A trans-Tasman financial calculator
An honest, numbers-first calculator for any New Zealander weighing the move. Pick your industry, adjust your salary, and get a personalised verdict in under two minutes.
Select your industry and experience level — this sets realistic baseline salaries you can adjust in the next step.
These are market estimates for your industry and level. Drag the sliders to match your actual offer or expectations — the verdict updates live.
Gross annual salary before tax, in each country's currency
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 1.223 NZD (mid-May 2026). AU salaries are shown in AUD and converted to NZD for comparison.
Factor in your student loan, living costs, and the upfront cost of the move. All sliders are pre-filled with typical figures — adjust anything that doesn't match your situation.
NZ student loans are interest-free at home, but accrue 5.6% interest per year if you move overseas
Set to $0 if you have no loan or it's already paid off.
Typical room rent in a shared flat. Rent is per week; all other costs per month.
Investment return and upfront move cost
Career progression in real terms. 2% is a reasonable default; AU's larger job market often supports faster progression. Set to 0% to model a flat-salary scenario.
3% is conservative for a globally diversified index fund. Raise to 5–7% for a more optimistic view.
Flights, bond, 2 weeks Airbnb, IKEA basics. Adjust higher if shipping furniture.
The bottom line
Adjust the inputs to see how the move stacks up for you.
Year-one cash flow. Tap the ? icons to understand each line item. All figures shown in local currency.
Christchurch, flatting
Brisbane, flatting
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Cumulative net financial position — annual savings invested at your chosen return rate, including employer retirement contributions. Converted to NZD for a like-for-like comparison.
Everything converted to NZD at the exchange rate above, so you can compare like-for-like
All sources are publicly available and current as of May 2026. Override anything that doesn't match your specific case.
| Input | Default value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NZ income tax brackets | 10.5% / 17.5% / 30% / 33% / 39% | IRD, 2025/26 tax year (updated July 2024) |
| ACC earner levy | 1.67%, capped at NZ$139,892 | ACC, 2026/27 rate |
| NZ student loan threshold | NZ$24,128, 12% above | IRD, 2026 tax year |
| NZ student loan interest, in NZ | 0% | IRD, since 1 April 2006 |
| NZ student loan interest, overseas | 5.6% (up from 4.9% in 2025, 3.3% in 2024) | interest.co.nz, March 2026 |
| IRD overseas minimum repayments | $1k–$5k/yr tiers based on balance | IRD overseas borrower obligations |
| KiwiSaver | 3% employee, 3% employer, up to $521 govt | IRD, KiwiSaver Act |
| AU income tax brackets | 0% / 16% / 30% / 37% / 45% | ATO, 2025/26 financial year (Stage 3) |
| AU Medicare levy | 2% on taxable income | ATO, 2025/26 |
| AU Superannuation Guarantee | 12% employer contribution, 15% contributions tax | ATO, 2025/26 SG rate |
| NZ MSc microbiologist starting salary | NZ$70,000 | PayScale, ERI SalaryExpert, Randstad midpoint, May 2026 |
| AU MSc biotech starting salary | AU$85,000 | ERI SalaryExpert, Glassdoor, AusBiotech, May 2026 |
| Christchurch room rent (flatting) | NZ$220/week | Trade Me Property, observed market 2025-26 |
| Brisbane room rent (flatting) | AU$300/week | SQM Research, Domain, Bamboo Routes, Jan 2026 |
| NZ visa for Aussie | None required | SCV 444 granted automatically on arrival |
| Cost of light-baggage move | NZ$5,800–8,200 (default $7,000) | Flights, bond, 2 weeks Airbnb, IKEA basics |
| Exchange rate | 1 AUD = 1.223 NZD | Expatistan, mid-May 2026 |
| Investment return assumption | 3% real, after inflation and fees | Long-run global equity returns, conservative |
Numbers don't tell the whole story. The case for staying or going has dimensions a spreadsheet cannot model.