Term life insurance calculator for Canadians

Coverage calculator

How much life insurance do you need?

Answer a few questions to get your personalized coverage recommendation — including amount and term length.

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About you
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Finances
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Recommendation

Your Details


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Your Partner’s Details

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Your Finances

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Your Recommendation

Choose your coverage level

This estimate is a starting point based on your inputs. A PolicyMe advisor can help you refine your coverage based on your full financial picture — at no extra cost.

Our online quote tool is optimized for applicants under 70. A PolicyMe advisor can help you explore your options — for free, with no obligation.

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How this life insurance calculator works

This calculator adds up your family's future financial needs, like lost income, outstanding debts, your mortgage, and the cost of supporting your dependents. It then subtracts what you already have, like savings and existing life insurance. The difference is an estimate of how much life insurance you may need.

This tool is designed to give you clarity and confidence as you explore your options, so you’ll get 3 coverage ranges to choose from; budget, balanced, and max protection.

What your answers mean

Each input helps build a simple picture of your financial responsibilities.

  • Age: Helps determine how long coverage may be needed. For example, many people aim to stay covered until their mortgage is paid off or their kids are financially independent.
  • Income: Income is often the biggest financial loss a family would face. Replacing a portion of it can help cover everyday expenses like housing, groceries and childcare.
  • Debts & mortgage: These are obligations that don’t disappear. Including them helps estimate what it would take to prevent added financial stress.
  • Savings & existing coverage: Money you’ve already set aside, and any insurance you already have, can reduce how much extra coverage is needed.
  • Dependents & future goals: Kids, education plans or other long-term responsibilities can increase the amount of protection that makes sense.

How we calculate your recommendation

Want to see what's happening behind the scenes? Here's how we estimate your coverage using the information you provide.

Information
Formula
Why
Income replacement
70% x annual income x support years
Replaces a realistic portion of your income.
Savings (cash, TFSA)
Subtract 100%
Available immediately and tax-free.
RRSP
Subtract 70%
Accounts for taxes on withdrawals.
Final expenses
Add $25,000
Covers funeral and estate costs.
Existing coverage
Subtract 100%
Avoids recommending more coverage than you may need.

What your result represents

Your result is an estimate of the coverage amount that could:

  • Help replace lost income
  • Cover major debts
  • Support your family’s short- to long-term financial needs

The goal is balance. Enough protection to support your family, without paying for coverage you may not need.

What this calculator doesn’t include

To keep things clear and realistic, this tool doesn’t factor in every possible scenario. It doesn’t include things like:

  • Detailed tax or estate planning strategies
  • Investment returns or retirement projections
  • Complex situations like business ownership or trust structures

If your financial life is more complex, this estimate may not capture every detail. In that case, speaking with a licensed advisor can help you fine-tune your coverage.

How much life insurance do most Canadians buy?

Most Canadian households that have life insurance carry about $509,000 in coverage, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. But that number doesn’t tell the full story.

Coverage varies by province

The average amount of life insurance protection looks different across the country:

  • Alberta: about $606,000 on average
  • Nova Scotia: about $376,000 on average

These differences often reflect income levels, home prices, age, family size and other demographic factors.

Many households still fall short

Even in provinces with higher coverage, there’s often a gap between what people have and what they likely need.

  • In Alberta, the average coverage is $606,000, but estimated needs are closer to $770,500.
  • In Ontario, average coverage is around $552,000, while estimated needs sit near $794,400. That’s a gap of more than 30%.
  • Complex situations like business ownership or trust structures

In other words, many families may not be fully protected if their income suddenly disappeared.

Many Canadians have no coverage at all

For a large group of Canadians, the average coverage isn’t just low — it’s zero. PolicyMe’s Life Insurance Gap Report found:

  • 42% of Canadians are uninsured
  • Of those, 65% say they’re unlikely to buy life insurance in the next five years

That means nearly half of Canadians may be relying entirely on savings, government benefits or family support if the unexpected happens.

The takeaway? While some households carry several hundred thousand dollars in coverage, many still face a protection gap. That’s why using a calculator can help you move from “average” to an amount that actually fits your life.

How much does life insurance cost in Canada?

Coverage is often more affordable than people expect. Your life insurance cost depends on your age, health, coverage amount and term length.

Typical monthly ranges can look like for term life insurance:

  • In your 20s to early 30s: often in the range of $15–$35 per month
  • In your 30s to early 40s: often around $25–$60 per month
  • In your 40s to early 50s: often between $50–$120 per month

These are general ranges, your actual rate is based on your unique profile and the insurer’s underwriting.

Quick tips for lowering the cost

  • Buy sooner rather than later: Rates are generally lower when you’re younger and healthier.
  • Choose a term that fits your timeline: Match your coverage length to real needs, like your mortgage or your kids’ dependency years.
  • Stay in good health: Providers look at things like smoking status, weight, and medical history. Non-smokers and healthier applicants often get better rates.

FAQ: Life insurance calculator in Canada

Input your details in our term life insurance calculator and we’ll give you three options: a budget-friendly option, a “just right” option and an option with extra protection. Each option will have its own term length, coverage amount and estimated price.

Select one of these options and you’ll go to our quotes page where you can customize your coverage. Make the term length longer or shorter. Add more coverage or less. We’ll adjust your estimated monthly premiums as you go.

Like what you see? Go ahead and apply. It takes most people 20 minutes or less and there’s no commitment. Apply together with your partner to save an extra 10% off your rates in the first year.

We never recommend more coverage than you need. There are many features in our calculation that help us do this, such as asking for your partner’s income and any existing savings that could help offset the loss of your income. If you’re ever unsure about your coverage, our non-commissioned advisors are available seven days a week to give you unbiased advice.

The recommendation provided by the life insurance calculator doesn't only apply to PolicyMe. You can use the coverage amount from this calculator as a starting point when buying any term life insurance policy in Canada. But the estimated prices and policy recommendations are specific to PolicyMe's term life insurance.

No. PolicyMe’s term life insurance calculator gives you an estimate of what term life insurance could cost for you. You’ll get your final price when you apply and your application is approved. It’s free to apply.

Yes! If you tell us that you’re single and don’t have any children, we’ll tell you that you don’t need term life insurance. Why? Because no one is relying on your income to live.

We recommend that you put the amount you’d spend on insurance premiums in retirement savings or an emergency fund instead. Then come back later if your situation changes.

Here’s PolicyMe’s approach to calculating your term life insurance needs: we add up the total amount of money that your family will spend if they don’t make any changes to their current lifestyle and subtract out all the money that will be available to your family in the future. Your recommended coverage is needed to make up the difference.

This calculator only recommends term life insurance options. At PolicyMe, we believe most Canadian families need term life insurance, not permanent policies like whole and universal life insurance. Term life insurance covers you when you need it most: when you have loved ones who depend on you financially and/or you have large loans, like a mortgage.

Absolutely not. There are plenty of opportunities to change your term length and coverage amount during the advice, quote and application process. Once you input your numbers in our term life insurance calculator, we’ll present you with three options. You can visit our quotes page and customize your coverage. Or go ahead and apply.

After you apply, you can talk to one of our non-commissioned advisors who can adjust your coverage and term length for you.

Nope! Our term life insurance calculator’s advice is not binding, nor is the quote or application process. Our calculator will give you up to three coverage options. You can then get a quote with zero obligation. If you’re not ready to apply yet, there’s an option to save your quote for later.

If the coverage amount recommended by the Life Insurance Calculator seems too high or too low, start by reassessing the information you provided and consider any additional factors that may not have been fully captured. You may need to adjust the input concerning your debts, future financial obligations, or income changes.

When in doubt, you can also consult with a licensed advisor at PolicyMe for personalized guidance to ensure that the coverage amount fits your specific needs and financial goals​​.

The recommendation provided by the life insurance calculator doesn't only apply to PolicyMe. You can use the coverage amount from this calculator as a starting point when buying any term life insurance policy in Canada. But the estimated prices and policy recommendations are specific to PolicyMe's term life insurance.

Determining the right amount of term life insurance in Canada is a personal decision, but here are some quick pointers to get your started.

  • Evaluate your financial obligations, like mortgage payments, debts, and daily expenses.
  • Next, think about your loved ones' needs, such as childcare or education costs.
  • Factor in your existing savings or investments.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for coverage that's around 10 times your annual income. This provides a safety net for your family if something unexpected happens. For example if you make $75,000 per year, your life insurance policy should be $750,000 ($75,000 x 10 = $750,000).

To calculate your life insurance needs, you'll need a few key pieces of information. First, consider your financial situation, like your income, debts and expenses. Next, take into account your long-term financial goals, like tuition, childcare and retirement.

Now, think about potential future costs that could arise, like a mortgage, for example. It's also important to assess any dependents you have, like kids or elderly parents, that may need your financial support. Once you have all this information, you can start calculating your life insurance needs.

A life insurance calculator helps you determine the appropriate coverage amount by considering key aspects of your financial situation. It takes into account your current income, debts, and future financial obligations, such as education costs for your children or future income replacement for your family.

This ensures the recommended coverage aligns with your actual needs, providing a personalized approach to calculating life insurance. By considering both immediate and long-term financial responsibilities, the calculator helps ensure that your family's future is secured, even in your absence​​.

When deciding on the term length for your life insurance policy, consider significant milestones and financial obligations in your future. The term should ideally cover periods when financial strain would be greatest on your family if something were to happen to you, such as while your children are still dependent or before your mortgage is paid off.

Common terms are 10, 20, or 30 years, aligning with typical mortgage terms and children’s growth into independence. Tailoring the term to your specific life and financial plan ensures optimal coverage without unnecessary cost​​.

To get an estimate for life insurance in Canada, you can start by using an online life insurance calculator. This tool will ask you to input details like your age, health, income, and the amount of coverage you think you'll need. After submitting this information, you'll receive an estimated cost of your monthly premiums.​​

Yes, a life insurance calculator and a life insurance simulator generally refer to the same tool. Both provide estimates of life insurance costs based on the information you provide. They help you explore different scenarios and see how changes in your life situation might affect your insurance needs and costs.

Firstly, life insurance is not mandatory when you’re buying a house in Canada. But due to the fact that a mortgage is a large amount of debt, life insurance is recommended to remove the financial burden from your loved ones in the event they’d need to cover it.

Generally, the amount of life insurance you should get when buying a house should at least cover your mortgage balance. This ensures that if something happens to you, the insurance can pay off the remaining mortgage, reducing financial stress on your family.

It isn’t mandatory to buy life insurance to get married in Canada. That said, it’s usually a good idea to get some kind of life insurance coverage because your spouse may financially rely on you for the household’s daily expenses and other financial obligations like a mortgage.

When getting married, consider life insurance that covers your shared debts, future plans like children’s education, and enough income replacement for your spouse. The exact amount can vary, so it's a good idea to discuss your financial goals and needs as a couple.

Have a question we didn’t answer?

Call +1 (866) 999-7457 from 9AM-5PM EST Monday to Friday or email us. Our insurance expert team is happy to help!