Educator Submissions

While our site aggregates various data from Numbeo and other sources to provide general information about living and working conditions in different countries, a significant portion of our content comes directly from the people who know it best: the educators themselves.

Anonymous Insights from International Teachers

Our database includes a wealth of information submitted anonymously by international teachers. These submissions provide real, firsthand accounts that help to enrich the statistical data, offering a more nuanced view of the teaching landscape worldwide. Here’s how educators contribute to our resource:

  • Name of School: Educators enter the official name of the school where they work.
  • Country/City: The geographical location of the school.
  • Annual Contracted Salary (USD): Official annual salary as per the employment contract.
  • Monthly Take-Home Pay (USD): Actual monthly income after deductions.
  • Estimated Monthly Savings: An estimation of the portion of salary that can be saved monthly.
  • Tax Rate: Applicable local tax rates.
  • School Structure and Curricula: Type of educational institution and the curriculum followed.
  • Workload: Typical weekly workload at the school.
  • Contract Length and Faculty Size: Duration of the contract and number of teaching staff.
  • Extracurricular Requirements: Any compulsory participation in after-school activities.
  • Position Held at School: Current job title or role within the school.
  • Years of Experience: Number of years worked at the current school and total teaching experience.
  • Educational Background and Benefits: Highest level of education achieved and various benefits provided by the school such as housing, airfare, retirement plans, and health insurance.
  • Rating of Working at the School: A rating scale for educators to evaluate their overall work experience.
  • Salary Schedule: Allows uploading the school’s salary schedule for reference.
  • Additional Comments: Space for any other personal insights about the school or living in the area.
  • Email Address (Optional): While not publicly displayed, providing an email address helps us verify requests for data removal securely, ensuring the integrity and privacy of our contributors.

We rely on the integrity and accuracy of these submissions to offer the most reliable and relevant information. Each contribution is invaluable, and helps us international teachers find schools that fit our values and make more informed career decisions.

If you’re ready to share your experience working at an international school, we invite you to Submit Your Salary.

Lifestyle Indices

Safety Index

The key used to categorize countries based on safety is based on Numbeo’s safety index, where we created the following scale:

  1. Very Safe: A safety index of 80 or higher.
  2. Safe: A safety index between 60 and 79.9.
  3. Moderate: A safety index between 40 and 59.9.
  4. Unsafe: A safety index between 20 and 39.9.
  5. Very Unsafe: A safety index below 20.

These categories are derived from reversing the crime index values provided by Numbeo, where:

  • Very High Crime Index implies a Very Unsafe category.
  • High Crime Index implies an Unsafe category.
  • Moderate Crime Index implies a Moderate safety level.
  • Low Crime Index implies a Safe category.
  • Very Low Crime Index implies a Very Safe category.

Health Care Index

On our website, we mapped Numbeo’s Health Care Index scores into the following user-friendly categories:

  • Excellent: Scores of 75 and above
  • Good: Scores between 65 and 74.9
  • Average: Scores between 50 and 64.9
  • Poor: Scores below 50
  • No Data: Countries without sufficient data from Numbeo’s index

Cost of Living Index

To make understanding global living costs easier, we used Numbeo’s Cost of Living Index by Country. This index provides a reliable comparison of living expenses across different countries. We’ve grouped the data into user-friendly categories so you can quickly grasp the cost of living in each location:

  • Very High: Index of 70 and above
  • High: Index between 50 and 69.9
  • Moderate: Index between 30 and 49.9
  • Low: Index below 30
  • No Data: Countries without sufficient data

Rent Index

We used Numbeo’s Rent Index to make comparing rental costs across countries easier. This index measures rental prices relative to New York City, which serves as the baseline (100). For example, a Rent Index of 80 indicates that average rental prices are 20% lower than in NYC.

To simplify this data, we grouped the Rent Index into user-friendly categories:

  • Very High: Rent Index ≥ 40
  • High: Rent Index 20–39.9
  • Moderate: Rent Index 10–19.9
  • Low: Rent Index < 10
  • No Data: Countries without sufficient data

Groceries Index

We used Numbeo’s Groceries Index to help compare the cost of groceries across countries. This index measures grocery prices relative to New York City, which serves as the baseline (100). The calculation is based on item weights from Numbeo’s “Markets” section, providing an accurate reflection of grocery costs in each location.

To make this data more accessible, we grouped the Groceries Index into user-friendly categories:

  • Very High: Groceries Index ≥ 70
  • High: Groceries Index 50–69.9
  • Moderate: Groceries Index 30–49.9
  • Low: Groceries Index < 30
  • No Data: Countries without sufficient data

Quality of Life Index

We used Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index to create an easy-to-understand overview of how quality of life varies across countries. To make this information more accessible, we grouped the Quality of Life Index into clear categories:

  • Excellent: Index ≥ 190
  • High: Index 150–189.9
  • Moderate: Index 100–149.9
  • Low: Index < 100
  • No Data: Countries without sufficient data

Local Purchasing Power Index

The Local Purchasing Power Index measures the relative purchasing ability of average earners in different countries compared to New York City (NYC), which has a baseline index of 100. For instance, a purchasing power of 40 suggests that residents earn enough to buy 60% fewer goods and services than what average earners can afford in NYC.

In our presentation of this data, we’ve categorized countries into intuitive groups like “Extremely High” to “Extremely Low,” making it easier to understand each country’s relative economic strength at a glance. This categorization helps users quickly compare how far an average salary goes in each country relative to NYC.

Data Source: The purchasing power figures were sourced from Numbeo’s 2025 Country Cost of Living Rankings, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.

  • Extremely High: Local Purchasing Power Index ≥ 120
  • Very High: Local Purchasing Power Index 100–119.9
  • High: Local Purchasing Power Index 80–99.9
  • Moderate: Local Purchasing Power Index 60–79.9
  • Low: Local Purchasing Power Index 40–59.9
  • Very Low: Local Purchasing Power Index 20–39.9
  • Extremely Low: Local Purchasing Power Index < 20
  • No Data: For countries without sufficient data

Country Pollution Index

This information is based on Numbeo’s Country Pollution Rankings. Their pollution indices combine perceptions from contributors around the world with data from authoritative sources like the World Health Organization. These numbers include air quality, water quality, garbage disposal, cleanliness, noise and light pollution, and green spaces—also influence the final score

Pollution Index Quick Reference

  • ≥ 80: Extremely Polluted
  • 60–79.99: High Pollution
  • 40–59.99: Moderate Pollution
  • 20–39.99: Low Pollution
  • < 20: Very Low Pollution
  • No Data: No Data

Internet Speed Index

Internet Speed is an essential resource for international teachers who rely on strong, reliable connections for navigating the landscape of a new country. The data originates from Speedtest’s Global Index, which compiles comprehensive Internet speed metrics from around the world.

Here’s how we translated the data into a more user-friendly way:

  • Lightning Fast: ≥ 300 Mbps
  • Super Fast: 200–299.99 Mbps
  • Fast: 100–199.99 Mbps
  • Moderate: 50–99.99 Mbps
  • Slow: 20–49.99 Mbps
  • Very Slow: < 20 Mbps
  • No Data: No Data

Happiness Index

The data for our Country Happiness Index is sourced from the World Happiness Report, an extensive survey that ranks global happiness in various countries based on several criteria that contribute to overall well-being.

To make this information accessible and actionable, we’ve categorized the Happiness Index into the following easily understandable buckets:

  • ≥ 7.0: Very Happy
  • 6.0–6.99: Happy
  • 5.0–5.99: Moderately Happy
  • 4.0–4.99: Somewhat Unhappy
  • 3.0–3.99: Unhappy
  • 2.0–2.99: Very Unhappy
  • < 2.0: Extremely Unhappy
  • No Data: No Data
Scroll to Top