This is where some of the highest and lowest living wages are in Alberta

We’ve heard all about how expensive everything thing is right now. That raises the question: how high are the living wages across Alberta?

According to the Alberta Living Wage, Medicine Hat has the lowest wage needed to make a living in Alberta at $17.50, followed by Drayton Valley, Grande Prairie, and Red Deer at $19.65 an hour.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Canmore, where you need to make $32.75 an hour to have your income be considered a liveable wage.

Lisa Brown, manager of community social development for the Town of Canmore, says this helps them understand what needs to be adjusted in the mountain town.

“The Living Wage provides context to the affordability concerns that are the lived reality of so many people in Alberta. It is a tool and calculation that helps us to understand what expenses impact the cost of living within our communities, as well as helping us to identify what programs increase affordability for our residents. The Town of Canmore is a founding member of the Living Wage Network and continues to support the network by working to understand Alberta’s diverse economic landscape.”

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As for the two biggest cities in Alberta, it is no surprise the living wages needed for both are on the more expensive side. The hourly wage needed to make a living in Edmonton is $21.40. Calgary is a dollar more expensive at $22.40.

Whether you are looking to rent or buy, Edmonton’s cost of living has consistently been lower than Calgary’s.

On average, Calgarians pay around $400 more per month for rent, while the average home price in Edmonton is around $100,000 less than in its southern counterpart.

Meaghon Reid is the executive director at Vibrant Communities Calgary and says this shows a lot of work needs to be done in YYC.

“Living wages are an important tool in figuring out what it costs to live in a city and with the current affordability crisis, it’s clear that more needs to be done to help people make ends meet. Alberta is the only province that didn’t review and raise its minimum wage in 2022 and one of the only provinces that doesn’t tie its minimum wage to the cost of living. It’s time for the government to step up and give Albertans the help they need.”

The 2022 living wages for Alberta are as follows:

• • Medicine Hat: $17.50
  • Drayton Valley: $19.65
  • Grand Prairie: $19.65
  • Red Deer: $19.65
  • Lethbridge: $20.30
  • Stony Plain: $20.40
  • Spruce Grove: $20.70
  • Drumheller: $21.20
  • Edmonton: $21.40
  • Rocky Mountain House: $21.85
  • Cochrane: $22.35
  • St. Albert: $22.40
  • Calgary: $22.40
  • Fort McMurray: $22.50
  • Canmore: $32.75

Alberta Living Wage says the purpose of this report is to shed light on the reality of the cost of living in cities and towns across Alberta.

The living wage is defined as the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in the community. The calculation considers the hourly rate of pay needed for a household to maintain a modest standard of living, once government transfers have been added and taxes have been subtracted. It assumes that each adult is working full-time hours and includes more than the basics of food, clothing, and shelter – it also takes into account unexpected costs, small investments in education, child care, and participation in the community.