Updated 25 October 2026
Quick answer on how to compare countries: Among the 35 countries compared here, the highest minimum wages (in US dollars a month) are in Luxembourg, Australia and the United Kingdom; the average worker pays the most tax in Belgium, Germany and Lithuania; mortgages are dearest in Brazil, Mexico and the United States; household electricity is most expensive in Ireland, Germany and Belgium; and state pension ages are highest in Australia, Denmark and Greece. The table puts seven measures side by side, and each country links to a page with the full figures.
Deciding where to work, buy a home or retire means comparing several numbers at once. This hub brings together the figures from our country-by-country data guides, all from official sources (national statistics offices, central banks, the OECD and Eurostat), and every dataset is free to download.
Compare Countries Side by Side
| Country | Minimum wage (US$/month) | Tax on average wage | Mortgage rate | Electricity (US$/kWh) | Petrol rise since Feb | Pension age | Pension (% of net pay) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $3,058 | 23.5% | 6.49% | — | — | 67 (Age Pension) | 53% |
| Austria | None | 32.5% | 3.61% | $0.36 | +20.4% | 65 men / 61 y 6 m women | 86.8% |
| Belgium | $2,501 | 39.5% | 3.7% | $0.40 | +32.2% | 66 | 61.1% |
| Brazil | $321 | — | 11.19% | — | — | 65 men / 62 women | 97.5% |
| Canada | $2,248 | 25.6% | 5.14% | — | — | 65 | 45.1% |
| China | $411 | — | 3.5% | — | — | ~60 y 4 m men; ~55 y 4 m / 50 y 8 m women | 103.6% |
| Czechia | $1,033 | 21.3% | — | $0.32 | +35.7% | 64 y 6 m | 55.9% |
| Denmark | None | 35.3% | — | $0.27 | +34.4% | 67 | 77.1% |
| Estonia | $1,059 | 23.2% | 4.27% | $0.24 | +34.5% | — | 37.8% |
| Finland | None | 30.7% | 3.24% | $0.30 | +35.8% | 65 (national pension) | 65.7% |
| France | $2,090 | 28% | 3.2% | $0.28 | +30.4% | 62 y 9 m | 70% |
| Germany | $2,623 | 38.7% | 4% | $0.41 | +19.5% | 66 y 4 m | 53.3% |
| Greece | $1,201 | 26.1% | 3.3% | $0.27 | +26.1% | 67 | 88.5% |
| India | $49 | — | 7.25% | — | — | 58 (EPS pension) | 44.6% |
| Ireland | $2,676 | 25.1% | 3.52% | $0.43 | +13.3% | 66 | 33.7% |
| Italy | None | 28.6% | 3.58% | $0.35 | +21.8% | 67 | 79% |
| Japan | $1,301 | 22.6% | 1.45% | — | — | 65 | 42.4% |
| Latvia | $873 | 26% | 4.35% | $0.27 | +27.2% | — | 52.2% |
| Lithuania | $1,291 | 38.7% | 4.16% | $0.24 | +33.8% | — | 28.2% |
| Luxembourg | $3,102 | 32% | 3.63% | $0.23 | +22.7% | — | 87.7% |
| Mexico | $510 | 13.2% | 10.8% | — | — | 65 | 79.6% |
| Netherlands | $2,617 | 27.9% | 3.91% | $0.27 | +16% | 67 | 96% |
| New Zealand | $2,361 | 20.8% | — | — | — | 65 (NZ Super) | 43.8% |
| Norway | None | 28.1% | — | $0.22 | — | 67 | 54.9% |
| Poland | $1,252 | 24.4% | — | $0.34 | +13.3% | 65 men / 60 women | 40.6% |
| Portugal | $1,201 | 24.9% | 3.03% | $0.27 | +24.5% | 66 y 9 m | 92.7% |
| Slovakia | $1,024 | 24.3% | 3.73% | $0.22 | +27.9% | — | 76.3% |
| Slovenia | $1,659 | 36.2% | 3.22% | $0.24 | +23.3% | — | 71.3% |
| South Africa | $316 | — | — | — | — | 60 (Older Persons Grant) | 8.9% |
| South Korea | $1,351 | 16.5% | — | — | — | 63 | 38.9% |
| Spain | $1,595 | 23.5% | 3.04% | $0.28 | +21% | 66 y 10 m | 86.3% |
| Sweden | None | 22.6% | — | $0.34 | +14.4% | 67 (guarantee pension) | 66.3% |
| Switzerland | — | 18.1% | 1.1% | — | — | 65 men / 64 y 6 m women | 47.5% |
| United Kingdom | $2,945 | 23.1% | 6% | $0.35 | +32.5% | 66, rising to 67 | 54.2% |
| United States | $1,257 | 24.3% | 7.32% | $0.18 | +45.9% | 67 | 51.3% |
"None": no statutory minimum wage (collective agreements). "—": not in that dataset.
Download the Data
Every table behind these pages is free to download as a CSV file and reuse with credit to Blog Digest (CC BY 4.0):
- Minimum wage 2026 (from Minimum Wage by Country 2026: Hourly and Monthly Rates in US Dollars)
- Take home pay average wage 2025 (from Income Tax by Country 2026: Countries With the Lowest Income Tax)
- Mortgage rates 2026 (from Mortgage Rates by Country 2026: Where Buying a Home Costs the Most)
- Household electricity prices 2026 (from Electricity Prices by Country 2026: What Households Pay per kWh)
- Petrol prices since feb 2026 (from Petrol Prices by Country: How Much They Have Risen Since the Iran War)
- Retirement age 2026 (from Retirement Age by Country 2026, Including Retirement Age in Europe)
- Pension net replacement rates (from Average Pension by Country 2026: State Pension Amounts Compared)
- Deposit insurance limits 2026 (from FDIC Limit and Deposit Insurance Limits by Country 2026)
- Inheritance tax 2026 (from Countries With No Inheritance Tax and Rates by Country 2026)
- Retirement visa income rules 2026 (from Cheapest Countries to Retire Abroad on $2,000 a Month)
- Salary increase forecasts 2027 (from Salary Increase 2027 Forecasts by Country: Every Major Survey)
How to Use These Comparisons
- Wages and tax together: a high minimum wage can come with high tax. Compare the US-dollar minimum wage with the share of pay the average worker keeps.
- Homes: the mortgage rate sets the monthly payment. A 2-point difference adds about 20% to the payment on a 25-year loan.
- Bills: electricity prices vary more than threefold. Petrol rises since February show where the Iran war hit hardest.
- Retirement: look at the pension age and the share of pay the pension replaces together; a later age with a generous pension can beat an early age with a small one.
Frequently Asked Questions: Compare Countries
Which country has the highest minimum wage in 2026?
Converted to US dollars for a month of full-time work, the highest minimum wages are in Luxembourg, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Which country takes the most tax from an average worker?
Counting income tax and employee social security on the average wage, the highest are Belgium, Germany and Lithuania; the lowest are Mexico, South Korea and Switzerland.
Where are mortgage rates lowest?
Among these countries, the lowest typical mortgage rates are in Switzerland, Japan and Portugal.
Which country has the cheapest electricity?
The cheapest household electricity, in US dollars per kWh, is in the United States, Slovakia and Norway.
Where is the retirement age lowest?
The lowest state pension ages among these countries are in India, South Africa and China.
Related Guides
- Minimum Wage by Country 2026: Hourly and Monthly Rates in US Dollars
- Income Tax by Country 2026: Countries With the Lowest Income Tax
- Mortgage Rates by Country 2026: Where Buying a Home Costs the Most
- Electricity Prices by Country 2026: What Households Pay per kWh
- Petrol Prices by Country: How Much They Have Risen Since the Iran War
- Retirement Age by Country 2026, Including Retirement Age in Europe
- Average Pension by Country 2026: State Pension Amounts Compared
- FDIC Limit and Deposit Insurance Limits by Country 2026
- Countries With No Inheritance Tax and Rates by Country 2026
- Cheapest Countries to Retire Abroad on $2,000 a Month
- Salary Increase 2027 Forecasts by Country: Every Major Survey
Figures from the official sources listed in each linked guide, checked in October 2026. Exchange-rate conversions are approximate. For information only; not financial advice.
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