What it costs to live and work in New Brunswick: the minimum wage, provincial income tax, sales tax and rent, from official sources, and what they mean for your monthly budget.
| New Brunswick | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| General minimum wage | $15.90 an hour | Government of New Brunswick: Minimum wage to increase to $15.90 per hour (news release) |
| Provincial income tax | 9.4 % to 19.5 % | Canada Revenue Agency: Canadian income tax rates for individuals, current year (2026 provincial rates) |
| Sales tax | 15 % HST | Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST calculator (and rates) |
| Rent (CMHC Rental Market Survey, average monthly rent of a 2-bedroom unit in purpose-built rental row houses and apartments, province-wide (centres of 10,000+), October 2025) | $1,374 a month (2025) | CMHC Housing Market Information Portal: New Brunswick, Rental Market Statistics Summary, October 2025 Rental Market Survey (row and apartment, 2 bedroom) |
New Brunswick's minimum wage is $15.90 an hour since April 1, 2026, up from $15.65, indexed to the province's consumer price index. The province ran a public consultation on the minimum wage that closed on October 9, 2026; no 2027 rate has been announced.
New Brunswick has four brackets for 2026: 9.4 % on the first $52,333, 14 % up to $104,666, 16 % up to $193,861 and 19.5 % above that. The basic personal amount is $13,664.
New Brunswick charges a single 15 % harmonized sales tax (5 % federal and 10 % provincial).
What income does rent in New Brunswick take?
A common guideline is to keep housing at or below 30 % of gross income. At $1,374 a month, that means a household income of about $55,000 a year before tax.
Sources
- Government of New Brunswick: Minimum wage to increase to $15.90 per hour (news release) (2026-02-11)
- Canada Revenue Agency: Canadian income tax rates for individuals, current year (2026 provincial rates) (2026-06-25)
- Canada Revenue Agency: T4127 Payroll Deductions Formulas, 122nd edition, effective January 1, 2026 (Table 8.2, provincial basic personal amounts) (2025-12-03)
- Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST calculator (and rates) (2025-04-01)
- CMHC Housing Market Information Portal: New Brunswick, Rental Market Statistics Summary, October 2025 Rental Market Survey (row and apartment, 2 bedroom) (2025-12)
- Canada Revenue Agency: Province of New Brunswick (provincial benefit programs) (2026)
- Government of New Brunswick: Government launches public consultation on minimum wage (2026-08-11)