Charlottetown has the most expensive milk in Canada, and it’s going up: new report

Glasses of milk in a July 31, 2007 file photo. (AP / Michael Probst)

One of the most common items in Canadian grocery baskets is getting more expensive. Milk prices are on the rise across the country, according to a new report from Field Agent Canada.

The 2026 Canadian Milk Report surveyed the prices of two per cent milk at 185 retailers in 20 markets from coast-to-coast, from March 1 to 27.

It finds prices are up 5.5 per cent since the last report in 2024.

Charlottetown, P.E.I., has the most expensive milk in Canada at $2.31 per litre, a record they’ve maintained since the last report.

Shoppers in Charlottetown are seeing a 10 per cent increase according to this year’s report.

The least expensive milk was found in Regina, Sask., and London, Ont., at $1.60 per litre.

The report also found some Canadians pay 2.5 times more than others, based on where they shop.

For instance, a Shoppers Drug Mart in London, Ont., sold two litres of two per cent milk for $6.99.

“Consumers are getting fleeced on milk prices due to small and inefficient industries in Atlantic Canada and a very strong dairy industry lobby in Quebec,” the report reads.

South of the border, milk in the U.S. is 27 per cent cheaper than the average price in Canada.

Though Canada’s inflation rate stayed within the target range throughout 2024, the report states producers faced ongoing financial challenges from higher animal feed and labour costs.

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