Mapped: Monthly Salaries Across 69 Major Cities
Key Takeaways
- Zurich leads at $8,363 per month after income tax, or 38 times Cairo’s $220.
- Five U.S. cities rank among the global top 10, including San Francisco at #2.
- Tokyo ranks 39th at $2,394 per month, below cities including Dubai, Toronto, Berlin, Seoul, and Auckland.
How much does the average worker take home in the world’s major cities?
This visualization compares average monthly salaries after income tax across 69 major cities in 2026. Figures are converted to U.S. dollars and are based on Numbeo data published by Deutsche Bank.
U.S. Cities Dominate the Top 10
The U.S. has a strong presence at the top of the global salary ranking.
San Francisco ranks second overall at $7,601 per month, trailing only Zurich. Boston ($6,258), New York ($5,534), Chicago ($4,984), and Los Angeles ($4,480) also rank in the top 10.
| Rank | City | Country | Monthly Avg. Salary Net of Taxes 2026 (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Zurich |
Switzerland | $8,363 |
| 2 |  San Francisco |
U.S. | $7,601 |
| 3 | Geneva |
Switzerland | $7,444 |
| 4 | Boston |
U.S. | $6,258 |
| 5 | New York |
U.S. | $5,534 |
| 6 |  Luxembourg |
Luxembourg | $5,196 |
| 7 | Chicago |
U.S. | $4,984 |
| 8 |  Copenhagen |
Denmark | $4,703 |
| 9 |  Amsterdam |
Netherlands | $4,554 |
| 10 | Los Angeles |
U.S. | $4,480 |
| 11 |  Melbourne |
Australia | $4,409 |
| 12 |  Tel Aviv-Yafo |
Israel | $4,399 |
| 13 |  London |
UK | $4,289 |
| 14 | Sydney |
Australia | $4,181 |
| 15 |  Oslo |
Norway | $4,177 |
| 16 |  Munich |
Germany | $4,169 |
| 17 | Frankfurt |
Germany | $4,124 |
| 18 | Birmingham |
UK | $4,105 |
| 19 |  Singapore |
Singapore | $3,975 |
| 20 |  Dublin |
Ireland | $3,947 |
| 21 |  Stockholm |
Sweden | $3,654 |
| 22 |  Paris |
France | $3,622 |
| 23 | Edinburgh |
UK | $3,497 |
| 24 |  Dubai |
UAE | $3,402 |
| 25 |  Vienna |
Austria | $3,380 |
| 26 |  Toronto |
Canada | $3,373 |
| 27 | Berlin |
Germany | $3,366 |
| 28 | Abu Dhabi |
UAE | $3,334 |
| 29 | Vancouver |
Canada | $3,327 |
| 30 |  Hong Kong |
Hong Kong | $3,199 |
| 31 |  Brussels |
Belgium | $3,194 |
| 32 |  Doha |
Qatar | $3,190 |
| 33 |  Helsinki |
Finland | $3,127 |
| 34 |  Auckland |
New Zealand | $3,102 |
| 35 |  Seoul |
South Korea | $3,015 |
| 36 | Montreal |
Canada | $2,915 |
| 37 | Wellington |
New Zealand | $2,786 |
| 38 |  Madrid |
Spain | $2,509 |
| 39 |  Tokyo |
Japan | $2,394 |
| 39 | Barcelona |
Spain | $2,394 |
| 41 |  Prague |
Czechia | $2,348 |
| 42 |  Warsaw |
Poland | $2,221 |
| 43 |  Milan |
Italy | $2,216 |
| 44 |  Riyadh |
Saudi Arabia | $2,041 |
| 45 | Rome |
Italy | $1,993 |
| 46 |  Moscow |
Russia | $1,794 |
| 47 |  Budapest |
Hungary | $1,770 |
| 48 |  Johannesburg |
South Africa | $1,740 |
| 48 |  Taipei |
Taiwan | $1,740 |
| 50 |  Shanghai |
China | $1,708 |
| 51 | Cape Town |
South Africa | $1,662 |
| 52 |  Lisbon |
Portugal | $1,608 |
| 53 |  Kuala Lumpur |
Malaysia | $1,577 |
| 54 | Beijing |
China | $1,561 |
| 55 |  Athens |
Greece | $1,321 |
| 56 |  Istanbul |
Türkiye | $1,173 |
| 57 |  Mexico City |
Mexico | $1,059 |
| 58 |  São Paulo |
Brazil | $853 |
| 59 |  Buenos Aires |
Argentina | $842 |
| 60 |  Bangalore |
India | $804 |
| 61 |  Santiago |
Chile | $798 |
| 62 | Mumbai |
India | $777 |
| 63 |  Bogotá |
Colombia | $718 |
| 64 |  Bangkok |
Thailand | $623 |
| 65 | Rio de Janeiro |
Brazil | $594 |
| 66 | Delhi |
India | $538 |
| 67 |  Manila |
Philippines | $471 |
| 68 |  Jakarta |
Indonesia | $426 |
| 69 |  Cairo |
Egypt | $220 |
Among these five U.S. cities, San Francisco leads by a wide margin. Its average take-home pay is 37% higher than New York’s and nearly 70% higher than Los Angeles’.
High salaries, however, don’t necessarily translate into greater purchasing power. These figures measure take-home salaries rather than purchasing power, and many of the highest-paying cities also rank among the world’s most expensive places to live.
Europe’s Salary Divide
Europe accounts for five of the 10 highest-paying cities, led by Zurich and Geneva.
Yet salaries vary considerably across the continent. Zurich’s $8,363 monthly average is nearly twice London’s $4,289, more than double Paris’ $3,622, and over five times Lisbon’s $1,608.
The divide extends into Southern Europe. Madrid ($2,509), Barcelona ($2,394), Milan ($2,216), and Rome ($1,993) all sit in the lower half of the ranking, despite being among Europe’s largest economic and cultural centers.
Tokyo Ranks Surprisingly Low Among Major Global Cities
Despite being one of the world’s largest economic centers, Tokyo ranks 39th out of the 69 cities analyzed, at $2,394 per month.
That puts Tokyo below Dubai, Toronto, Berlin, Seoul, and Auckland, while its average take-home salary is less than one-third of Zurich’s.
More broadly, Asian cities span a wide range. Singapore leads the region at $3,975 per month, compared with $3,015 in Seoul, $1,708 in Shanghai, and $1,561 in Beijing. At the lower end, average take-home pay falls below $1,000 in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangkok, Manila, and Jakarta.
This creates a more than ninefold salary gap between Singapore and Jakarta, highlighting the wide range of earnings across Asia’s major urban economies.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the global cost of living index in 2026.
- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-monthly-salaries-in-69-major-cities-around-the-world/
