Ontario's living wage rates are higher for 2026 and some places are close to $30 per hour

Ontario's living wage for 2026 has been revealed, and rates went up in every region.

Workers in some parts of the province need to make close to $30 an hour to afford the cost of living.

On November 9, the Ontario Living Wage Network released the 2026 living wage calculations for 10 regions across the province.

A living wage is the hourly rate a worker needs to earn to cover basic expenses, like food and shelter, and participate in their community.

The living wage increased by an average of 1.6% in Ontario this year, which is a "more modest" increase compared to the 5.3% average in 2025.

While these rates vary across the province, the Ontario Living Wage Network revealed that living wage rates went up in all 10 regions.

The living wage regions are based on Statistics Canada's economic regions and work-home commuting data from the 2016 census.

Ontario Living Wage Network collected data on the cost of goods and services for three household units: two parents aged 35 with two children aged seven and three, a single parent with a seven-year-old child, and a single adult.

The goods and services analyzed include food, shelter, clothing, transportation, medical expenses, cellphones, child care, and other expenses.

The living wage rate includes the before-tax income each adult would need to earn to cover expenses for their family unit, any government assistance a family may receive (such as the Canada Child Benefit), and the payroll and income taxes adults may pay.

After the wage is calculated for each of the three households, a weighted average is taken based on the proportion of adults in Ontario in those household units as reported in the 2021 census.

Here are the 2026 living wage rates in Ontario:

• Greater Toronto Area — $27.60 per hour
• Grey, Bruce, Perth, Huron and Simcoe — $24.75 per hour
• Ottawa — $24.10 per hour
• Dufferin, Guelph, Wellington and Waterloo — $23.40 per hour
• Hamilton — $23.10 per hour
• East — $22.80 per hour
• Southwest — $21.85 per hour
• Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk and Niagara — $21.60 per hour
• North — $21.35 per hour
• London, Elgin and Oxford — $21.15 per hour

Ontario Living Wage Network said affordability is "a significant challenge" for workers in the GTA who earn low wages as the region continues to have the highest living wage rate in the province.

Even though the GTA has the highest living wage, it didn't have the biggest increase in 2026. According to this year's calculations, Ottawa's living wage rate went up 3% from $23.40 per hour in 2025 to $24.10 per hour in 2026, which was the biggest increase in Ontario.

The living wage rate increases across the province may be smaller than you expect, but every living wage rate in Ontario is higher than the current minimum wage of $17.95 per hour. For 2026, the gap between the living wage and minimum wage is from $3.20 to $9.65, depending on the region.

"There is still no region in Ontario where minimum wage is enough to afford the cost of living," the Ontario Living Wage Network said.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.