Local Canada

What a Haircut and Colour Really Cost in Edmonton in 2026

14 September 2026 · 8 min read

Ask five people in Edmonton what they paid for their last haircut and you will get five very different answers, from a $25 walk-in trim on 118 Avenue to a $300 colour appointment on 124 Street. None of them is wrong. Hair pricing in this city depends on the stylist's experience, the neighbourhood, how long you sit in the chair and, above all, what you are having done. This guide breaks down what each service actually involves, what typical Edmonton price ranges look like in 2026, and how to get a fair quote before you book.

Prices below are general ranges observed across the city, not the menu of any one salon. Every salon sets its own rates, and the listings linked in this article show the address, hours and Google rating so you can call and ask.

Why prices vary so much

Three things drive the number on the receipt.

Time in the chair. A men's clipper cut takes 20 to 30 minutes. A women's cut with a wash and blow-dry takes 45 to 75. A full balayage with toner can take three to four hours. Salons price by time first, product second.

Stylist level. Most Edmonton salons tier their team: junior or new-talent stylists, senior stylists, and master or director level. The same cut can cost $45 with a junior and $95 with the owner. Junior stylists are usually well supervised and are the value pick if you are flexible about who you see.

Neighbourhood and overhead. Rents on Whyte Avenue, 124 Street and downtown are higher than in a strip mall in Mill Woods or on the north side, and prices follow. A salon in a converted house on a residential street often sits in the middle.

Then there is tax: GST of 5 percent is added to every bill in Alberta (there is no provincial sales tax), and a tip of 15 to 20 percent is customary for salon services, so a $100 service is realistically $120 to $125 out the door.

Haircuts

A stylist cutting a client's hair
Photo by Candace McDaniel via Stocksnap, CC0

Men's and short cuts. Barber-style clipper cuts and short scissor cuts typically run $25 to $45 at barbershops and budget salons, and $45 to $70 at full-service salons where the cut includes a wash, a hot-towel finish or a beard trim. A fade with a detailed line-up sits at the top of that range.

Women's cuts. Expect $55 to $95 for a cut, wash and style with a mid-level stylist, and $95 to $140 with a senior stylist. Long or very thick hair often carries a surcharge of $10 to $20 because it takes longer to dry and cut evenly.

Kids. Most salons charge $20 to $40 for children under 12, sometimes with a lower price on weekday afternoons.

Bang trims and neck clean-ups between appointments are often $10 to $20, or free for regular clients at some salons; ask when you book.

Several Edmonton salons on Local Canada are worth a look for cuts. Tommie Salon in the west end holds a strong Google rating from more than 200 reviews, and Bia hair salon near Whyte Avenue is a smaller studio with a loyal following. On the north side, Alexandra's Hair on 118 Avenue keeps daytime hours through the week.

Tommie Salon

Hair Salons · Edmonton, Alberta

9108 142 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5R 0M7

4.9 (236)

Bia hair salon

Hair Salons · Edmonton, Alberta

10565 81 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 1X7

4.8 (20)

Colour

Colour is where budgets get stretched, and where an honest consultation matters most.

Root touch-up (single process). Covering regrowth on previously coloured hair: $70 to $110, about an hour.

All-over colour. Applying one shade from root to ends: $90 to $160 depending on length and density.

Partial highlights or babylights. A crown or face-frame section: $110 to $180.

Full highlights. The whole head in foils: $160 to $260, two to three hours.

Balayage and lived-in colour. Hand-painted, lower-maintenance colour that grows out softly: $200 to $350 for a full balayage, and add $40 to $80 if a toner or gloss is needed at the end, which it usually is.

Colour corrections. Fixing box dye, removing black, or going from dark to blonde in stages is quoted per hour, commonly $90 to $150 per hour, and can take a full day. Any reputable salon will insist on a consultation and a strand test before quoting.

Two things push colour bills up that clients often do not expect: extra product for long or thick hair, and the treatment (such as a bond-builder) recommended during lightening. Ask whether these are included in the quoted price or added at the end.

zee beauty studios on 112 Avenue and Aveda Avenue Salons on Whyte Avenue both list colour among their services; the Aveda name usually signals plant-based colour lines and a slightly higher price point. Ruby Gorgeous Salon downtown and Biondi Hair on 106 Street are smaller rooms where you are more likely to see the same stylist every visit.

zee beauty studios

Hair Salons · Edmonton, Alberta

12406 112 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 2S9

4.7 (55)

Treatments, styling and extras

Blowouts and styling. A wash and blow-dry runs $40 to $65; an updo for a wedding or graduation is $80 to $150, more with a trial.

Keratin and smoothing treatments. $200 to $400 depending on hair length, lasting three to five months.

Deep conditioning or bond-repair treatments. $25 to $60 as an add-on to another service.

Extensions. Tape-in installs start around $300 for a partial set and climb well past $1,000 for a full head of hand-tied wefts including hair; maintenance every six to eight weeks is $100 to $250.

Scalp treatments and head spas. A newer category in Edmonton, priced $60 to $150 for a 45 to 60 minute session.

What a first visit looks like

If you are new to a salon, book a consultation or ask for ten minutes at the start of the appointment. Bring photos of what you like and what you do not, and be honest about how much time you spend on your hair each morning. A good stylist will tell you if a style needs daily heat styling or six-week colour maintenance before you commit.

For colour, expect a patch test if the salon has not coloured your hair before; some salons require it 48 hours in advance. Arrive with clean, dry hair unless told otherwise, and mention any recent box dye, henna or keratin treatment, since they change how colour behaves.

How to get a fair quote

  1. Ask for the price range by stylist level when you call. Most salons will give it; if a salon refuses to quote even a range, that is a sign to keep looking.
  2. Describe the service, not the outcome. "A root touch-up and a trim" gets a clear quote; "make it look like this photo" gets a shrug until the stylist sees your hair.
  3. Ask what is included. Wash, blow-dry, toner, treatment and styling are sometimes bundled and sometimes not.
  4. Check the cancellation policy. Many Edmonton salons now take a deposit or charge 50 percent for no-shows and late cancellations under 24 or 48 hours.
  5. Read recent Google reviews for your specific service. A salon can be superb at cuts and mediocre at blonding. The reviews shown on each Local Canada listing are the most recent ones on Google.

Saving money without regret

  • Junior stylist days. Ask whether the salon has new-talent pricing; the work is supervised and often excellent.
  • Space out colour. Balayage or a shadow root grows out gracefully and can stretch appointments to 12 weeks.
  • Weekday mornings. Some salons discount quiet slots or run promotions for Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • Beauty schools. Edmonton's hair academies offer student services at a fraction of salon prices, with instructors checking the work; appointments take longer.
  • Product at home. A salon-recommended shampoo for coloured hair costs more up front but keeps colour fresh longer, which means fewer toning appointments.

Where salons cluster in Edmonton

  • Whyte Avenue and Old Strathcona have the densest run of salons and barbershops in the city, with a wide price spread. Parking is metered; the area is well served by transit.
  • 124 Street and Westmount lean toward boutique salons and higher-end colour work.
  • Downtown and Jasper Avenue salons keep lunch-hour and after-work slots busy; book ahead.
  • The west end, Mill Woods and the north side have neighbourhood salons in strip malls with easy free parking and, on average, lower prices.

Three sample yearly budgets

To put the ranges together, here is what a year of hair care might cost three different Edmonton clients, before tax and tips.

  • Short cut, no colour, every five weeks: ten cuts at $35 to $60 each comes to roughly $350 to $600 a year.
  • Shoulder-length cut every ten weeks plus a root touch-up every eight weeks: five cuts at $70 to $95 and six touch-ups at $70 to $110, roughly $770 to $1,135 a year.
  • Balayage twice a year with a toner between, plus three cuts: two balayage sessions at $250 to $350, two toner and gloss visits at $60 to $90, and three cuts at $75 to $120, roughly $845 to $1,240 a year.

Adding 5 percent GST and a 15 to 20 percent tip raises each figure by about a fifth, so the last client is realistically looking at $1,000 to $1,500 a year. Seen that way, choosing a colour technique that grows out gracefully is the single biggest lever on the annual number, more than the choice of salon.

The short version

A basic cut in Edmonton in 2026 costs $25 to $70 depending on the shop, a women's cut and style $55 to $140, a root touch-up around $70 to $110, and a full balayage $200 to $350 before toner, tax and tip. The single best way to avoid a surprise is to ask for a range by stylist level when you book, and to confirm what is included. Every salon linked above lists its address, hours and phone number so you can do exactly that.

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