Software Engineer Take-Home Pay: London vs Berlin vs Amsterdam (2026)

Tech salaries in Europe vary wildly — not just in gross pay, but in what you actually keep. A senior software engineer earning €90,000 in Berlin takes home a very different amount than one earning £90,000 in London or CHF 130,000 in Zürich. Here's the real breakdown.

Typical senior engineer gross salaries (2026)

Based on levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and our own data, here are median total compensation figures for senior software engineers (5+ years experience) at established tech companies:

City	Typical gross	After tax	After tax (€)
Zürich	CHF 140,000	CHF 106,000	~€112,000
London	£85,000	£60,800	~€72,000
Amsterdam	€80,000	€50,200	€50,200
Amsterdam (30%)	€80,000	€58,000	€58,000
Dublin	€85,000	€54,800	€54,800
Berlin	€75,000	€46,200	€46,200
Barcelona	€55,000	€38,400	€38,400
Lisbon	€45,000	€32,200	€32,200

The Zürich premium is real, but so is the cost

Swiss engineers take home €112,000 — double what Berlin offers. But a 1-bedroom apartment in Zürich costs CHF 2,000-2,500/month, groceries are 2-3x German prices, and mandatory health insurance adds CHF 350-450/month. After cost of living, the Zürich advantage narrows to about 30-40% more purchasing power — still significant, but not the 2x the gross numbers suggest.

London: high gross, reasonable tax

The UK has Europe's lowest tax burden at typical tech salaries. An £85,000 salary loses only ~28.5% to tax and National Insurance. The catch is London's housing costs — expect £1,500-2,200/month for a decent 1-bedroom, similar to Amsterdam. But London salaries are also the highest in Europe outside Switzerland.

Berlin: lower gross, even lower net

Germany's reputation for high taxes is earned. A €75,000 salary in Berlin loses 38.4% to income tax, Soli, and social insurance (Class 1). But Berlin has one massive advantage: rent. A 1-bedroom in Friedrichshain or Neukölln still costs €900-1,200 — half of London or Amsterdam. This makes Berlin's real purchasing power surprisingly competitive.

The Amsterdam 30% ruling hack

If you're relocating to Amsterdam as a skilled migrant, the 30% ruling transforms the economics. An €80,000 salary yields €58,000 net instead of €50,200 — an extra €650/month. For a 5-year assignment, that's over €35,000 in tax savings.

Remote work arbitrage

The most interesting opportunity in 2026 is earning a London or Amsterdam salary while living in a lower-cost country. Some scenarios:

• London salary, Lisbon living: £85,000 salary, Portuguese tax system → €52,000 net in a city where you need €1,200/month total expenses
• Amsterdam salary, Barcelona living: €80,000 salary, Spanish tax (Beckham Law) → €60,000 net in a beautiful Mediterranean city

Bottom line for engineers

If maximizing take-home is your goal: Zürich > London > Dublin > Amsterdam (with 30% ruling) > Amsterdam > Berlin > Barcelona > Lisbon.

If maximizing purchasing power (salary minus cost of living): Berlin and Barcelona punch well above their weight, and Lisbon offers a remarkable lifestyle on a Portuguese tech salary.