The cost of eating healthy

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The cost of eating healthy in KFL&A in 2024

Everyone deserves the right to adequate, healthy, safe, affordable and culturally appropriate food. People who live with food insecurity cannot afford to buy the food they want and need for good health.

Request your PDF copy of the Cost of Eating Healthy report

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In 2023, about one in three households in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) area lived with food insecurity.

Food insecure households are likely to:

Worry about running out of food
Compromise their food quality
Reduce their food intake
Experience disrupted eating patterns

Food insecurity negatively affects health:

Children who are hungry are more likely to develop depression and asthma later in life.
Adults who are food insecure have poorer physical and mental health, and are more likely to have chronic conditions such as depression, diabetes and heart disease.
Food insecure adults with chronic conditions have more difficulty managing their conditions.

Food insecurity is highest among:

Indigenous Peoples and racialized Canadians
Households making low wages or on social assistance
Single mothers
People who rent their home.

Households on low incomes are often forced to compromise healthy eating to pay for other expenses.

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Amount of money left after paying for the rent and Nutritious Food Basket for a family of four on Ontario Works

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Amount of money left after paying for rent and the Nutritious Food Basket for a lone male on Ontario Works

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Amount of money left after paying for rent and the Nutritious Food Basket for a lone male on the Ontario Disability Support Program

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Amount of money left after paying for rent and the Nutritious Food Basket for a lone pregnant person on the Ontario Disability Support Program

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Remaining monthly funds after the rent represents funds available for food and basic expenses, such as: heat, hydro, childcare, transportation, clothing, eye care, dental care, and personal care.

2024: Cost of Eating Healthy, Income Scenarios

Scenario 1 - Ontario Works, family of four

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$494	$494
Maximum shelter allowance	$756	$756
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	$1,314	$1,314
GST/HST credit	$83	$83
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$180	$180
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$81	$89
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total income	$2,908	$2,916

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - Three bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$2,141	$1,423
Food	$1,272	$1,272
Total monthly expenses	$3,413	$2,695
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies etc.)	$-505	$221
Percentage of income required for rent	74 percent	49 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	44 percent	44 percent

Scenario 2 - Full-time minimum wage earner, family of four

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	$2,897	$2,897
Basic allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Maximum shelter allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	$1,269	$1,269
GST/HST credit	$83	$83
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$180	$180
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	$75	$75
Canada Worker Benefit	$125	$125
Employment Insurance paid	$-48	$-48
Canada Pension Plan paid	$-155	$-155
Canada Carbon Rebate	$81	$89
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$4,507	$4,515

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - Three bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$2141	$1,423
Food	$1,272	$1,272
Total monthly expenses	$3,413	$2,695
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$1,094	$1,820
Percentage of income required for rent	48 percent	32 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	28 percent	28 percent

Scenario 3 - Median Ontario income, family of four (after tax)

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	$10,350	$10,350
Basic allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Maximum shelter allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Trillium Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	$-147	$-147
Canada Pension Plan paid	$-518	$-518
Canada Carbon Rebate	not applicable	not applicable
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$9,685	$9,685

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - Three bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$2,141	$1,423
Food	$1,272	$1,272
Total monthly expenses	$2,695	$2,695
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$6,272	$6,990
Percentage of income required for rent	22 percent	15 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	13 percent	13 percent

Scenario 4 - Ontario Works, single parent with two children

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$360	$360
Maximum shelter allowance	$697	$697
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	$1,314	$1,314
GST/HST credit	$83	$83
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$145	$145
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$71	$78
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$2,670	$2,677

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - Two bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$1,609	$1,313
Food	$949	$949
Total monthly expenses	$2,558	$2,262
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$112	$415
Percentage of income required for rent	60 percent	49 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	36 percent	35 percent

Scenario 5 - Ontario Works, one person

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$343	$343
Maximum shelter allowance	$390	$390
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	$27	$27
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$80	$80
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$41	$45
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total income	$881	$885

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent (may or may not include heat and hydro)	Bachelor: $1,035	One bedroom: $877
Food	$442	$442
Total monthly expenses	$1,477	$1,319
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$-596	$-434
Percentage of income required for rent	117 percent	99 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	50 percent	50 percent

Scenario 6 - Ontario Disability Support Program, one person

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$752	$752
Maximum shelter allowance	$556	$556
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	$33	$33
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$83	$83
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$41	$45
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$1,465	$1,469

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - One bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$1,329	$877
Food	$442	$442
Total monthly expenses	$1,771	$1,319
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$-306	$150
Percentage of income required for rent	91 percent	60 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	30 percent	30 percent

Scenario 7 - Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement, one person

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Maximum shelter allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	$1,779	$1,779
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	$83	$83
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	$41	$41
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$125	$125
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$41	$45
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$2,069	$2,073

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - One bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$1,329	$877
Food	$316	$316
Total monthly expenses	$1,645	$1,193
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$424	$880
Percentage of income required for rent	64 percent	42 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	15 percent	15 percent

Scenario 8 - Ontario Disability Support Program, married couple

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$1,501	$1,501
Maximum shelter allowance	$875	$875
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	$54	$54
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$112	$112
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$61	$67
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$2,603	$2,609

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent (may or may not include heat and hydro)	Bachelor: $1,329	One bedroom: $877
Food	$734	$734
Total monthly expenses	$2,063	$1,611
Funds Remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$540	$998
Percentage of income required for rent	51 percent	34 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	28 percent	28 percent

Scenario 9 - Ontario Disability Support Program, lone pregnant person

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	not applicable	not applicable
Basic allowance	$752	$752
Maximum shelter allowance	$556	$556
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
GST/HST credit	$33	$33
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$83	$83
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Worker Benefit	not applicable	not applicable
Employment Insurance paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Pension Plan paid	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Carbon Rebate	$41	$45
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$1,505	$1,509

Monthly expenses
Expense	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent (may or may not include heat and hydro)	Bachelor: $1,329	One bedroom: $877
Food	$473	$473
Total monthly expenses	$1,802	$1,350
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$-297	$159
Percentage of income required for rent	88 percent	58 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	31 percent	31 percent

Scenario 10 - Full-time minimum wage earner, lone parent with two children

Monthly income
Income source	Kingston	Napanee
Income from employment	$2897	$2897
Basic allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Maximum shelter allowance	not applicable	not applicable
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement	not applicable	not applicable
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System	not applicable	not applicable
Canada Child Tax Benefit	$1,463	$1,463
GST/HST credit	$83	$83
Ontario Trillium Benefit	$145	$145
Advanced Canada Workers Benefit	$75	$75
Canada Worker Benefit	$125	$125
Employment Insurance paid	$-48	$-48
Canada Pension Plan paid	$-155	$-155
Canada Carbon Rebate	$71	$78
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance (non-lactose intolerant)	not applicable	not applicable
Total Income	$4,656	$4,663

Monthly expenses
Expenses	Kingston	Napanee
Average monthly rent - Two bedroom (may or may not include heat and hydro)	$1,609	$1,313
Food	$743	$743
Total Monthly Expenses	$2,352	$2,056
Funds remaining for other basic needs (e.g., telephone, transportation, child care, household and personal care items, clothing, school supplies, etc.)	$2,304	$2,607
Percentage of income required for rent	35 percent	28 percent
Percentage of income required to purchase healthy food	16 percent	16 percent

Determining the cost of eating healthy in our community

KFL&A Public Health determines the cost of eating healthy by costing food items from the National Nutritious Food Basket. The 61 foods costed reflect a healthy eating pattern from Canada’s Food Guide.

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KFL&A Public Health surveyed seven grocery stores in May. The lowest available price in each store is recorded for each food item. The prices from all the stores are then averaged. An extra five percent is added to the total food cost to account for additional food items such as spices, seasonings, condiments, baking supplies, soups, coffee, and tea.

What items are not included in this food costing?

Processed convenience foods
Popular snack foods
Special dietary foods
Infant foods
Religious or cultural foods
Soap, shampoo, toilet paper and other personal care items

This also does not include costs associated with eating out at restaurants and extra costs for inviting company to share a meal.

What else should you know about this food costing?

It assumes that most people have the necessary time, food skills, and equipment to create meals from low-cost food staples and ingredients.
It assumes that the consumer has access to quality food stores and the means of transportation to comparison shop.

What can you do?

Learn

Learn more about why food insecurity is a serious public health problem.
Read these facts sheets about food insecurity.
Learn more about why income solutions are needed to reduce food insecurity.

Spread the word

Talk about the problem of food insecurity at your dinner table or at social gatherings.
Share the Cost of Eating Healthy report with your peers, colleagues, and partner agencies.
Repost @proofcanada messages about food insecurity.

Ask for action

Talk to your local political leaders to act on income-based solutions to food insecurity.
Write letters to urge MPs to act on food insecurity by implementing policy interventions that improve income security.

Scenario references

Scenario 1

Two adults (male and female 31 to 50 years of age), two children (girl eight years of age, boy 14 years of age) living in a three-bedroom accommodation; Ontario Works (OW).

Scenario 2

Two adults (male and female 31 to 50 years of age), two children (girl eight years of age, boy 14 years of age) living in a three-bedroom accommodation; income is based on one minimum wage earner.

Scenario 3

Two adults (male and female 31 to 50 years of age), two children (girl eight years of age, boy 14 years of age) living in a three-bedroom accommodation.

Note: Income from employment is based on median after-tax income in Ontario for couples with children; Employment Insurance (EI) and Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) contributions are calculated using median total income[1]couples with children. Assumption of a dual income family with a split of 65 percent/35 percent between partners.

Scenario 4

One adult (female 31 to 50 years of age), two children (girl eight years of age, boy 14 years of age) living in a two-bedroom accommodation; OW.

Scenario 5

One adult (male 31 to 50 years of age) living in a bachelor accommodation in Kingston CMA and a one-bedroom accommodation in Greater Napanee, OW.

Scenario 6

One adult (male 31 to 50 years of age) living in a one-bedroom accommodation; Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Scenario 7

One adult (female 72 years of age) living in a one-bedroom accommodation; income based on Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement (OAS/GIS).

Scenario 8

Two adults (male and female 31 to 50 years of age) living in a one-bedroom accommodation; ODSP.

Scenario 9

One adult (female pregnant 19 to 30 years of age) living in a one-bedroom accommodation; ODSP.

Scenario 10

One adult (female 31 to 50 years of age), two children (girl three years of age, boy four years of age) living in a two-bedroom accommodation; income is based on one minimum wage earner.

Rental costs are based on averages from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Rental Market Survey. The survey is conducted during the first two weeks of October in urban areas with populations of 10,000 or more and the results reflect market conditions at that time. The survey includes both new and existing units in privately initiated structures with at least three rental units. The cost for a new tenant would likely be higher, as current tenants are protected from large annual increases by Ontario’s residential rent increase guideline. Utility costs (e.g., heat, electricity, hot water) may or may not be included in the rental amounts.

CMHC did not report on rental rates for one- bedroom and three- bedroom accommodations in Napanee due to unreliable data. Therefore, an inflation adjustment using the Canada Price Index for shelter has been applied to estimate rental costs for these accommodations in 2023 .