$280,000 in Seattle ≈ £244,735 in London
Moving to London from Seattle with a family
Equivalence is solved so household net cash matches across both cities, with taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and travel all included.
The bottom line
- →$280,000 in Seattle leaves about the same net cash as £244,735 in London for this scenario, after real taxes and living costs.
- →Taxes take 23.2% of gross in Seattle versus 33.7% in London.
- →The biggest non-cash swing: 20 more vacation days per year in London.
Where each paycheck goes
Every unit of gross, split four ways. Same net cash, very different shape.
Full Breakdown
| Category | Seattle | London | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $280,000 | £244,735 ($331,619) | Equivalent |
| Income + payroll tax | −$65,010 (23.2%) | −£82,432 (33.7%) | A touch higher |
| Housing (rent) | −$55,755 3 bed rents run $3,192 to $5,376 across the metro | −£48,474 Croydon ~£3,013 · Barking & Dagenham ~£3,192 · Lambeth ~£4,233 · Hackney ~£4,520 · Westminster ~£6,241 · Kensington & Chelsea ~£6,744 | ~18% more |
| Healthcare (household) | −$14,828 | −£1,620 | Universal |
| Childcare | −$32,280 | −£25,200 | ~6% more |
| Food & groceries | −$20,160 | −£14,520 | Similar |
| Transit | −$2,792 | −£4,850 | ~135% more |
| Discretionary spending | −$5,900 | −£5,200 | ~19% more |
| Travel home | −$11,200 | −£6,000 | ~27% less |
| Government child benefit | +$4,400 | +£0 | Offsets childcare |
| Net cash kept | $76,475 | £56,439 | Equal in real terms |
Live in either city? Flag any number that looks off.
Computed at the city-median tech-worker salary, Seattle (a family with two kids). 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~0 → ~20
- Total paid days off, typical year~11 → ~28
- Paid parental leave12 wks → 8 wks
- Healthcare systemEmployer / private → Universal
These numbers use one scenario's assumptions. Plug in your own salary, family size, and lifestyle.
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Moving from Seattle to London for a family
For a family of four, this comparison produces a different answer than a single-person look at the same cities. Childcare costs, parental leave policy, and the second earner's tax treatment all push the number. With a partner at 60% of the primary salary and two kids in daycare, a $280,000 household in Seattle needs £244,735 in London to keep the same net cash.
Childcare is the biggest single swing factor in this comparison. Seattle households pay $32,280 per year; London caps it at £25,200 via subsidy. That difference flows directly to net cash. A standard salary comparison won't show it at all.
Parental leave is similar: 12 weeks paid in Seattle, 8 in London.
With kids in the house, healthcare is the line that quietly compounds. London runs a universal system, so a rough year doesn't turn into a billing event. The Seattle side carries $14,828 a year in premiums and out-of-pocket costs, exposure that simply doesn't follow you across.
K-12 schools land near the same level on the OECD's PISA 2022 assessment: USA 489 (math 465, reading 504, science 499), United Kingdom 494 (math 489, reading 494, science 500). Within statistical noise, so the differentiator is local school choice, not country average.
London also adds 20 more vacation days per year (20 vs 0). With kids, that is school breaks actually covered without burning PTO.
The second-earner question is worth running separately. In high-childcare-cost cities, full-time daycare can eat most of a partner's after-tax income. In London, subsidized childcare changes that math entirely: both salaries actually make it to the household. Use the "Partner works in" toggle in the calculator to see what that shift does to your specific numbers.
Who comes out ahead
You keep 27% of gross there versus 23%. Housing drives most of that gap.
Childcare, healthcare, and leave roughly wash out between the two for families.
London gives you 17 more paid days off in a typical year, none of which shows on an offer letter.
Common questions
How much do you need to earn in London to match a $280,000 salary in Seattle?
About £244,735. cityparity solves for the London gross salary whose net cash (after taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, and the rest) equals what you keep in Seattle. It's an equivalence, not a raw conversion.
How much is childcare in London compared with Seattle?
Childcare is one of the biggest swings for a family moving from Seattle to London. cityparity nets each city's daycare cost against any government child allowance, so the figure reflects what you'd actually pay out of pocket.
Is healthcare free in London?
London has universal public healthcare, so you avoid US-style deductibles and surprise medical bills. But most working professionals still carry private top-up cover, which cityparity models at about £1,620 a year and counts in the comparison.
How much vacation and parental leave do you get in London?
London has 28 statutory paid days off a year (vacation plus public holidays) and 41 weeks of parental leave. A public holiday landing on a weekend there is moved to a weekday, so you keep all 28 in a typical year.
Actually looking to move?
The steps this move actually takes, in the order they happen.
Sort the work permit. Most hires come in on a Skilled Worker visa, and only a licensed sponsor employer can issue the certificate. Everything below waits on it.How permits work
Land the offer. £244,735 is your walk-away floor. Our negotiation guide turns it into an anchor, the scripts to hold it, and the trades to make when the base is capped.Get the scripts
Get moving quotes. Once the contract is signed, price the move itself. ReloAdvisor collects quotes for shipping and short-term housing on the London end.Get quotes
Move the money. The deposit on a London flat is usually due before you have a local account. Wise converts USD to GBP at the mid-market rate.Compare rates
Cover the health insurance. Most arrivals hit a gap between leaving one health system and joining the next. Allianz Care quotes interim cover for it.Get a quote
Plan the tax filing. A US passport keeps the IRS in your life in London, on top of whatever United Kingdom wants. Taxes for Expats files the US side for Americans abroad: the exclusion, the foreign tax credit, and the catch-up program if you are already behind.Get a quote
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Take these numbers into the offer conversation
Get the break-even salary, rent and one-income scenarios, moving budget, and recruiter ask range for Seattle → London. Change the salary before checkout and every input inside the report.
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