Living wage is a term used to describe the minimum hourly wage necessary for an individual to meet basic needs, including shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition, for an extended period of time, or a lifetime. This standard generally means that a person working forty hours a week should be able to afford a specified quality or quantity of housing, food, utilities, transport, healthcare and recreation.
It differs from a minimum wage set by law that may fail to meet the requirements of a living wage.
