The average Canadian family now spends nearly 42% of its income on taxes — but that's only the beginning of Canada's affordability problem.
According to the Fraser Institute's 2026 Canadian Consumer Tax Index, the average Canadian family earns $121,111 and pays approximately $50,721 in taxes.
But what happens to the money Canadians have left?
Over the past five years, food prices have increased by approximately 27%. A family of four is projected to spend nearly $1,000 more on food this year alone. Nearly 2.2 million visits to Canadian food banks were recorded in a single month — almost double the level recorded just six years ago.
Then there's housing.
The average Canadian home that sold for approximately $471,000 in 2016 now costs roughly $675,000. And while a home cost approximately 2.3 times annual income in 1961, today we're looking at roughly 7.8 times annual income.
And there's another part of this conversation we rarely discuss: what constitutes a basic necessity has completely changed.
Internet. Cellphones. Childcare. A second vehicle. Insurance. Commuting.
Expenses Canadian families either didn't have in 1961 or didn't depend on the way families do today.
Tonight, we're going beyond the headline numbers and looking at what it actually costs to live in Canada in 2026 — and why so many Canadians feel like they're falling further behind regardless of how much they work.
And I want to hear from you:
Have you had to cut back on groceries or other necessities?
Have you moved in with your family to reduce your expenses?
Are you growing your own food or hunting your own meat?
What have you changed to deal with Canada's rising cost of living?
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