Compare Take-Home Pay Across Europe

The same salary, 15 countries: see where you keep the most after income tax and social security.

How the comparison works

A headline tax rate tells you almost nothing about what you keep. Two countries with the same top rate can differ by thousands a year once social-security ceilings, family credits and the number of salary instalments are taken into account — and that gap moves with income, so the country that wins at €30,000 is often not the one that wins at €90,000.

So nothing here is approximated. Each country is calculated by the same engine that powers the individual calculators, on its own 2026 rules, and the results are then put side by side. You can compare two countries or a whole shortlist at once, as an employee or as a freelancer.

Reading the result

  • Net pay — the ranking is by what actually reaches your account, annually and monthly.
  • Tax and social security, split — shown separately, because a country that looks lightly taxed often simply collects through contributions instead.
  • Effective rate — everything deducted, as one percentage of gross, which is the only figure that compares honestly across systems.
  • Currency — each country in its own, converted for ranking at dated reference rates rather than a live feed, so a comparison you share still shows the same numbers tomorrow.

What it does not weigh is cost of living. It answers “where do I keep more?”, not “where am I better off?” — those are different questions, and only the first one can be calculated from tax law.

Countries you can compare

Frequently asked questions

How is take-home pay compared between countries?
The same gross amount is run through each country's own 2026 rules — its brackets, allowances, credits and social-security ceilings — rather than through an average rate. The result is ranked by what actually reaches your account.
Does the comparison account for cost of living?
No, and deliberately so. It compares net pay, not purchasing power. A country can leave you more money and still be more expensive to live in; rent, healthcare and childcare are not modelled here.
How are different currencies handled?
Countries are calculated in their own currency — a Polish payslip is in złoty — and converted for ranking using dated reference rates from the same source the API publishes, shown with the date they were set. The currencies in play are CHF, CZK, EUR, GBP, PLN.
Can I compare freelancer or self-employed income?
Yes. Switch the work type and the comparison uses each country's self-employed regime, including simplified and lump-sum options where they exist, instead of the employee rules.
What does it assume about where I live?
That you are a tax resident of the country being calculated. If you are comparing a move, that is the right assumption — relocating usually shifts your tax residence, and with it which country's rules apply and which special regimes for new residents you can use.
Can I share a comparison?
Yes. The selected countries, amount and work type are all carried in the page address, so the link reproduces exactly what you are looking at.