Report puts Vancouver’s ‘income satiation’ level at $166,982

A Remitly analysis estimates that the income level at which additional earnings no longer meaningfully improve life satisfaction is $166,982 in Vancouver.

The company drew on a Purdue University study of income and happiness, then adjusted figures for local purchasing power, exchange rates, inflation and cost of living using March 2026 data. The report describes the threshold as “income satiation,” rather than a measure of an individual’s actual happiness.

Vancouver tied Toronto for the second-highest estimate among major Canadian cities. Victoria was highest at $169,951, less than two per cent above Vancouver and Toronto, while Kingston was lowest at $140,513.

The analysis put Canada’s overall figure at US$113,755, compared with US$134,827 in the United States and US$71,201 in China. The article also cited an RBC poll in which 42 per cent of B.C. respondents said one major unexpected expense could push them financially over the edge, and referenced data indicating about one-third of B.C. workers earn less than a living wage in their communities.