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Thriving in the City: Single, working-age adults

• Abinaya Balasubramaniam
Diverse people having fun eating take away food outdoor in the city

What does it cost to live a healthy and thriving life in the GTA?

If you’re a single, working-age adult, it ranges between $61,654 and $83,680, depending on whether you live in Toronto or the suburbs. This is far above what a minimum-wage and even a living-wage worker could earn.

In order to thrive, single, working-age adults in the GTA require a collective commitment to making essential services and goods more affordable and accessible. Increasing the minimum wage is unlikely to ever be sufficient.

This report is part of Wellesley Institute’s ongoing Thriving in the City series and updates the 2017 report entitled Thriving in the City: What does it cost to live a healthy life?

Thriving in the City: Single, working-age adultsDownload
Infographic: What does it cost to thrive in the cityDownload
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Abinaya Balasubramaniam

Abinaya Balasubramaniam

Abinaya Balasubramaniam was a researcher at Wellesley Institute from 2020 to 2025. Prior to joining Wellesley Institute, she worked at the University of Toronto and Women’s College Research Institute. At Wellesley, Abinaya worked in the areas of housing, policing and equity. She holds a Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto, where she focused on mainstream media’s gendered and racialized representations of inner-city neighbourhoods.