Remote vs office pay calculator
A "work from home" offer is more than just a change of scenery. It can completely reshape your real hourly wage, commute time and cost of living. This page explains what to compare – then points you to the Real Cost Simulator to model your own setup.
1. Compare total job time, not just contract hours
Office roles usually come with a hidden tax: commuting, getting ready, and staying late for in‑person culture. Remote roles may have fewer hidden hours, even if the official schedule is the same. In the simulator you can:
- Enter your weekly working hours
- Set commute time for the office scenario
- Set "Remote / no commute" for the remote scenario
- See how your total job hours per month change
2. Factor in housing and location costs
Being required in the office often means paying more for housing and general cost of living. Going remote can open up cheaper areas or even new countries. With the simulator you can:
- Adjust your rent up or down for each scenario
- Use the "What if I moved?" city comparison to test cheaper locations
- See how much extra you keep each month after housing
3. Compare "hour of freedom", not just salary
A remote role might pay slightly less on paper but leave you with more money per hour of life once everything's included. The simulator gives you a head‑to‑head comparison by showing:
- Leftover money per month after costs of working
- Real hourly rate (leftover ÷ total job hours)
- How this changes as you add remote days or tweak rent
4. Don't ignore wellbeing and risk
The calculator is focused on numbers, but those numbers point to quality of life: shorter commutes, more family time, fewer stress‑driven purchases, and more flexibility. You can use the tool to make those trade‑offs visible instead of guessing.