$150,000 in New York City ≈ £99,415 in London
New York City vs London: cost of living, compared
Equivalence is solved so household net cash matches across both cities, with taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and travel all included.
The bottom line
- →$150,000 in New York City leaves about the same net cash as £99,415 in London for this scenario, after real taxes and living costs.
- →Taxes take 29.3% of gross in New York City versus 28.9% in London.
- →The biggest non-cash swing: 10 more vacation days per year in London (statutory).
Where each paycheck goes
Every unit of gross, split four ways. Same net cash, very different shape.
The full receipt, line by line
| Category | New York City | London | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $150,000 | £99,415 ($133,085) | equivalent |
| Income + payroll tax | −$43,896 (29.3%) | −£28,691 (28.9%) | about the same |
| Housing (rent) | −$57,816 | −£37,284 | ~14% less |
| Healthcare (household) | −$3,966 | −£760 | universal |
| Food & groceries | −$12,000 | −£6,840 | ~24% less |
| Transit | −$1,584 | −£2,064 | ~74% more |
| Discretionary | −$6,500 | −£5,200 | ~7% more |
| Travel home | −$375 | −£750 | ~168% more |
| Net cash kept | $23,863 | £17,825 | equal in real terms |
Computed at the city-median tech-worker salary, New York City (typical professional). Each figure is in the city's local currency, from the same engine as the calculator; sources are cited per row there.
What changes beyond the money
- Statutory vacation days~15 → ~25 +10
- Total paid days off~26 → ~33
- Paid parental leave8 wks → 21 wks +13
- Healthcare systemEmployer / private → Universal
These numbers use one scenario's assumptions. Plug in your own salary, family size, and lifestyle.
Open the interactive calculator to run your own →No signup. Your salary stays in your browser — we never see it.
Moving from New York City to London
$150,000 in New York City is worth £99,415 in London on a household net-cash basis. That is the equivalence figure this tool solves for: the London gross salary whose take-home, after taxes and local costs, lands in the same place as your New York City take-home. Most people are surprised by how large the number is. Most of the gap is taxes.
Effective tax rates land within a point of each other: 29.3% in New York City, 28.9% in London.
Healthcare in London is universal. New York City households pay $3,966 in premiums and out-of-pocket costs per year, and that spending disappears in London. It won't show up in a take-home comparison, but it's real money.
London workers get 25 vacation days per year. New York City averages 15. That 10-day gap does not appear in any salary comparison, but at a typical professional's daily rate it represents thousands of dollars of time that stays in your life rather than being bought back by your employer.
Living costs (housing, food, transit, discretionary) total $77,900 in New York City and £51,388 in London at these scenario defaults. The breakdown table shows each line item separately, with source citations and last-updated dates available on hover.
Who comes out ahead
Both leave you close to 17% of gross once rent and taxes are paid.
You also get universal healthcare and more paid leave on top of the money math in London. Run the family scenario to see it.
London gives you 7 more paid days off a year and 13 more weeks of paid leave, none of which shows on an offer letter.
Common questions
How much do you need to earn in London to match a $150,000 salary in New York City?
About £99,415. cityparity solves for the London gross salary whose net cash (after taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, and the rest) equals what you keep in New York City. It's an equivalence, not a raw conversion.
Is healthcare free in London?
London has universal healthcare, so there are no US-style premiums or large deductibles. cityparity counts that as real money you don't spend, which is part of why the equivalent salary is lower than the raw number suggests.
How much vacation and parental leave do you get in London?
London has about 33 paid days off a year (vacation plus public holidays) and 52 weeks of parental leave. cityparity surfaces these as deltas rather than dollars, because time off is part of the real comparison.
Run your own numbers in the interactive calculator →