia | 20.91 | 19.14 |
| 36 | Dufferin Guelph Wellington Waterloo | Ontario | 20.90 | 19.95 |
| 37 | Hamilton | Ontario | 20.80 | 19.05 |
| 38 | Fraser Valley | British Columbia | 20.66 | 18.98 |
| 39 | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | 20.64 | 20.53 |
| 40 | Lethbridge | Alberta | 20.60 | 20.30 |
| City/Region | Province | Living Wage For 2023 | Living Wage For 2022 | |
| 41 | East | Ontario | 20.60 | 19.05 |
| 42 | Brant Haldimand Norfolk Niagara | Ontario | 20.35 | 19.80 |
| 43 | North | Ontario | 19.80 | 19.70 |
| 44 | Drayton Valley | Alberta | 19.55 | Not Available |
| 45 | Brooks | Alberta | 19.05 | Not Available |
| 46 | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | 18.95 | 16.89 |
| 47 | Grande Prairie | Alberta | 18.90 | Not Available |
| 48 | London Elgin Oxford | Ontario | 18.85 | 18.05 |
| 49 | Red Deer | Alberta | 18.75 | 19.65 |
| 50 | Southwest | Ontario | 18.65 | 18.15 |
| 51 | Regina | Saskatchewan | 17.80 | 16.23 |
| 52 | Medicine Hat | Alberta | 17.35 | Not Available |
What are the employers that pay a living wage in Canada?
According to the respective Living Wage Network websites, there are over 1,000 certified living wage employers in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
You can visit the below links to access the directory for certified living wage employers:
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