As May rolls in, Quebec's minimum wage workers will see a modest paycheck increase. The provincial minimum wage is set to rise by $0.50, bringing it to $15.75 per hour. But, according to a new study by the Institut de recherche et d’informations socio-économiques (IRIS), that boost is more of a Band-Aid fix than a cure for the financial woes many face.
Canada was once renowned for its reasonable cost of living: minimal credit card fees, more affordable health care than the U.S., and budget-friendly housing, especially in Quebec. However, the things are changing. In 2023, when measured against the 50 priciest countries globally, Canada ranks in 25th place nine spots below its southern neighbour. Many countries face high inflation, but in Canada, these everyday items are especially costly.
To the surprise of no one, the income a single Montrealer needs to live comfortably rose by 9% between 2022 and 2023. That's according to the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS), which published the 2023 edition of its sustainable income report on May 3. The report identifies the minimum-income residents of seven Quebec cities Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières need to live not just above the poverty line but "with dignity."
Canada: land of the free and home of the seriously indebted. Amid record inflation, the cost of living in Canada has soared from unreasonable to holy-sh t-holy-sh t-holy-sh t.In Montreal, once a bastion of affordable living in an otherwise unaffordable country, residents have hunkered down in the face of skyrocketing prices, consoled by the certainty that they at the very least have it better than Canadians in other cities… right?
Canada's cost of living was once notoriously reasonable with no credit card fees, cheaper health care than the U.S. and affordable housing (especially in Quebec). But times are a-changing. Compared to the 50 most expensive countries in the world in 2022, Canada ranks 25th this year now one place higher than its neighbour to the south. Skyrocketing housing costs and food prices aren't helping and income inequality has reached its highest point since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.