How do I calculate the equivalent salary for another city?

To calculate an equivalent salary, you need your current gross salary, your city's cost of living index, and the target city's cost of living and tax rates. ShouldIMove's calculator factors in both cost of living differences and local tax rates across 400+ cities to give you the gross salary needed to maintain the same lifestyle.

What salary do I need to maintain my lifestyle if I move abroad?

The required salary depends on cost of living differences and tax rates between your current and target city. Moving from New York to Lisbon, for example, typically requires 40-50% less gross salary. Moving from Berlin to London requires 30-40% more. Use an equivalent salary calculator for exact figures.

Does the salary calculator account for taxes?

Yes. ShouldIMove's equivalent salary calculator uses country-specific tax calculators for 48 countries to determine net take-home pay. It calculates how much gross salary you need in the target city so that after local taxes, you have the same purchasing power as your current net salary.

What is the most important factor in salary comparison between cities?

Rent is typically the single biggest factor, often accounting for 30-50% of total living cost differences between cities. Tax rates are the second largest factor — moving from a high-tax country like Belgium (45%+ effective rate) to a low-tax country like the UAE (0%) can double your disposable income.

Equivalent Salary Calculator 2026 – by City

Enter your city and salary to see what you'd need to earn in 400+ cities worldwide to maintain the same lifestyle. Accounts for cost of living and local taxes.

Why Use Our Calculator

Accurate Tax Calculations: Your net salary after income tax and social security in 48 countries, with each country's official rates
Real Cost of Living Data: Cost of living, rent, groceries and restaurant prices for 400+ cities worldwide
Multi-Currency Support: Salaries converted at mid-market rates, so both cities are compared in the same money
Free to Use: No payment, no hidden fees. Three comparisons without an account; signing in (also free) removes the limit

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Understanding Cost of Living Comparisons

What Makes This Cost of Living Calculator Different

Most cost of living calculators show you price differences and stop there. This one starts from your salary: enter what you earn now and what you would earn in the new city, and it works out your take-home pay in both after income tax and social security, then sets it against rent and local prices.

The result is a complete financial picture — not just whether a city is cheaper, but whether you will actually have more money in your pocket after taxes and expenses. Tax calculations use official government brackets for a single filer with standard deductions, so the figures reflect what a typical employee would take home.

How to Compare Cost of Living Between Countries

Pick the city you live in now and the city you are considering. Enter your current gross annual salary and the salary you would earn there, and set how much of your take-home pay you save today, from 0% to 50%.

Click Compare to see your net pay in both cities, rent and what is left after it, how prices compare overall and for rent, groceries and restaurants, and whether the new salary lets you save the same share.

What Is Included in the Cost of Living Comparison

The comparison shows an overall cost-of-living index for each city, Numbeo's indices for rent, groceries and restaurants, local purchasing power, and typical rents for one- and three-bedroom flats in and outside the city centre.

Numbeo's indices use New York City as 100: a city scoring 70 is about 30% cheaper than New York in that category. The overall index averages several sources on roughly the same scale, so any two cities can be compared regardless of currency.

Data Sources and Methodology

The overall cost-of-living index averages Numbeo, Expatistan and LivingCost.org and leaves out the source furthest from the others. Rents come from Numbeo, with national rent statistics where Numbeo has no figure. Expatistan and LivingCost.org are updated less often than Numbeo.

Tax calculations are built from official government tax rules for 48 countries, coded directly into the tool and updated for 2026 brackets. The calculator applies standard employment deductions for a single filer — if you are self-employed or have additional income sources, treat the results as a reliable starting point.

Equivalent Salary Calculator 2026 – by City

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Understanding Cost of Living Comparisons