CA+US Parallel49
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Offer & Relocation Comparator

Comparing a Canadian offer against a US offer? A raw salary comparison misses payroll tax, your actual income-tax rate, the exchange rate, and cost of living, all of which move the real number a lot. General information only, not tax or financial advice.

Verified against 2026 CPP/EI/FICA and federal/provincial/state tax rates, September 2026
Guide:Comparing a CAD Offer to a USD Offer, Properly: the mechanics, a worked example, and what this doesn't model.
Your inputs are saved in this browser automatically, so you won't lose them on refresh.Saved
Heads up: the fields below are pre-filled with a made-up example: a $130,000 Ontario offer vs. a $170,000 Washington offer, just so you can see how the comparison works. None of this is your data. Replace each field whenever you're ready, or use the button to reload this example any time.

The Canadian offer

The US offer

Cost of living

Not sure? Check a cost-of-living comparison tool (e.g. Numbeo) for your specific city pair and enter the percentage difference here.

What each offer is really worth

Canadian offer, real value (USD)
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US offer, real value (USD, COL-adjusted)
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Estimated advantage
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US breakeven salary
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ℹ️CPP/EI and FICA/Medicare are computed for real
Those are federal-only, single-formula payroll taxes: the same rate applies regardless of province or state, so this calculator applies the actual 2026 CPP, EI, Social Security, and Medicare formulas rather than asking you to estimate them.
ℹ️Provincial and state income tax are computed from real 2026 brackets
All 13 Canadian provinces/territories and 50 US states have their own statutory brackets and basic-personal-amount/standard-deduction credit modeled here, including the states with no income tax at all. Surtaxes, non-BPA credits, and local/city income tax (e.g. NYC) aren't included; see Methodology & Sources for exactly what is and isn't modeled, and the source citations.
📋Employer retirement matching isn't included
A 401(k) match or an RRSP match is real compensation, but it's a separate question from take-home pay: this calculator compares cash in hand only. Factor in match differences yourself if they're material to your decision.

❓ Glossary & how this is calculated
CPP / CPP2
Canada Pension Plan contributions: 5.95% on earnings between the $3,500 basic exemption and the $74,600 first ceiling (YMPE), plus a second 4% tier (CPP2) on earnings up to $85,000 (YAMPE).
EI
Employment Insurance premiums: 1.63% of insurable earnings up to $68,900.
FICA
Social Security (6.2% up to a $184,500 wage base) plus Medicare (1.45%, uncapped, plus an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 single / $250,000 married filing jointly).
Breakeven salary
The USD salary that would make the US offer's real, COL-adjusted value exactly match the Canadian offer's, holding the US state and cost-of-living adjustment fixed.

All figures shown are in USD, since the cost-of-living adjustment is framed as "how much more the US city costs than home." See the full sourcing for CPP/EI/FICA citations.

Privacy & Data
Everything here is stored only in this browser (localStorage), never on a server: see the footer for the full picture of what does leave your device. "Erase everything" removes every input, saved scenario, and preference this site has saved here, including anything kept via the "Remember immigration status" opt-in on Moving Back to Canada. This can't be undone.
Next: CoastFIRE Calculator: see how either offer changes your retirement timeline.
Figures current as of 2026
  • 2026: CPP, CPP2, EI, Social Security wage base, and Medicare figures checked directly against CRA, ESDC, and SSA publications.
  • Last independently verified: August 2026.