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."
What Canada's second-tier cities lack in glamour they make for in affordability. Of Canada's three largest cities, only Montreal makes it onto a new ranking of the top 10 most affordable cities in Canada for first-time homebuyers.
Quebecers are making more money. In a February 23 release, the province's Institut de la statistique noted an "unprecedented" increase in the median Quebec employment income in 2021: 9% among 24-to-60-year-olds compared to just 1.8% in 2020.
A new report breaks down "livable income" thresholds in seven Quebec cities. The study from the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS) examined the cost of living in Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières to determine how much money a household would need to make after taxes in 2022 to live both above the poverty line and "with dignity" in each urban area.