Remote vs Hybrid Savings Calculator

It depends on the commute. A 3-day-per-week Dublin commute costing €15/day in transport and 60 minutes round-trip runs to roughly €2,070 in direct costs and around €4,500 in time cost per year (based on an hourly rate from a €65,000 salary). That's over €6,500 in total commute impact, leaving you only €3,500 better off annually from a €10,000 gross raise. After tax, the raise itself is worth around €5,600 net, so the commute erodes roughly 60% of it.

We calculate your implied hourly rate by dividing your gross salary by your contracted hours across 46 working weeks (52 weeks minus approximately 5.6 weeks of statutory leave and bank holidays). We then multiply that rate by the total hours you spend commuting per year. This represents the opportunity cost: what those hours would be worth if they were paid working hours.

Ireland and the UK both provide a statutory minimum of 4 weeks paid annual leave; adding bank holidays brings the typical total to approximately 5.6 weeks per year. Australia's National Employment Standards minimum is 4 weeks annual leave plus public holidays that vary 10-13 days by state (roughly 2 weeks on average) — a different mix of leave and public holidays that lands on the same round figure. All three regions land at approximately 46 working weeks. Using 52 weeks would overstate commute costs and hourly rates because you would include weeks when no commuting actually happens.

Include all incremental costs you would not have working from home: daily public transport (Leap card, Oyster, Opal/Myki, or an equivalent season ticket prorated), fuel or parking if you drive, and any daily meal or coffee spending above what you would spend at home. The wardrobe and dry-cleaning field captures the annual cost of maintaining a professional wardrobe: typically £400 to £800 in the UK, €500 to €1,000 in Ireland, and A$500 to A$1,000 in Australia.

Yes. The calculator runs each salary through the full 2026 tax engine for the selected region. For Ireland this means Income Tax (20% and 40% bands with standard tax credits), USC (0.5%, 2%, 3%, and 8% bands), and PRSI (4.2%). For the UK it applies Income Tax (20%, 40%, 45%) with Personal Allowance tapering above £100,000, and Class 1 National Insurance. For Australia it applies the 2026-27 resident tax brackets and the Medicare Levy. The true net income figure reflects post-tax pay minus all commute costs.

This calculator uses gross salary inputs and standard deductions only. If you have a significant pension or superannuation contribution that differs between the two roles, your real take-home will differ from the figures shown. Enter the pre-contribution salary and treat that difference separately.

Many employers across Ireland, the UK, and Australia announced RTO mandates in 2025 and 2026, typically requiring 2 to 4 days per week in the office. Some accompanied these with salary increases to compensate for commuting costs; many did not. This calculator gives you the maths to evaluate any specific offer on its actual post-commute value rather than headline gross.