Every relocation negotiation has a number that almost nobody in the room knows: the salary at which the move stops losing money. Not the market rate, not the cost-of-living percentage from a comparison site — the offer that, after the destination's actual taxes and living costs, leaves you at least as wealthy in ten years as staying put. Below, that number for the most common departure cities, computed by the same engine that powers the simulator.
Two things to keep straight while reading. The benchmark offer is what a mid-senior software engineer typically earns in the destination (BLS metro medians for US cities). The break-even salaryis what the move actually requires. When the second number is higher than the first, the market itself is telling you the move doesn't pay at typical compensation — you'd need an above-market offer to justify it.
Leaving New York
From New York, the cheap-sunbelt math mostly works — but not uniformly. Miami clears the benchmark by only $19kover ten years — the thinnest margin in the table, because Miami's costs have converged toward the big coastal metros while its salaries haven't.
| Destination | Benchmark offer | Break-even salary | Verdict at benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $167k | $129.3K | +$104k over 10 yrs |
| Austin | $134k | $105.7K | +$76k over 10 yrs |
| Raleigh | $133k | $107.4K | +$64k over 10 yrs |
| Nashville | $127k | $105.7K | +$56k over 10 yrs |
| Las Vegas | $130k | $109.4K | +$55k over 10 yrs |
| Denver | $138k | $124.8K | +$32k over 10 yrs |
| Chicago | $134k | $123.9K | +$26k over 10 yrs |
| Miami | $133k | $125.5K | +$19k over 10 yrs |
Leaving San Francisco
San Francisco pays the country's highest engineering salaries, which cuts both ways: destinations must beat a very high stay-put baseline. Note how many famously "cheap" cities barely clear it — and 3 of these 8 destinations don't clear it at all. The full ranked list for any origin is on its rank page.
| Destination | Benchmark offer | Break-even salary | Verdict at benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $167k | $142.0K | +$70k over 10 yrs |
| Austin | $134k | $118.5K | +$42k over 10 yrs |
| Raleigh | $133k | $121.0K | +$29k over 10 yrs |
| Nashville | $127k | $118.5K | +$22k over 10 yrs |
| Las Vegas | $130k | $122.2K | +$21k over 10 yrs |
| Denver | $138k | $138.6K | −$2k over 10 yrs |
| Chicago | $134k | $137.8K | −$8k over 10 yrs |
| Miami | $133k | $138.4K | −$15k over 10 yrs |
Leaving London
The European picture inverts the American one: most continental destinations pay enough less that the cost-of-living discount doesn't cover the salary cut. Of these 5 destinations, only Dubai clears the benchmark — and Dubai does it on zero income tax, not on pay. Non-US salaries and taxes here mix official curves with calibrated estimates, labeled per city in each comparison's sources.
| Destination | Benchmark offer | Break-even salary | Verdict at benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | $122k | $72.9K | +$191k over 10 yrs |
| Berlin | $85k | $96.4K | −$22k over 10 yrs |
| Amsterdam | $98k | $121.8K | −$35k over 10 yrs |
| Barcelona | $68k | $94.5K | −$38k over 10 yrs |
| Lisbon | $52k | $88.8K | −$39k over 10 yrs |
How to use these numbers
First, check the gap direction. If the benchmark offer sits above the break-even salary, typical offers work and your job is to stay above the line during negotiation. If it sits below, you need an above-market package, and the size of that gap is exactly what you should ask for. Second, run your own case — the simulator computes your personal break-even from your real salary, spending, household, and even a partner's income — benchmarks are where the conversation starts, not where it ends.
Common questions
What does break-even salary mean here?
The minimum offer in the destination at which the move stops losing you money over a 10-year horizon, compared with staying put — computed with real progressive taxes, cost-of-living-scaled spending, and compounding invested savings. Below it, the move is a net loss even though the city is cheaper or the offer looks fine.
Why is the break-even salary sometimes below the typical offer?
When the destination is much cheaper than your current city, even a pay cut can leave you saving more each month. In those cases the break-even salary sits under the market offer, and the gap between them is your negotiating cushion.
Can I use this number in salary negotiation?
It's arguably the best anchor you can bring: instead of asking for a raise that feels arbitrary, you can say what the offer must clear for the move to make financial sense at all. Run your own inputs in the simulator first — the benchmark assumes a mid-senior software engineer with a 25% savings rate.
Methodology & sources
Computed by the MoveWorth simulation engine: progressive income tax (US federal + state + FICA brackets; PolicyEngine-derived UK curves; OECD-anchored effective rates elsewhere), cost-of-living-scaled spending, compounding raises and invested savings. Salary benchmarks: BLS OEWS metro medians for US cities (official), calibrated World Bank-derived estimates elsewhere (labeled). Rent: Census ACS. FX: dated ECB snapshot. Benchmark assumptions unless stated: mid-senior software-engineer offer, 25% savings rate, 3% raises, 7% annual return, 10-year horizon. This is a benchmark, not financial advice.