Sask. cost of living expected to increase in 2026

It has been an expensive year for people across Canada and unfortunately, the many growing expenses are not expected to shrink in 2026. Hallee Mandryk has the s

As the cost of living continues to increase across Canada, it is unlikely that prices will drop in 2026.

“Unfortunately, it looks like once we’re moving into that new year, there’s going to be increased costs for everyone around the province,” said Gage Haubrich, prairie director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Haubrich shared that one of the biggest factors impacting the cost of living is evident when taxes are filed.

“Forty-two per cent of a family’s budget goes towards taxes of different levels of government. That’s more than a family pays for clothing, food or shelter combined. And those are really important things. The biggest thing that families are paying, the biggest expense that they face every single year is their tax bill,” Haubrich said.

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The prairie director noted that while governments aren’t solely responsible for increasing expenses, they do play a significant part.

“When it comes to general inflation and those types of cost...we’ve been seeing that for the last number of years all across the board. So I think governments can’t be fully blamed for that scenario, but they can be blamed for not doing enough to help reduce the cost of living in other areas,” Haubrich said.

The Provincial Government told CTV that Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province in Canada.

“Saskatchewan’s population, employment and exports have grown significantly under our government which requires investment in public infrastructure like highways, waterworks, energy systems, hospitals, schools and long-term care facilities,” a provincial spokesperson said.

“At the same time, our government continues to look for opportunities to reduce the tax burden, like in the 2025-26 Budget that brought in the largest personal income tax reduction since 2008 and cut all property tax mill rates.”

For Haubrich, he feels that the province’s debt is an issue that grows larger each day.

“At the end of the day, once the government keeps wasting all this money on those debt interest payments, that means there’s less money, left to be spent on those core government services, like health care, like roads, like the police,” Haubrich said.

Adding that while these services are a top priority for the provincial government, the money to pay off Saskatchewan’s debt still has to come from somewhere.

“If it gets to a certain point where the government doesn’t have enough money to spend those things, it’s going to look for other places to find money. And usually that ends up being in taxpayer pockets, and that means tax hikes,” Haubrich said.

Haubrich advised those who are frustrated with their tax bills to contact their local representatives.

“It’s so important, the governments understand that this isn’t just some sort of cost of living crisis created out of the blue, when a family’s biggest bills that they have to pay every year is taxes,” Haubrich said.