Free tools
Compare the job abroad on what reaches your account
Eight calculators for gross-to-net pay, offers, permits, relocation and currency — built on your own figures rather than country averages.
Eight calculators for working abroad
Salary and offers
Net Salary Abroad Calculator
Turn a gross offer into monthly and annual net pay after tax, social contributions, surcharge and pension.
Open tool →Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Compare two offers by net monthly pay and disposable income after rent and living costs.
Open tool →Salary Cost-of-Living Converter
Convert a current salary to the equivalent in another city and see the raise needed.
Open tool →Work Permit Cost Calculator
Add application, legal, translation, medical, biometric and dependant fees into one permit budget.
Open tool →Employer Cost of Employment Calculator
See the full annual cost of an employee above gross salary, including on-costs.
Open tool →Contractor vs Employee Calculator
Compare contractor day-rate income with an employee package on annual net figures.
Open tool →Relocation Package Gap Calculator
Compare a capped relocation package with the real cost of the move and the gap you fund.
Open tool →Currency Income Buffer Calculator
See how an adverse exchange-rate move changes home-currency income and the annual loss.
Open tool →Reference
Short, sourced entries for the terms our tools act on — written for humans and machines alike.
Work abroad
Gross salary is not income
A gross salary is the amount stated before the destination takes income tax, social security contributions and, in some places, local or municipal surcharges. Each line is calculated on its own base, and some are capped, reduced or shared with the employer according to residence, family status and contract type. The distance between gross and net is therefore personal and destination-specific, not a fixed percentage that travels with the job.
Build the net figure from four lines: income tax, social contributions, any local surcharge and any pension contribution deducted at source. Ask the employer for a sample payslip or a written net estimate, and treat both as provisional until the first real payslip arrives. The payroll system applies the rules of the destination, which may differ from the rules you knew at home.
Compare offers on disposable income
Two offers with the same gross salary can leave very different amounts after rent and living costs. Housing alone can absorb the advantage of a higher headline number. Disposable income is what remains after tax, social contributions, rent and ordinary monthly costs, and it is the figure that decides whether a move improves your finances rather than merely your job title.
Use consistent categories for both places: the rent you would actually pay, the transport you would actually use, food at your own habits and the annual extras spread across twelve months. Then compare the difference between the two offers, not their ranking. A smaller gross offer in a cheaper city can win, and a larger one in an expensive city can lose once the first-year setup costs are included.
The permit is part of the offer
Work authorisation is not paperwork that follows a signed contract automatically. It has its own fees, its own evidence requirements and its own calendar, and in many destinations the employer files one part while the employee pays another. Dependant permits can multiply the cost and add separate appointments, especially where each family member needs an individual application.
Ask who pays each fee, what happens if the application is refused, and whether the permit is tied to one employer. A permit that cannot be transferred makes a later job change expensive. A permit that starts after the contract start date creates an unpaid gap you may have to fund. Price the whole sequence, not only the government fee.
Relocation packages are capped and reimbursed
A relocation package is usually a cap rather than a blank cheque. It may reimburse receipts after you have paid, cover only named categories, or require approval before you spend. Flights, shipping, temporary housing, deposits and furniture often sit outside the cap, and the employee funds the difference from savings.
Read the reimbursement rules before booking anything: eligible categories, claim deadlines, tax treatment and whether unused amounts are paid in cash. Many packages also carry a clawback clause that requires repayment if you leave within a stated period. That clause turns part of the package into a conditional loan, so compare it with the probation terms and the notice period before signing.
A foreign-currency salary has a second risk
When you are paid in one currency and spend or save in another, the exchange rate becomes part of your income. A salary that looks adequate at today's rate can shrink after an adverse move, and the loss arrives without any change to the contract. The effect is larger when a household sends money home or carries a mortgage or other obligation in the original currency.
Some contracts include a currency clause that fixes or adjusts the exchange rate; many do not. Check the payment currency, the conversion date and who bears the conversion cost. Keep a buffer measured in months of expenses, and test the budget against a plausible adverse move rather than a single spot rate observed on a good day.
Frequently asked questions
Should I negotiate gross salary or net salary?
Employers usually budget in gross, and payroll rules decide what reaches the account. A net guarantee shifts tax, currency and regulatory risk to the employer, so it is uncommon and often capped or time-limited. Negotiate gross pay plus a written net estimate, and ask which deductions the estimate includes.
How should I use a cost-of-living index when comparing offers?
Use it to shortlist places and to sanity-check a move, not to build a budget. An index compares a basket, while your rent, childcare and transport can diverge sharply. Convert the salary for direction, then replace the large categories with local prices that you have actually seen.
Is a contractor day rate comparable to an employee salary?
Only after business costs, unpaid time, self-employment contributions, insurance and benefits are counted. A day rate normally has no paid leave, no employer pension contribution and no notice pay unless the contract provides it. Compare annual net figures rather than a day rate with a monthly salary.
How long does a work permit take?
It varies by destination, permit category and season, and can run from weeks to several months. The employer may need a licence, a labour-market test or a prior authorisation before you can apply. Ask for the full sequence and the earliest realistic start date in writing.
What should I check in a probation clause?
Check the length, the notice required during probation, pay and benefit eligibility, and whether the permit depends on continued employment. Probation can shorten notice to days or weeks, which matters when relocation support carries a repayment clause tied to staying.
What does a dependant add to the cost of a move?
A separate permit fee, sometimes a separate application and appointment, and possibly insurance or proof of funds. Eligibility, work rights and renewal conditions for dependants differ by destination and by the main permit route. Confirm each family member's route before accepting the offer.
How is tax residency decided in the first year?
Usually through statutory tests based on days present, a permanent home or the centre of vital interests, not through immigration status. The first year can be split or transitional, and withholding may not match the final liability. Get a written view from a qualified tax adviser before signing.
Can relocation money have to be repaid?
Yes, if the contract contains a clawback clause. Repayment is often pro-rated over a stated period and can be triggered by resignation or by dismissal for cause. Ask for the exact wording, the period and the amount before accepting the package.