This is how much money it takes to be happy in Edmonton
It turns out that there is a price on happiness, and in Edmonton, it’s well into the six figures.
That’s according to money-transfer company Remitly, which looked at a Purdue University study on income and happiness, and adjusted the numbers for local purchasing power and inflation.
And yes, money buys happiness, according to the study, but only up to a point. Past that point, called “income satiation,” a bigger paycheque stops moving the needle on how satisfied you feel with your life, the study found.
In Edmonton, that point sits at CAD 153,624, which is 12th place among Canada’s major cities, according to the report.
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Victoria has the highest price of happiness of Canada’s major cities (CAD 169,951/USD 124,047), although it’s less than two per cent higher than that in Vancouver or Toronto, which tied for second place (CAD 166,982/USD 121,881).
“The living wage in Victoria has risen in recent years to keep up with soaring costs of living,” said the study.
On the other end, the major Canadian city with the lowest price of happiness is Kingston (CAD 140,513/USD 102,560). This is despite Kingston becoming Canada’s fourth-most-expensive city to rent.
Remitly
Overall, Canada’s national price of happiness works out to USD 113,755 ā a bit cheaper than the U.S., where happiness levels off at USD 134,827 per person. China, by comparison, is USD 71,201.
Remitly got its numbers by reverse-engineering figures obtained from Purdue University’s study into the relationship between happiness and income. Then it adjusted for purchasing power, exchange rates, inflation, and local cost of living using March 2026 data.
You can view the full study on the Remitly website.