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An Indian in Australia explained why an AUD 100,000 salary cannot simply be compared with ₹67 lakh in India, factoring in taxes, rent and daily expenses
An AUD 100,000 salary in Australia may sound like a ₹67 lakh package to an Indian audience, but the comparison does not tell the whole story (Image-Instagram/@karanwillfinance)
For many Indians, an overseas salary often looks much bigger after a quick rupee conversion. An AUD 100,000 package in Australia, for instance, comes to roughly ₹67 lakh. But one Indian living in Australia says that number can create a misleading picture of how much a person actually earns, spends and saves.
Instagram user Karan Singh Gill recently shared a video breaking down what an AUD 100,000 annual salary actually looks like after taxes, rent, and other everyday expenses in Australia.
His explanation highlights how the cost of living can significantly affect disposable income and why converting an overseas salary into Indian rupees does not necessarily provide an accurate picture of someone’s financial situation.
In the video, Gill recalled telling his family about his salary in Australia. He said, “Jab maine apni family ko bataya ki main Australia mein 1 lakh dollar kamata hoon, unhone calculator nikala, 67 lakh likha aur mujhe crorepati declare kar diya. (When I told my family that I earn $100,000 in Australia, they took out a calculator, wrote 67 lakh and declared me a crorepati.)”
Gill clarified that his family was not technically wrong about the currency conversion. AUD 100,000 did translate to approximately ₹67 lakh based on the exchange rate he used. However, he pointed out that the salary is earned and largely spent in Australia.
“That Rs 67 lakh is not going to be spent in India, it will be spent in Australia,” he said.
According to Gill’s calculation, approximately AUD 22,788 is deducted from the annual salary in taxes and the Medicare levy. This leaves him with roughly AUD 77,000.
The next major expense is accommodation. Gill estimated his annual rent at around AUD 26,000, based on rent of approximately AUD 500 per week. Once rent is taken into account, the amount available falls to around AUD 51,000.
He then factored in other regular expenses, including groceries, transportation, electricity, phone bills and insurance. Gill estimated these costs at approximately AUD 20,000 annually.
“That leaves around $31,000,” he said, illustrating how an apparently massive salary can look considerably different after accounting for the cost of living.
Gill also questioned the practice of converting every expense into Indian rupees. According to him, the exchange-rate comparison becomes relevant primarily when money is actually transferred to India.
“Conversion only applies to the money that you send to India. The money you spend here doesn’t have that Rs 67 lakh magic,” he said.
To explain his point, Gill cited everyday expenses. A $5 coffee, for instance, would translate to roughly ₹355 at the exchange rate used in his example, while a $40 haircut would be approximately ₹2,700. However, someone earning and spending in Australia would generally consider those expenses in Australian dollars rather than constantly converting them into rupees.
“Same salary, different country, completely different math,” Gill said.
Based on his example, around AUD 31,000 remains after the expenses he listed. That money could potentially be directed towards savings, investments, an emergency fund or a future home deposit.
Gill’s post also sparked a wider conversation among users about the cost of living in Australia, purchasing power and whether moving abroad necessarily guarantees greater savings.
One user wrote, “It’s not always about money. It’s about the peace and facilities you get in the country.”
Another commented, “My haircuts in India already cost ₹3K and coffee costs ₹500. However I do understand that these are luxury prices in India. Are the coffee prices and haircut prices you mentioned just the starting prices or average prices?”
A third user said, “But the lifestyle we get here is already worth more than 100K dollars. That’s a plus on your salary.”
Another raised the question of whether moving overseas makes financial sense for someone whose long-term goal is to save money and eventually return to India. The user wrote, “If I want to move abroad mainly to earn more, save money, and eventually buy a house and build a good life in India, is moving abroad really a good option??”
Another user added a humorous take, writing, “I guess bhai or ulta indian family se paise chiye haha 😂”
One more user wrote, “Save, invest karne wale kese bhi kar lete hai saab,baki to 2 lakh doller se bhi kuch ni hone wala.”
August 10, 2026, 07:52 IST
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