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Compare the offers by estimating what you can actually keep in each location—not by comparing headline salaries or converting one salary into the other currency. Calculate after-tax compensation for the relevant tax year, subtract unreimbursed moving and immigration expenses, and account for the recurring costs of the specific city and household. Then compare the result over the first year and longer horizons, with uncertain bonuses, equity, exchange rates, and visa-related costs shown as assumptions rather than guaranteed value.
What a fair US–India job-offer comparison includes
A useful comparison puts both offers on the same footing: the same time horizon, realistic compensation assumptions, the actual work location for each job, and household costs that reflect comparable living standards. A national average salary or a simple currency conversion cannot tell you which offer leaves you better off.
Use this first-year framework:
First-year net value = after-tax cash compensation + conservative value of variable compensation − unreimbursed immigration costs − unreimbursed relocation costs − recurring essential expenses.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor later years, remove one-time moving expenses and recalculate compensation, tax, and recurring costs for each year. This is a decision aid, not an individualized tax calculation or immigration assessment: the offers, cities, tax facts, family circumstances, and visa route determine the result.
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Keep the comparison in two currencies as needed: first calculate each offer in the currency in which you are paid and spend, then convert projected savings using a dated exchange-rate assumption. This makes it easier to distinguish a difference in real local purchasing power from a change caused only by currency movement. Record the date and rate used, and show an alternative rate so the conclusion does not rely on a single conversion.
Separate guaranteed pay from uncertain value
Record base salary and guaranteed cash separately from sign-on bonuses, annual incentive targets, and equity. A target bonus is not the same as a guaranteed payment, and an equity award is not equivalent to cash in hand. For variable compensation, use a conservative estimate and show the assumptions behind it; for equity, include the award type, vesting schedule, currency, liquidity assumptions, and a range rather than treating the full headline grant as spendable.
Also note when compensation is paid and becomes usable. A sign-on payment in the first year should not be carried forward as recurring pay. Equity should be counted in the years it vests, and only under assumptions about its value and ability to sell or otherwise access it. Keep retirement contributions, paid leave, and health benefits visible as separate benefits rather than folding them into salary without explanation.
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The US calculation may need federal, state, and local taxes, while the India calculation depends on the applicable Indian tax rules and the employee’s residential status. City-specific housing, healthcare, transport, childcare or schooling, utilities, and travel to maintain family ties can change the practical outcome substantially. The available official sources do not establish a matched cost-of-living or salary comparison for any particular US and Indian cities.
Build a side-by-side worksheet before calculating
Collect the offer terms and personal assumptions first. If a figure is unknown, mark it as unknown and obtain it rather than quietly treating it as zero or guaranteed.
| Input | What to record | Why it changes the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Cash compensation | Base salary, sign-on payment, recurring bonus target, expected payout assumptions, and pay frequency | Only cash that is actually paid and available should be treated as spendable compensation. |
| Equity and benefits | Equity type, grant value and currency, vesting schedule, liquidity assumptions, retirement contributions, paid leave, and health benefits | Benefits and equity can have value, but their timing, conditions, liquidity, and tax treatment may differ from cash salary. |
| Work and payroll location | Physical work location, employing/payroll entity, and any expected cross-border work arrangement | Location and work pattern affect tax analysis; do not assume the offer letter alone establishes work authorization. |
| Immigration and family | Proposed US immigration category, sponsorship responsibilities, dependents, timing, and any fees or travel obligations | Visa feasibility, costs, and continuity can affect both the move and how long the job is practical. |
| Move and household | Moving route and volume, temporary housing, deposits, household size, recurring city expenses, and expected family travel | One-time and recurring costs are location- and household-specific; a national estimate can mislead. |
| Decision horizon | Expected tenure and first-year, three-year, and five-year assumptions | One-time costs weigh more heavily if you leave early; later-year compensation and tax assumptions may change. |
For each line, distinguish the amount from who bears it and when it is paid. For example, an employer may cover a cost directly, reimburse it after receipts, or provide a fixed allowance. Those arrangements can have different cash-flow effects. Record a reimbursement as employer support only to the extent its amount and conditions are documented; separately note any repayment clause or other condition that could turn support into a future liability.
Confirm the employment and immigration facts
For a US offer
Ask the employer to identify the proposed immigration category and explain which sponsorship, filing, legal, consular, and travel costs it will pay. Clarify how dependents are handled, what timing assumptions the offer depends on, and whether any employer-paid costs or relocation support must be repaid if you leave. Treat support as a benefit only when the terms are documented and you understand any repayment conditions.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Do not infer work authorization from receiving an offer. The proposed status, employer process, and any required travel or filing steps need to be confirmed for your circumstances. Budget only the employee-paid amounts that apply to your route; do not assume every fee listed for a visa category applies to every person or case.
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Ask for the cost responsibilities in writing rather than relying on a general statement that the company sponsors employees. Sponsorship, petition-related expenses, consular charges, attorney costs, travel, and dependent expenses are distinct budget items. The application and issuance charges can depend on category and applicant, while other costs depend on the specific agreement and process. A checklist from the employer can help you avoid counting an employer-paid item as your own expense—or overlooking an amount that you are expected to pay.
For an India offer
Confirm the payroll entity, physical work location, and whether the role involves any cross-border work arrangement. These facts are inputs to the tax analysis and can matter when a job is described as India-based but work is performed elsewhere. Establish the expected work pattern in writing rather than relying on a country label in the offer.
Calculate tax on the correct basis
Immigration status and tax residency are separate questions. The IRS explains that a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa status under US immigration law is different from US tax residency under US tax law; US tax residency may depend on the green-card test or substantial-presence test. Determine tax residency independently for the relevant year rather than assuming that a visa category settles it.
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Estimate federal income tax, FICA payroll taxes, and any applicable state and local income taxes for the actual work and residence locations. The IRS states that H-1B employees providing services in the United States are generally subject to FICA like US citizens. A treaty exemption from income tax does not generally exempt FICA or FUTA. A state may also tax residents independently, so a federal estimate alone is not a complete US take-home calculation.
Keep payroll taxes visible in the worksheet instead of treating take-home pay as a result of federal income tax alone. If you move during a year or have work or residence in more than one place, the actual facts may affect which rules apply; do not assume a simple annual salary estimate answers that question. Use the relevant year and locations for the estimate rather than carrying a prior-year result forward unchanged.
India tax items to include
Use the applicable Indian tax year, tax regime, and residential status. The Income Tax Department states that taxable income and liability depend on residential status; it also identifies foreign tax credit as potentially available when income is taxable in India and abroad. Do not treat a possible credit as automatic: the income, residence facts, timing, and coordination rules need to be checked for the specific case.
For context, the Government of India Income Tax Department’s new-regime slab page for assessment year 2026–27 lists slabs beginning at ₹4,00,000, with rates from 0% through 30% on income above ₹24,00,000. Those slab figures do not by themselves determine an individual’s final liability: status, regime, deductions, and other facts matter. Rates and rules can vary by assessment year.
If your work or income crosses borders, note which country’s rules may apply to each income item and in which year. The possibility of foreign tax credit does not mean the same income is taxed only once in every case, nor does it remove the need to establish residence and check the relevant coordination rules. A qualified US–India cross-border tax practitioner can help test these assumptions against your facts.
Apply treaty rules only after checking every condition
The US–India treaty’s employment article generally allows taxation where the employment is exercised. It provides an exception only when multiple conditions are met, including a presence limit of no more than 183 days. Indian nationality alone, or spending fewer than 183 days in the United States, is not enough to assume the exception applies. Treaty benefits vary by income item, and the relevant facts and coordination rules should be reviewed before incorporating an exemption into the spreadsheet.
Estimate immigration and moving costs without understating them
Separate the consular application fee from total immigration expense
At the fee schedule available on October 13, 2026, the US Department of State lists a $205 nonimmigrant visa application processing fee for petition-based categories that include H visas. This is a consular application fee, not an all-in immigration cost. The India reciprocity schedule separately sets category-specific issuance fees, entries, and validity. Check the applicable current fee pages for the precise category, applicant, and filing or travel date.
Make separate lines in the budget for any petition-related expenses the employee is contractually responsible for, attorney fees if applicable, document costs, travel, dependent expenses, and temporary accommodation. The amount paid by an employer should not be counted as employee cash cost, but any documented repayment obligation should be modeled in the scenario where it could apply.
For a fair comparison, do not compare that one US application fee with the entire cost of moving or with an unspecified India-side expense. It covers only one part of the immigration and relocation picture. Verify the fee schedule again for the actual application or travel date, since fees and category-specific issuance terms can change.
Itemize relocation and verify reimbursement
For each move, list shipment, personal travel, temporary housing, rental or utility deposits, local setup, and possible return travel. Get quotes for the actual route, shipment volume, timing, and destination. No reliable typical India-to-US relocation figure is established here, so a generic cost estimate would be a poor substitute for quotes.
Subtract employer reimbursement only when the amount and terms are documented. Check whether support is paid upfront or reimbursed after receipts, whether it is taxable under the applicable rules, and whether repayment is required if you leave before a specified date. A reimbursement that you cannot access before incurring the expense may still create a cash-flow gap.
Keep deposits and recurring costs distinct: a rental deposit may require cash at move-in but is not necessarily the same kind of expense as monthly rent. Likewise, temporary accommodation can overlap with rent at the new location or expenses at the old location. Include the actual overlap period if it applies, but count a cost only once in the total.
Estimate the recurring cost of each city and household
Build a monthly budget for the actual household rather than relying on country-level cost-of-living rankings. Use comparable standards—for example, a similar housing setup and comparable healthcare, transport, and childcare arrangements—so one city does not appear cheaper simply because the assumed lifestyle is materially different.
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- Housing: rent or mortgage, deposits, utilities, and any recurring building or community costs.
- Healthcare: employee premiums, likely out-of-pocket costs, and any household coverage difference not already reflected in compensation.
- Transport: commuting, public transit, vehicle costs, or other routine travel required by the work location.
- Family needs: childcare or schooling, where relevant, plus recurring travel to maintain family ties.
- Other essentials: utilities and routine costs that differ between the actual locations.
Keep one-time setup costs out of this recurring monthly budget so they are not counted twice. Convert currencies using a dated exchange-rate assumption and show a sensitivity range; the comparison should remain understandable if the rate moves rather than hiding currency risk in one fixed conversion.
Use the same household assumptions for both sides of the worksheet: who is moving, whether dependents travel with you, and what housing and services you consider acceptable. If the household arrangement differs between locations, state that explicitly rather than presenting the costs as directly equivalent. Include regular trips to maintain family ties where relevant, but distinguish an expected recurring travel budget from one-time move travel.
Compare first year, three years, and five years
One horizon can distort the decision. The first year includes one-time immigration and relocation costs and may include a sign-on payment. A three- or five-year view shows whether recurring compensation can offset those costs, while also requiring reasonable assumptions about future pay, vesting, tax residency, immigration status, and household expenses.
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| Horizon | Include | Key assumptions to expose |
|---|---|---|
| First year | After-tax cash, conservative variable compensation, unreimbursed immigration and moving costs, and first-year recurring essentials | Sign-on timing, move date, reimbursement timing, one-time fees, and whether the household bears temporary double housing or travel costs. |
| Three years | Year-by-year after-tax compensation and recurring expenses, initial one-time costs, and equity only as it vests under stated assumptions | Expected bonus, vesting and liquidity, any tax-residency change, exchange-rate range, and repayment exposure if employment ends early. |
| Five years | Annual net cash and recurring household costs over the full period, with one-time costs counted once | Expected tenure, future compensation assumptions, likely status continuity, and whether the role remains viable if circumstances change. |
Do not multiply the first year’s net value by three or five: that would repeat one-time move expenses and could incorrectly carry a sign-on payment or a single year’s tax assumptions forward. Recalculate each year using the compensation and tax assumptions appropriate to that year.
For each horizon, show both an expected case and a less favorable case. The expected case can use documented pay and a cautious variable-compensation estimate; the less favorable case can reduce uncertain bonus or equity value, use a different exchange rate, and include early departure or repayment exposure. This makes it clear whether an offer’s advantage is robust across plausible assumptions or depends on one optimistic input.
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A comparison is more useful when it shows what could change the result. Create alternative cases rather than presenting a single precise-looking total.
- Lower variable pay: reduce or omit the bonus estimate and use a conservative equity value, especially where liquidity or payout is uncertain.
- Different exchange rates: recalculate savings under more than one dated conversion assumption.
- Earlier departure: test what happens if you leave before expected tenure, including any documented relocation, immigration, or sign-on repayment conditions.
- Different tax outcome: test the effect of a different residency determination or a treaty/foreign-tax-credit treatment only after confirming the governing facts with a qualified practitioner.
- Family and location changes: account for the actual household, dependent costs, and any change in where work is physically performed.
Keep the inputs visible next to the result. If a result changes substantially with one assumption, that assumption is a decision risk to resolve—not a reason to present the more favorable scenario as certain. In particular, flag missing written sponsorship or reimbursement terms, unknown tax residence, and unverified moving costs as open questions rather than hiding them in a best-case total.
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Make the decision on more than net pay
Once the financial worksheet is complete, compare the practical dimensions that do not fit cleanly into one number: visa feasibility, employer sponsorship and status continuity, dependent needs, reliability and liquidity of compensation, reversibility of the move, and how each location fits your savings goals. A higher modeled net value may not be preferable if it depends on uncertain equity, an unverified immigration pathway, or a costly repayment clause.
Best Value
Use the comparison to identify the questions that still need answers. A cross-border tax practitioner is relevant when the same income may be taxable in more than one country or residence is uncertain. An employment immigration lawyer can help assess the proposed sponsorship route, dependents, and status continuity. For moving costs, get itemized quotes for the real route and volume rather than relying on a broad estimate.
No single offer can be named the winner without the actual salaries, cities, tax years, household facts, visa route, benefits, reimbursement terms, and expected tenure. Tax rules and visa fees are time-sensitive; verify the rules and fee schedules that apply to the actual employment and filing dates, and use qualified US–India tax and immigration advice for individualized questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare US and India tech job offers after taxes and moving costs?
Calculate after-tax compensation for each offer using the actual work location and relevant tax year. Add only a conservative value for uncertain bonus or equity, subtract unreimbursed immigration and relocation costs, then subtract recurring essential household expenses. Compare first-year, three-year, and five-year scenarios rather than relying on headline salary or one currency conversion.
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Does an H-1B visa determine my US tax residency?
No. Immigration status and US tax residency are separate questions. The IRS says tax residency may depend on the green-card test or substantial-presence test. H-1B employees providing services in the United States are generally subject to FICA, and an income-tax treaty exemption does not generally exempt FICA or FUTA.
Is the $205 US visa application fee the full cost of an H visa?
No. The State Department fee schedule lists $205 for the nonimmigrant visa application processing fee for petition-based categories that include H visas, but that is not an all-in immigration cost. Category-specific issuance fees, petition-related expenses, legal or document costs, travel, dependents, and temporary accommodation may need separate consideration. Confirm which costs apply and who pays them.
Can I use the US–India treaty to avoid tax if I spend fewer than 183 days in the US?
Do not assume so. The treaty employment exception has multiple conditions, including a presence limit of no more than 183 days. Staying below that limit or being an Indian national alone does not establish that the exception applies. Check the exact facts and applicable coordination rules before including a treaty benefit in your estimate.
What relocation costs should I include in the comparison?
List shipment, personal travel, temporary housing, rental or utility deposits, local setup, and possible return travel. Obtain quotes for the actual route, shipment volume, timing, and destination. Subtract only documented employer support, and account for reimbursement timing and any repayment condition if you leave early.
The Bottom Line
The better offer is the one that remains stronger after the same-year tax analysis, realistic city and household costs, documented immigration and relocation responsibilities, and a multi-year check. Keep uncertain pay and exchange rates in scenarios, not guarantees, and resolve visa, tax-residency, and repayment questions before treating the spreadsheet result as settled.
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