The 2023 living wage for Metro Vancouver is $25.68 per hour. This is the hourly rate that each of two parents working full-time must earn to support a family of four in Metro Vancouver. The living wage is enough for a family with two young children to cover the necessities, support the healthy development of their children, escape severe financial stress and participate in the social, civic and cultural lives of their communities. It affords a decent if still very modest standard of living without the extras many of us take for granted.
People who work for low wages face impossible choices—buy groceries or heat the house, keep up with bills or pay the rent on time. The result can be spiraling debt, constant anxiety and long-term health problems. In many cases it means working long hours, often at multiple jobs, just to pay for basic necessities. Parents end up having little time to spend with their families, much less to help their children with school work or participate in community activities and we are all poorer for it.
For more details on the methodology and data sources used to calculate the 2023 Metro Vancouver living wage, download the accompanying Technical Appendix and calculation spreadsheet.