BC's 2022 Living Wage Was Revealed & Here's How Much You Need To Earn To Afford A Basic Life

The living wage in B.C. for 2022 was just released, and the bad news is it's gone way up from last year. While living wages vary in different areas of the province, Victoria has come out on top as the most expensive city.

If you want to settle down in the Greater Victoria area, you'll need to earn a hefty $24.29 per hour to afford a basic life. That's much higher than the provincial minimum wage, which sits at $15.65 per hour.

Unfortunately, the living wage across the province is higher than the minimum wage. That means that anyone making minimum wage can't afford a "basic life," according to the report from Living Wage for Families B.C.

The report determined the living wage by calculating the hourly amount that each of two working parents with two young children must earn to meet their basic expenses. The amount factors in basics like rent, food and childcare but doesn't include saving or debt repayment.

In Metro Vancouver, a family would have to make $24.08 to afford these necessities. Last year, the living wage for the same area was $20.52, so it has increased by $3.56.

Living Wage for Families B.C. said this is the "highest increase since the living wage was first calculated in 2008 and significantly higher than the rate of inflation."

They added that the "significant increases in the cost of food and housing" are to blame for this.

Here's a list of the living wage rates across the province:

• Castlegar $20.54
• Columbia Valley $21.85
• Comox Valley $20.26
• Cowichan Valley $23.53
• Cranbrook $21.90
• Dawson Creek $20.53
• Fernie $23.58
• Fraser Valley $18.98
• Golden $25.56
• Grand Forks $20.05
• Greater Victoria $24.29
• Haida Gwaii $25.87
• Kamloops $19.14
• Kelowna $22.88
• Metro-Vancouver $24.08
• Nanaimo $20.49
• Nelson $20.83
• Powell River $23.33
• Prince George $21.19
• Prince Rupert $22.69
• Revelstoke $23.60
• Trail $21.13