Which country has the best pay to living cost ratio?

If you theoretically wanted to acquire as much wealth as possible from something finance related, which country would it be best to work in?

London, for example, has many financial institutes, but the pay isn't as significant as the US, and has pretty high living expenses. 

Which country/area maximises this ratio (on average)?

4 Comments
 

I'm guessing the other side of the coin is that there are fewer opportunities. Having said that, I would expect more people to work there seeing how rewarding (and on face value, 'luxurious') the area is.

Is there a barrier to entry I'm missing?

 
Most Helpful

I think a lot of people don't like Dubai as a concept to live in, either rightly or wrongly.

Ultimately you're living in a well-run monarchy (so no democracy). Very hot weather. Muslim-first country (so gotta get used to things like no pork). Drinking is very expensive. Lacks a bit of culture *arguably*. Ratio of men to women is extremely high (although a lot of the men will be working class so there's nuance here).

So there's intangible QoL things to consider but definitely as a short term place to live, it doesn't seem bad, I agree. Just have to consider that not everyone solves life for simply gaining wealth. 

 

Adipisci eum harum voluptatem quas sed et molestiae modi. Laborum ducimus inventore omnis non eos a ipsam.

Voluptatibus accusantium omnis eum suscipit aspernatur. Hic et id adipisci nihil illo maiores. Officiis illum molestiae quibusdam.

Et maxime in tempora minus aut. Quam sint nesciunt deserunt suscipit ea dolor aliquid. Architecto fuga recusandae maxime doloremque incidunt ex. Esse optio vel odio ea sunt qui. Aperiam at sint incidunt laudantium sit maiores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”