The latest report from Living Wage BC indicates that you need to make more than the minimum wage to live comfortably in the vast majority of British Columbian cities.
While that may come as no surprise, the 2025report shows that some cities have a living wage that is $10 or more above the province’s minimum wage of $17.85.
That includes Whistler, Squamish and Metro Vancouver, and you could probably throw Golden and Revelstoke in there as their living wage is $9.95 more than the minimum wage.
Kelowna is 10th on the list with a living wage of $25.95, which marks a 0.7% increase over the past year.
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“The living wage is the hourly rate that a full-time worker must earn to cover essential expenses, avoid chronic financial stress and participate in the social, civic and cultural life of their community,” the report explains.
“This rate supports a basic, decent standard of living, but without many of the comforts or extras that many may take for granted.”
There are 27 cities included in this year’s report, an increase from 21 a year ago with the additions of Campbell River, Kitimat, Pemberton, Port Alberni, Prince Rupert and Vernon.
Out of the communities included in the report, the lowest cost of living is $21.55 in Grand Forks and the highest is $29.60 in Whistler.
Every single returning community saw an increase in living wage, with the only decrease between 2024 and 2025 coming in the tiny 1,000-person village of Daajing Giids on Haida Gwaii.
Click here to see the entire 2025 Living Wage BC report.
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