Key takeaways
- In 2026 a single employee on $75,000 takes home $56,366 in Ontario and $55,909 in Alberta, a $457 gap in Ontario’s favour before the health premium.
- Alberta takes home more than Ontario below about $39,600 and above about $116,800, and beats British Columbia only above about $149,600.
- Ontario’s surtax drives the high-income gap: at $150,000 Ontario provincial tax is $14,420, including $2,712 of surtax, against $11,954 in Alberta.
- Alberta charges only the 5 percent GST, against 13 percent HST in Ontario, so each $1,000 of taxable spending costs $80 less in tax.
On income tax alone, Alberta's advantage is real only at the low and high ends. For the 2026 tax year, a single employee on $50,000, $75,000 or $100,000 takes home more in Ontario than in Alberta, by $309 to $576 a year. Alberta pulls ahead from about $117,000, and by $150,000 it keeps $2,466 more than Ontario. Against British Columbia, Alberta only wins above roughly $150,000.
Those figures come from our Canada income tax calculator, for a single filer with employment income, federal and provincial tax, CPP and EI, and only the basic personal amounts. They are take-home pay before any living costs, and the gaps they show are smaller than many people expect.
Take-home pay from $50,000 to $150,000
| Salary | Alberta | Ontario | British Columbia | Saskatchewan | Alberta vs Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $39,543 | $39,852 | $39,661 | $38,611 | Ontario +$309 |
| $75,000 | $55,909 | $56,366 | $56,386 | $54,219 | Ontario +$457 |
| $100,000 | $72,884 | $73,460 | $73,936 | $70,569 | Ontario +$576 |
| $125,000 | $89,821 | $89,208 | $90,601 | $86,881 | Alberta +$613 |
| $150,000 | $105,821 | $103,355 | $105,798 | $102,256 | Alberta +$2,466 |
Federal tax, CPP and EI are identical in every column. At $75,000 they come to $9,268, $4,246 and $1,123 wherever you live. The whole difference is the provincial income tax line.
Per month, the Alberta and Ontario figures are close at every salary in the table: $3,295 against $3,321 at $50,000, $4,659 against $4,697 at $75,000, $6,074 against $6,122 at $100,000, $7,485 against $7,434 at $125,000 and $8,818 against $8,613 at $150,000.
Ranked against all 13 provinces and territories, Alberta comes sixth at $50,000, $75,000 and $100,000, fifth at $125,000 and third at $150,000, behind Nunavut and Yukon. Saskatchewan, Alberta's neighbour, is seventh at every salary in the table.
Where Alberta's reputation comes from
Alberta has the largest provincial basic personal amount of the provinces, $22,769 for 2026, and a long, flat middle bracket: 10% on everything from $61,200 to $154,259, with no surtax. That design favours higher incomes.
Ontario works the other way. Its lowest rate is 5.05% on the first $53,891, and 9.15% up to $107,785. Alberta's first band is 8% up to $61,200. So for most of the range people actually earn, an Ontario dollar is taxed less than an Alberta one, and that more than cancels Alberta's bigger personal amount.
Above roughly $95,000 the picture changes. Ontario adds a surtax once its provincial tax passes $5,818, and a second layer past $7,446, while its bracket rate rises to 11.16% above $107,785. At $150,000 Ontario's provincial tax is $14,420, including $2,712 of surtax, against $11,954 in Alberta.
The crossover points in our model are:
- Alberta vs Ontario: Alberta takes home more below about $39,600 and above about $116,800. Ontario wins in between.
- Alberta vs British Columbia: Alberta takes home more below about $45,100 and above about $149,600. British Columbia wins in between.
For the full 13-province table at $60,000 and $80,000, see our post on how much of $60,000 and $80,000 you keep in each province.
What the take-home figures leave out
The Ontario Health Premium. Ontario charges a health premium on top of income tax, collected through payroll for most employees. It ranges from $0 on taxable income of $20,000 or less to $900 a year above $200,600. Our calculator does not include it, so real Ontario take-home is lower than the table shows. In the $50,000 to $100,000 range, where Ontario's lead over Alberta is $309 to $576, the premium can shrink that lead a great deal or erase it. Check the premium for your income on the Ontario tax form (ON428) before relying on the comparison.
Other credits and deductions. Union dues, childcare costs, tuition and other credits apply differently in each province. Our figures include only the basic personal amounts.
Two incomes or a family. Benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit are federal and the same everywhere, but some provinces add their own credits for families. Our model is a single filer.
Sales tax: the part of the advantage that is clear
The difference that does not depend on salary is sales tax. Alberta charges only the 5% GST. Ontario charges 13% HST, British Columbia 12% (5% GST plus 7% PST) and Saskatchewan 11% (5% GST plus 6% PST).
On every $1,000 spent on taxable goods and services, that is $50 of tax in Alberta and $130 in Ontario. A household that spends $20,000 a year on taxable items would pay about $1,000 in Alberta and about $2,600 in Ontario. Many essentials, including basic groceries and residential rent, are zero-rated or exempt, so your own taxable spending is likely to be well below your total spending. Our GST/HST calculator adds or removes the tax for any province, and our post on what a $100 purchase costs across Canada compares all 13 rates.
Costs of living are the bigger question
Take-home pay and sales tax are the parts we can calculate. Housing, rent, car insurance, utilities and childcare usually move a budget far more than a few hundred dollars of income tax, and they vary between cities as much as between provinces. We do not publish cost-of-living data, so this post does not try to rank provinces on it.
If you are weighing a move or comparing two job offers, a practical order is:
- Run both salaries through the Canada income tax calculator for the right province.
- Subtract the Ontario Health Premium if one of the options is in Ontario.
- Estimate your yearly taxable spending and apply each province's sales tax.
- Compare rent or mortgage, insurance and commuting costs for the actual cities involved.
The first three steps usually move the answer by hundreds of dollars a year. The fourth can move it by thousands.
These are 2026 estimates for planning, not tax advice. Your own credits, deductions and family situation can change the result.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on salary. On 2026 income tax, CPP and EI for a single filer, Ontario takes home more between about $39,600 and $116,800, and Alberta takes home more below and above that range. At $75,000 Ontario is ahead by $457 a year, before Ontario’s health premium, which our calculator does not include.
About $72,884 a year, or $6,074 a month, for a single filer with employment income. That is after $14,393 federal tax, $6,954 Alberta tax, $4,646 CPP and $1,123 EI. In Ontario the same salary takes home $73,460, before the Ontario Health Premium, and in British Columbia $73,936.
Alberta charges a flat 10% from $61,200 to $154,259 and has no surtax. Ontario’s bracket rate rises to 11.16% above $107,785, and its surtax adds 20% and then 36% of Ontario tax above set thresholds. By $150,000 that leaves Alberta’s provincial tax about $2,466 lower.
No. The premium is charged on top of Ontario income tax and is usually deducted through payroll. It is $0 on taxable income of $20,000 or less and rises to $900 a year above $200,600. Including it lowers every Ontario take-home figure in this post and narrows or removes Ontario’s lead in the middle incomes.
Alberta charges only the 5% GST, while Ontario charges 13% HST, British Columbia 12% and Saskatchewan 11%. On $1,000 of taxable purchases that is $50 in Alberta against $130 in Ontario. Basic groceries and residential rent are generally zero-rated or exempt, so the saving applies to your taxable spending only.