Ontario minimum wage to rise to $17.95 on Oct. 1
Posted Apr 1, 2026 06:51:48 AM.
Last Updated Apr 1, 2026 09:12:02 AM.
Ontario’s minimum wage is set to rise to $17.95 an hour on Oct. 1.
The province boosts the wage annually based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation.
The current minimum wage is $17.60.
The government says someone earning minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an additional $728 per year.
Labour Minister David Piccini says the increase will leave Ontario with one of the highest minimum wage rates in the country.
To live in the City of Ottawa with the most basic expenses, a worker will need to be paid $23.40
The amount of money needed to live in the nation’s capital has gone up, according to the Ontario Living Wage Network, but it is one of the smallest increases across the province.
“Despite the annual October 1st increase to the provincial minimum wage to $17.60, there is still no place in Ontario where you could work full-time and cover all your expenses,” the report reads.
The organization notes that the living wage calculations included more accurate data for rental costs this year by adding the Rural Ontario Institute’s Rural Housing Information System. Rental costs have “calmed,” the report notes, and in some cases even decreased since 2024.
Costs annually according to household type in Ottawa
| Category | Family of four | Single parent | Single person |
| Food | $11,951 | $5,727 | $4,100 |
| Shelter | $30,587 | $25,164 | $21,120 |
| Transportation | $8,861 | $7,241 | $1,620 |
| Child care | $11,751 | $6,204 | N/A |
| *Other expenses | $10,668 | $5,276 | $3,433 |
| Total | $73,818 | $49,612 | $30,273 |
*Includes toiletries, furniture, household and school supplies, bank fees, laundry and other
