How Cushy Index calculates salary reality
Cushy Index estimates real lifestyle power by combining gross income, modeled net pay, rent pressure, local core costs, household assumptions and city-adjusted breathing room.
Executive summary
Cushy Index is a 0 to 100 score. It helps compare salary comfort across cities by turning salary, tax, rent and cost-of-living assumptions into a single directional benchmark. The model is built for comparison, relocation planning and compensation context.
Metric definitions
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cushy Index | A 0–100 directional score that combines estimated take-home pay, rent pressure, core monthly costs, savings capacity and local income rank into one comfort benchmark. |
| Local Pay Rank | Where a salary sits in the local/national income distribution, expressed as an approximate percentile or top-rank (e.g. top 10%). |
| Rent Pain Score | Rent as a share of modeled net monthly income. Under ~30% is healthy; above ~40% is financially stressful. |
| Breathing Room | Estimated money left each month after rent and core living costs — the cash that funds savings, leisure and shocks. |
| City Burn Rate | Non-rent essential costs as a share of net income. The budget separately reports rent and total costs. |
| Salary Swap | The estimated gross salary needed to match source-city monthly breathing room, converted using our stated static FX assumptions. |
| Lifestyle Level | A directional label (Not Cushy Yet, Tight, Stable, Comfortable, Very Cushy, Elite Cushy) summarising how cushy a salary feels for a given household. |
Cushy Index formula components
| Signal | Meaning | Weight | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income rank | National salary position relative to benchmark income distributions. | 25% | Benchmark distribution, not exact payroll data. |
| Rent pressure | Rent as a share of modeled net monthly income. | 20% | Rent varies by neighborhood, lease timing and household size. |
| Breathing room | Income left after rent and core costs. | 20% | Household-specific costs can differ materially. |
| Savings power | Modeled ability to save or absorb shocks after core expenses. | 15% | Private debt, healthcare and childcare can change the result. |
| City cost efficiency | How much lifestyle power a city gives for the same income level. | 10% | Cost data can lag fast-moving housing markets. |
| Household resilience | Buffer after costs, adjusted for children. | 10% | A modeled score, not an observed household statistic. |
Reality Gap
Reality Gap = income top-rank minus lifestyle top-rank. If your salary is top 8% nationally but your cost-adjusted lifestyle is top 22% in your city, the Reality Gap shows how much rent and local costs reduce your apparent salary advantage.
Salary Swap and Salary Twin Cities
Salary Swap targets the same monthly breathing room after modeled tax and costs, converted into the target currency. Its static tables use the same solver as the interactive tool. Salary Twin Cities is a separate comparison: it targets a similar Cushy Index. The two outputs answer different questions and can differ.
Data model assumptions
| Model area | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Net salary | Country-specific simplified employee tax and contribution assumptions. |
| Income percentile | Modeled income distribution thresholds by country. |
| Cost of living | City-level rent, groceries, utilities, transport and lifestyle cost benchmarks. |
| Currency | Static modeled exchange rates used for comparison framing, not live FX quotes. |
| Update cycle | Versioned changes are recorded in our editorial policy. Input observation dates can differ from the publication date. |
Employment type currently does not select a different tax engine. Household settings change costs, not family tax relief. Spain regional tax differences are not implemented. See the source register and editorial policy.
Known limitations
Cushy Index uses modeled estimates, so several factors can move real outcomes:
- Tax estimates may differ from actual payroll (deductions, allowances, filing status).
- Household circumstances vary — children, dependents and dual incomes change costs.
- Rent varies by district and lease timing, sometimes substantially.
- Employer benefits (housing, schooling, healthcare, pension) materially change real disposable income.
- Income percentile data may lag official releases.
- All results are directional, not a guarantee of any individual outcome.
Update policy
| Model area | Update cadence |
|---|---|
| Tax rules | Annual, or sooner when rates/bands change. |
| Rent & cost assumptions | Quarterly where possible; high-volatility markets monitored more closely. |
| Income percentile assumptions | Annual, or when new official/benchmark data is available. |
| Methodology | Reviewed whenever the scoring model changes. |
Methodology reconciled with implementation: 5 October 2026. Model version: 2026-10-20.1. This is not an independent tax certification.
FAQ
What is the Reality Gap?
Reality Gap compares income top-rank with city-adjusted lifestyle top-rank. A negative gap means local costs reduce your lifestyle power.
How does Salary Swap work?
Salary Swap matches after-tax breathing room in a common currency; it does not match the Cushy Index score.
Why can a high salary feel average?
High rent, taxes, childcare, transport and local prices can reduce lifestyle power even when income rank is high.
Explore your scenario
Run the calculator with your city, salary, household and lifestyle assumptions.
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