Living costs
Estimate where PPP-adjusted annual income per adult sits in the global income distribution.
When to use this
It is built for rough global context: household income, adult sharing, PPP conversion, and WID percentile thresholds. It is not a local affordability score.
Default result
The server-rendered example is about p78.9 in the global income distribution, or roughly the top 21.1% by WID 2023 thresholds.
2023 WID context
Average global pre-tax national income for equal-split adults in this WID file is $29,186. The top 10% receive 53.1% of income.
Median threshold
The p50 threshold is $11,101 per adult per year. This is a rank threshold, not a recommended budget.
Top 10 threshold
The p90 threshold is $64,168 per adult per year, using the same WID income concept and 2023 global file.
The default example starts with $6,000 monthly household income, 2 adults, and a PPP factor of 1.
Annual PPP-adjusted household income is $6,000 x 12 x 1 = $72,000.
Income per equal-split adult is $72,000 / 2 = $36,000.
The 2023 WID p70 threshold is $24,450 and p80 is $37,412. $36,000 sits 11,550 dollars above p70 across a 12,961 dollar interval.
Linear interpolation gives about p78.9, or roughly the top 21.1% of the global adult income distribution.
| Topic | Reference | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global income thresholds | WID variable tptincj992, country WO, year 2023, equal-split adults, threshold values for p10 through p99.9. Values are embedded as a static reference table. They are not live exchange-rate or tax estimates. | World Inequality Database bulk data and metadata | As of June 20, 2026 |
| Income concept | WID defines pre-tax national income as income before taxes and transfers, after pension-system treatment, ranked for equal-split adults. For local currency inputs, convert to PPP-adjusted USD before comparing, or edit the PPP factor. | WID.world metadata | As of June 20, 2026 |
| Calculation model | Annual PPP-adjusted household income is divided by adults, then linearly interpolated between adjacent WID threshold percentiles. The percentile is an approximate planning rank, not a personal tax, welfare, household-size, or cost-of-living judgment. | Useful Atlas calculation model | As of June 20, 2026 |
Use annual or monthly household income converted to PPP-adjusted USD, then enter the number of adults sharing that income. If you only have ordinary US dollars, leave the PPP factor at 1.
The embedded WID threshold table is based on pre-tax national income for equal-split adults. It is best for broad global comparison, not for personal tax filing or take-home-pay planning.
The WID equal-split adult concept splits household resources across adults. That makes one-person and two-adult households more comparable than raw household income alone.
Only if the income has already been converted to PPP-adjusted dollars or you enter a PPP factor. It does not use live rent, healthcare, taxes, or exchange-rate data.
The calculator uses a compact set of WID percentile thresholds and linearly interpolates between them. The exact distribution is more detailed than the embedded table.
No. This page ranks annual income. Use the net worth percentile calculator for assets minus debts.
