— Salary & Income
Cost of Living Calculator International
Compare cost of living between world cities and estimate the salary needed abroad to keep your current lifestyle. Results show your home-currency salary, the destination local-currency equivalent, exchange-rate impact, and cost index comparison.
Equivalent salary
£77,121
- Equivalent in USD
- $103,697
- Cost-of-living difference
- +28.5%
- Your salary at today’s rate
- $80,676
- Your current salary
- £60,000
- Exchange rate
- 1 GBP = 1.34 USD
Try: London → New York on £60k, New York → London on $100k, Toronto → New York on C$120,000, Mumbai → Singapore on ₹2,000,000
— Category breakdown
| Category | London, United Kingdom | New York, NY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.2 | 100 | +51.1% |
| Groceries | 70.8 | 100 | +41.2% |
| Eating out | 87.4 | 100 | +14.4% |
| Overall | 77.8 | 100 | +28.5% |
— Category cost comparison
Download— How it works
Equivalent salary (your currency) = current × (target index ÷ current index), using the overall cost-of-living-plus-rent index (New York = 100). The local-currency figure multiplies that by the exchange rate.
Two things change when you cross a border
Comparing salaries between countries means juggling two moving parts: prices and currency. Local prices differ — a flat in London costs a different amount than one in Lisbon — and that’s captured by the cost-of-living index (New York = 100, measured in US dollars). On top of that, your pay is in one currency and your new costs in another, so the exchange rate matters too. The equivalent salary multiplies both: the cost ratio tells you how much more or less life costs, and the exchange rate puts the answer in the destination’s currency.
Worked example — London → New York, £60,000 (renting): New York’s overall index is 100, London’s about 78, so you’d need roughly £77,000-equivalent — shown in pounds. At today’s rate that’s about $103,000 in New York’s local currency, given alongside.
Why it isn’t just a currency conversion
Converting £60,000 to dollars at the exchange rate tells you what your money is worth — but not what you need. If the destination is more expensive, that converted figure won’t stretch as far, so you’d need more; if it’s cheaper, you’d need less. The tool shows both: your salary at today’s exchange rate (the straight conversion) and the equivalent salary (after adjusting for cost of living). The gap between them is the cost-of-living effect, and it’s often the bigger factor.
What it covers — and what it can’t
The indices come from a current cost-of-living index (New York = 100) and exchange rates from a daily feed, so both move over time. The breakdown shows the categories available — housing (rent), groceries and eating out; transport, healthcare and utilities aren’t in the public data, so they’re left out of the breakdown (but are reflected in the overall index). Crucially, this is gross — it ignores income tax, which varies enormously between countries and can dwarf cost-of-living differences, as well as visa rules, healthcare systems and quality of life. Treat the equivalent salary as a starting point, then dig into the after-tax and lifestyle specifics.
— Reader questions
How do I compare salaries between two countries?
Adjust for both cost of living and the exchange rate. Take your salary, multiply by the ratio of the two cities’ cost indices, then convert at the exchange rate. This tool does both and shows the result in the destination’s currency.
Is £60,000 in London the same as a salary in New York?
Not directly — you have to convert the currency and adjust for New York’s different cost of living. The equivalent salary figure combines both so you can compare like for like.
Does this use live exchange rates?
It uses a daily exchange-rate feed — an approximation, refreshed regularly rather than tick-by-tick. Rates move, so treat the converted figures as close estimates rather than a live quote.
Why is the equivalent salary different from a straight currency conversion?
Because converting your money tells you its value, not what you need to live. A more expensive destination needs more than the converted amount; a cheaper one needs less. The difference is the cost-of-living effect, shown alongside the conversion.
Does this include income tax?
No — these are gross figures. Income tax differs hugely between countries and can outweigh cost-of-living gaps, so factor it in separately when comparing offers.