Salary purchasing power across countries.

Comparing salaries across countries requires adjusting for cost of living. A 60k salary doesn't equate to 60k salary - 's cost of living is 30-40% higher. This tool uses cost of living indices (where 100 = baseline) to convert nominal salaries into real purchasing power equivalents.

50k home salary at 100 index vs 75k target at 130 index. Home real value: 50,000. Target real value: 75,000 ÷ 1.30 = 57,692. Real difference: +7,692 (15.4% improvement). Despite 25k nominal increase, real benefit is only 7.7k once cost of living considered.

Cost of living indices (Numbeo, Mercer, Expatistan): use these for accurate comparisons.: 130-150.: 95-105.: 110-120.: 150-180. 130-150. Bangkok: 50-70. Significant differences mean nominal salary comparisons mislead - always adjust for cost of living when evaluating relocation.

Quick example

With home country salary of 50,000 and target country salary of 75,000 (plus home cost of living index of 100 and target cost of living index of 130), the result is 15.38%. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.

Which inputs matter most

You enter Home Country Salary, Target Country Salary, Home Cost of Living Index, and Target Cost of Living Index. Two inputs usually tip the answer one way or the other. Identify which ones matter most by flipping each value past a round threshold and watching whether the winning option changes.

What's happening under the hood

Real value = salary ÷ (index/100). % change = (target real - home real) ÷ home real × 100. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.

Using this in pay negotiations

Knowing the exact figure behind a headline rate gives you specific numbers to anchor to in conversations about pay. "The difference is £X per month after tax" lands harder than "a couple of grand a year". Concrete numbers move decisions.

What this doesn't capture

Tax bands, pension contributions, student-loan deductions, and benefits-in-kind sit outside this calculation. The figure is the headline; your actual position depends on local tax rules and personal circumstances. Pair with a dedicated take-home calculator for the full picture.