Global wage and price data

Compare Wages and Prices Worldwide

Explore how salaries and everyday costs differ across 38 economies.

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United States

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United Kingdom

Japan

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Australia

Data reviewed: August 2026

2025 wages · 2024 prices · United States = 100

Wages vs. Overall Price Levels

Start with a question

Compare Two Countries

Put wages and everyday costs side by side.

Country ACountry BCompare Now

Average wage $86,977 / $76,285

Wage difference United States +$10,692

Overall price level 100.00 / 71.50

Price difference United States is 28.5 points higher

Global distribution

Wages Around the World

See how average annual wages compare across economies.

< $40k$40k–60k$60k–80k$80k–90k$90k+

38 economies · latest reported wage year

Average wage $60,488 · Median $60,690

Iceland$100,605
Luxembourg$98,530
Switzerland$92,285
United States$86,977
Netherlands$80,136

Lower wages

Mexico$24,463
Colombia$30,133
Greece$32,412
Slovakia$37,832
Hungary$39,145

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Relative prices

Compare Price Levels

United States = 100

Choose a category to see where everyday costs are higher or lower.

Price Category

Year

Higher Prices

Switzerland119.00
Iceland112.00
United States100.00
Luxembourg96.60
Israel93.10
Australia92.70

Lower Prices

Türkiye32.00
Colombia32.60
Chile42.90
Hungary45.10
Poland45.70
Mexico50.90

Long-run view

How Wages Have Changed

Follow wage growth across leading economies over time.

Iceland$100,6052020–2025: +21.6%

Switzerland$92,2852020–2025: +7.1%

United States$86,9772020–2025: +2.1%

Australia$72,0182020–2025: -1.4%

Germany$76,2852020–2025: +2.0%

Korea$61,2592020–2025: +3.1%

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Check wages, price levels and historical trends for each economy.

Understanding the data

Understanding Wages and Prices

A quick guide to reading the numbers before comparing countries.

What the Wage Figure Represents

Average annual wages are shown in PPP-adjusted U.S. dollars at constant prices. PPP accounts for differences in purchasing power, making wage levels more comparable across countries and over time.

The figure represents a broad national average. It is not take-home pay, household income or the salary earned by every worker.

How to Read a Price Index

Price levels use the United States as a benchmark of 100. A value of 120 means prices in the selected category are approximately 20% higher than in the U.S.; a value of 80 means they are approximately 20% lower.

A price index is a relative comparison—not a currency amount, monthly budget or inflation rate.

Price Index	Meaning
80	About 20% lower than the U.S.
100	Equal to the U.S. benchmark
120	About 20% higher than the U.S.

Why Higher Wages Do Not Tell the Whole Story

Higher average wages do not automatically mean everyday life is more affordable. Countries with high wages may also have higher housing, food, transport or restaurant prices.

For a more useful comparison, look at wages alongside a specific price category. Two countries with similar wage levels may still differ significantly in where everyday costs are concentrated.

Check the Data Years

This page combines 2025 wage data with 2024 price data. The years are shown separately because wage and price datasets follow different update schedules.

Missing observations are displayed as “–”. They are not replaced with zero, estimated or automatically backfilled using an earlier year.

Before drawing a conclusion

Use these figures to compare broad wage and price patterns—not to calculate an individual salary, personal budget or exact standard of living. Taxes, household size, rent, location and personal spending are not included.

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