40,000+ price points — A full-market sweep of every plan, every province and territory, ages 18–90: entry coverage runs $9.25–$33.86 a month, and a complete plan (drugs + dental + paramedical) runs $45.55–$92 until the age-70 wall.
Computed July 19, 2026 by running our comparison engine’s own carrier rate tables across all 12 provinces/territories × 26 ages × every plan configuration for a single adult losing employer coverage. Only publicly listed carriers included.
Our earlier cheapest-plan study covered five provinces at seven ages. This one covers the whole map: we ran our comparison engine's own carrier rate tables across all 12 provinces and territories we serve, at 26 ages from 18 to 90, in every plan configuration — more than 40,000 price points, computed July 19, 2026. Two questions, answered everywhere: what is the cheapest way to be covered at all, and what is the cheapest *complete* plan (prescription drugs + dental + paramedical practitioners, all in one premium)?
Key findings
- The floor of the Canadian market is $9.25/month (GMS BasicPlan, Alberta & NT, age 65) and never exceeds $33.86/month in any province or territory at any age to 90.
- GMS BasicPlan is the cheapest plan in 11 of 12 jurisdictions at almost every age. The exception is New Brunswick — GMS doesn't sell there, so Medavie Blue Cross Entry Health wins every NB age at $23.63–$33.86.
- The cheapest complete plan is Sun Life PHI Basic almost everywhere from 18 to 69 ($45–$93/month) — then it stops accepting applications and the market hits the age-70 wall.
- Manitoba is the cheapest place in Canada to buy private health coverage at every age; New Brunswick is the most expensive for seniors.
- Several carriers charge less at 65–69 than at 60–64 (Sun Life PHI Basic drops to $49.08 in the territories at 65; GMS in Alberta falls from $14.00 at 60 to $9.25 at 65) — provincial senior drug programs take over part of the risk at 65.
The Cheapest Plan, Period — Every Province & Territory
Winner in every cell outside New Brunswick: GMS BasicPlan (medically underwritten, open enrollment). New Brunswick: Medavie Blue Cross Complete Health — Entry Health.
| Province | 25 | 35 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB / NT | $10.00 | $10.25 | $10.75 | $11.75 | $9.25 | $9.50 | $10.75 | $10.75 |
| BC / YT | $10.50 | $10.75 | $10.75 | $12.25 | $14.50 | $15.00 | $20.25 | $20.25 |
| MB / NU | $11.75 | $12.00 | $14.00 | $14.50 | $19.75 | $23.25 | $31.00 | $31.00 |
| NB (Medavie) | $23.63 | $26.19 | $30.00 | $32.67 | $33.86 | $33.86 | $33.86 | $33.86 |
| NL / NS / PE | $9.50 | $10.00 | $10.25 | $12.00 | $13.75 | $14.50 | $19.50 | $19.50 |
| ON | $10.00 | $10.25 | $10.50 | $13.00 | $14.50 | $17.25 | $22.25 | $22.25 |
| SK | $12.00 | $12.75 | $13.00 | $14.25 | $16.50 | $17.75 | $24.50 | $24.50 |
A 90-year-old can still buy new coverage in every jurisdiction — for $10.75 to $33.86 a month. Note the Alberta/NT oddity, straight from the carrier's published table: GMS BasicPlan gets *cheaper* at 65 ($14.00 at 60 → $9.25 at 65).
The Cheapest COMPLETE Plan — Drugs + Dental + Paramedical Included
| Province | 25 | 45 | 65 | 70 | 80 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | Sun Life PHI Basic $58.20 | Sun Life PHI Basic $66.41 | Sun Life PHI Basic $64.36 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $98.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $100.50 |
| BC | Sun Life PHI Basic $57.53 | Sun Life PHI Basic $66.12 | Sun Life PHI Basic $61.83 | Pacific Blue Cross Guar. Acceptance Bronze + Dental $94.00 | Pacific Blue Cross Guar. Acceptance Bronze + Dental $98.00 |
| MB | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice A $45.55 | Sun Life PHI Basic $58.97 | Sun Life PHI Basic $69.72 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice A $82.39 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice A $88.28 |
| NB | Sun Life PHI Basic $52.62 | Sun Life PHI Basic $67.44 | Sun Life PHI Basic $91.54 | Sun Life HCC A $122.52 | Manulife Association H&D Base $189.00 |
| NL | Sun Life PHI Basic $52.73 | Sun Life PHI Basic $67.49 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $99.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $102.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $108.25 |
| NS | Sun Life PHI Basic $49.21 | Sun Life PHI Basic $60.37 | Sun Life PHI Basic $58.44 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $102.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $108.25 |
| NT / NU | Sun Life PHI Basic $53.44 | Sun Life PHI Basic $60.98 | Sun Life PHI Basic $49.08 | GMS + Rx + Dental (NT) $98.75 / Manulife Assoc. H&D (NU) $117.10 | GMS (NT) $100.50 / Manulife (NU) $117.10 |
| ON | Sun Life PHI Basic $61.32 | Sun Life PHI Basic $70.93 | Sun Life PHI Basic $67.05 | Canada Life Select $118.34 | Manulife Association H&D Base $130.40 |
| PE | Sun Life PHI Basic $52.07 | Sun Life PHI Basic $62.92 | Sun Life PHI Basic $80.12 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $102.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Rx + Dental $108.25 |
| SK | Sun Life PHI Basic $53.65 | Sun Life PHI Basic $61.70 | Sun Life PHI Basic $72.26 | Canada Life Select $94.38 | Sask. Blue Cross Conversion + Rx + Dental $141.00 |
| YT | Sun Life PHI Basic $53.44 | Sun Life PHI Basic $60.98 | Sun Life PHI Basic $49.08 | Pacific Blue Cross Guar. Acceptance Bronze + Dental $94.00 | Pacific Blue Cross Guar. Acceptance Bronze + Dental $98.00 |
Notes on the winners: Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice A and Pacific Blue Cross Guaranteed Acceptance are guaranteed approval — no health questions; Sun Life HCC A and Sask. Blue Cross Conversion are guaranteed within a 60/90-day window after leaving group coverage; the rest are medically underwritten. Coverage depth differs — Sun Life PHI Basic carries a $750/yr drug maximum, GMS's Basic Rx add-on reaches $3,500/yr, the Blue Cross guaranteed plans sit around $300–$350/yr — so the cheapest complete plan is a starting point, not a like-for-like comparison. Run your own comparison to see the full benefit detail side by side.
What the Full Map Shows
Manitoba is the cheapest province in Canada to insure yourself, at every age. Blue Choice A — guaranteed approval, drugs + dental + paramedical included — costs $45.55/month at 25 and just $92.58 at 85+. No other market has a floor like it.
New Brunswick is the hardest market. It's the one jurisdiction without GMS, its entry price is 2–3× everyone else's, and after 70 its cheapest complete plan ($122.52 rising to $189.00) is the most expensive in the country.
The age-70 wall is real everywhere except Manitoba. Sun Life PHI Basic — the complete-plan value leader nearly nationwide — takes applications only to age 69. At 70, the cheapest complete plan jumps: BC $61.83 → $94.00, Ontario $67.05 → $118.34, New Brunswick $91.54 → $122.52. If you're 68 or 69 and shopping, this cliff is worth knowing about before your birthday — we mapped the senior market in detail in health insurance for seniors over 70.
Aging is cheaper than you think, until it isn't. From 25 to 65 the cheapest complete plan rises only ~$10–30/month in most provinces — and in NS, AB, BC, ON and the territories it actually *falls* at 65 (Sun Life's published 65-69 band is cheaper than its 60-64 band; the territories hit $49.08 at 65). The two prices that matter are the one before 70 and the one after.
For the specialty markets inside this map, see our companion findings: the cheapest health insurance in Canada, guaranteed acceptance plans, dental with $1,000+ maximums, and massage/physio/chiro coverage.
How we measured this
Unlike our July 15 studies (live pulls at seven ages in five provinces), this study computes the entire market: we ran the same carrier rate tables and plan-building code our comparison engine uses, across all 12 provinces/territories, 26 ages from 18 to 90, and every plan/tier/add-on configuration — 40,000+ price points, generated July 19, 2026. Profile: single adult losing employer coverage (so conversion windows are open). Only carriers publicly listed on the platform are included. "Cheapest complete plan" means the lowest premium whose configuration includes prescription drugs, dental, and paramedical coverage simultaneously.
Limitations
- Carriers reprice through the year — these are July 19, 2026 computations from current published rate tables.
- Rates are profile-specific: age, family size, province, and effective date all move the premium.
- The cheapest plan in a cell is a starting point — drug/dental maximums, waiting periods, and reimbursement rates differ widely between winners.
- Two winners are conversion plans (guaranteed only within 60–90 days of losing group coverage): Sun Life HCC A (NB, 70-74) and Sask. Blue Cross Conversion (SK, 80+).
Frequently asked questions
How much does private health insurance cost per month in Canada?
In our July 19, 2026 full-market sweep, an entry-level plan costs $9.25 to $33.86 a month at any age in every province and territory. A complete plan — prescription drugs, dental, and paramedical practitioners all included — costs roughly $45 to $93 a month up to age 69, and $82 to $189 a month from age 70 on, depending on province.
Which province has the cheapest health insurance?
Manitoba, at every age. Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice A — a guaranteed-approval plan with drugs, dental, and paramedical included — anchors the market at $45.55/month at ages 25-34 and only $92.58/month even at 85+. New Brunswick is the most expensive market for seniors, and it is the one province where the national low-cost carrier (GMS) does not sell.
Does health insurance get much more expensive as you age?
Far less than most people expect — until age 70. Entry-level plans barely move ($10 at 25 to $22 at 80 in Ontario). The big break is the "age-70 wall": the cheapest complete plan jumps 30-90% between 69 and 70 in most provinces because the value leader, Sun Life PHI Basic, stops accepting applications at 69. Some carriers actually charge LESS at 65-69 than at 60-64, because provincial senior drug programs take over part of the risk.
Will I pay exactly these rates?
Not necessarily. These are July 19, 2026 readings for a single adult; premiums vary with age, family size, province, and effective date, and carriers reprice over time. Run the comparison tool with your own details for current pricing.