Calgary 
Alberta Living Wage Network has published the hourly wages required for residents of various Alberta cities to earn to maintain a modest standard of living in 2023.
A living wage is not the same as the minimum wage, which is the legal minimum all employers must pay to their employees. Alberta’s minimum wage is $15 per hour.
The living wage is “the hourly rate of pay needed for a household to maintain a modest standard of living, once government transfers have been added to the family’s income, and taxes have been subtracted.”
Alberta Living Wage in 2023
In 2023, living wages in Canadian municipalities have generally increased due to the rising cost of living. Shelter costs, including rent and utilities, have been a significant driver of these increases across Alberta, exacerbating the province’s ongoing housing crisis.
Alberta Living Wage Network says unlike other provinces, Alberta’s child care grants and subsidies have not put downward pressure on living wages, as they have remained unchanged. However, temporary government benefits, such as the Federal Grocery Rebate and Alberta Affordability Payments, have helped keep living wages lower than expected this year but are not a long-term solution. Wages have failed to keep pace with the soaring costs of food and shelter, with food prices rising by 41% since September 2013 while hourly wages have only increased by 24%. Additionally, single individuals face greater financial challenges as they receive minimal government benefits compared to families.
In 2023, the living wage in Calgary is $23.70 per hour, while you need to make $22.25 per hour to live modestly in Edmonton, compared to 2022 living wages of $22.40 and $21.40, respectively.
In 2021, it was $18.60 and $18.10 respectively.
The highest wage requirement for a modest standard of living is in Canmore – an astonishing $38.80.
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Brooks: $19.05
- Calgary: $23.70 (a family of four: $22.17; a single parent with one child: $31.07; a single individual, $24.15)
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Canmore: $38.80
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Drayton Valley: $19.55
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Edmonton: $22.25
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Fort McMurray: $24.50
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Grande Prairie: $18.90
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High River: $21.70
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Jasper: $24.90
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Lac La Biche County: $21.60
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Lethbridge: $20.60
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Medicine Hat: $17.35
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Red Deer: $18.75
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Spruce Grove: $21.00
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St. Albert: $23.80
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Stony Plain: $21.10
Detailed information on the methodology and calculation by Alberta Living Wage Network is given here.
