The living wage reflects what people need to earn to cover the actual costs of living in their community while working full time (35 hours/week). It includes the cost of basic needs, like food, clothing, and shelter, as well as child care, small investments in education, participating in the community, and unexpected costs.

While the legislated minimum wage is the same across the province, the living wage rate is specific to each community because it costs more to live in some communities than others.