What is a living wage in Alberta?

The cost of living may feel high, but the hourly salary needed to make a so-called living wage in Edmonton is down, in part because of reduced childcare costs, but it’s not having the same impact across Alberta.

In Calgary, food prices and housing are driving up the living wage.

Albertans have noticed costs go up, and if you live in Calgary the living wage is now $24.45 an hour, up 3.25 per cent from last year, according to the Alberta Living Wage Network.

“In general, Calgarians spend about $4,500 more in accommodations than they did in Edmonton,” said Meaghon Reid, the executive director of Vibrant Communities Calgary.

Comparing that to Edmonton, if you make at least $20.85 per hour, you meet the benchmark needed to live a moderate lifestyle, covering your basics and a few unexpected expenses. 

“Edmonton is pretty much exactly in the middle of the pack. We have some really big outliers for example, like Jasper is closer to $31/hour is needed to make a living wage, whereas in Medicine Hat, it’s like $17.50,” said Sydney Shelof, a strategic research coordinator with the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

This is the first year Edmonton has seen a decrease in the living wage since 2015.

RShelof says the living wage in Edmonton is $1.40 per hour cheaper than the year before, in large part because of the rollout of childcare subsidies.

“Before the $10-a-day childcare agreement, childcare was one of the biggest expenses of a family. It was almost identical to rent,” said Shelof. 

Across Alberta, the estimated living wage is higher than the minimum wage.

The last time Alberta saw a minimum wage increase was in 2018, to $15 per hour, which is now one of the lowest in the country.

While Calgary is higher on the list of Alberta’s most expensive places to live, Reid says some employers also pay more.

“We have over 150 great living wage certified employers in this province, over 50 of those are in Calgary, and speaking to any of those employers from large to small businesses, they can tell you that this really works for their business in terms of retention and productivity,” Reid explained.

CityNews reached out to the Ministry of Finance, but has not heard back at this time.