How the salary equivalent is calculated
A salary is only as good as what it buys. The calculator compares the cost of the same everyday lifestyle in both countries and scales your salary by the difference, which economists call a purchasing power adjustment.
Salary needed = current salary × (cost of living there ÷ cost of living at home)
With our figures, a moderate single-person budget costs about $3,190 a month in the US and about $4,140 in London, mostly because of rent. So an $80,000 US salary is matched by roughly $104,000 in London, while in Berlin, at about $2,860 a month, around $72,000 would be enough.
Tax and other things to check
The comparison is before tax. Countries such as Germany and the UK take more in income tax and social insurance than most US states, but they also include public health care that would otherwise come out of your pay. Look at take-home pay after tax and health costs before you accept an offer.
Savings goals also matter. If you plan to send money home or retire in your home country, part of your salary will be worth its home value rather than its local value, which makes higher-paying, higher-cost cities more attractive than the simple ratio suggests.
Where the numbers come from
Rent is a typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the main city we list for each country, taken from 2026 listings and local market reports and converted to dollars at the exchange rate of October 28, 2026. Rent is the number that varies most from street to street, so the calculators let you change it whenever you have a better figure.
Everything else starts from a monthly budget for one person in the United States: about $450 for groceries, $250 for eating out, $200 for utilities, $90 for phone and internet, $300 for transport and $350 for clothes, personal care and fun. Each line is then scaled by the World Bank's International Comparison Program price levels for that type of spending, and brought forward from 2021 with the World Bank's latest price level data, so a country where restaurant meals cost a third of US prices gets a third of the eating-out budget.
These are planning estimates, not quotes. A lean budget uses 75% of the moderate one with cheaper rent, and a comfortable budget uses 150% with nicer rent. Visas, health insurance and flights are not included unless a calculator asks for them.
Common questions
What salary do I need in London to match $80,000 in the US?
About $104,000 a year before tax, mainly because London rents are much higher than the US average.
Does this include taxes?
No. It compares living costs only. Compare after-tax pay separately.
Why enter the offer in dollars?
It keeps both salaries in the same unit. Convert the offer at today's rate first; the result shows what it is worth in home terms.
Sources
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.