Net Worth Across Borders:
What FIRE Looks Like in 10 Countries
From €630k in Lisbon to CHF 1.18M in Zurich: illustrative PPP-adjusted FIRE scenarios and monthly spending inputs across 10 countries.
The FIRE Number in 10 Countries
25× annual living expenses. How much net worth you need to retire early at a 4% withdrawal rate.
FIRE Numbers Side-by-Side
USD-equivalent comparison (ECB exchange rates: Nov 2025) · Sorted high to low
ECB exchange rates (Nov 2025): 1 EUR = $1.16 · 1 GBP = $1.32 · 1 CHF = $1.26 · 1 CAD = $0.71 · 1 AUD = $0.65
6 Key Insights
What the data reveals about FIRE across borders
Purchasing Power vs the United States
How far your money stretches in each country, relative to the US baseline (OECD PPP, 2022)
Methodology & Sources
FIRE Number calculation: Each scenario multiplies annual expenses by 25, the arithmetic inverse of a 4% initial withdrawal rate. Historical 4% research tested particular portfolios, withdrawal adjustments, and finite retirement periods; it did not guarantee safe withdrawals indefinitely. The US $48,000 annual-spending baseline is an illustrative input chosen for this comparison, not a claimed median or recommendation.
Data sources: Cost-of-living relativities from the OECD PPP dataset (2022 reference period, retrieved via SDMX API, last updated February 2025). Exchange rates from the European Central Bank reference rates (November 2025), accessed via the EuCentralBank gem. The PPP factor for each country converts the US baseline into local-currency annual spending, which is then multiplied by 25.
Exchange rates: EUR/USD 1.1593, GBP/USD 1.3181, CHF/USD 1.2567, CAD/USD 0.7125, AUD/USD 0.6514 — all ECB reference rates from November 2025. USD equivalents are illustrative; the actual FIRE number should always be calculated in your spending currency.
Important limitations: PPP factors measure average purchasing power, not individual spending. The model excludes investment sequence, fees, tax, pension rules, healthcare, housing variation, moving costs, visa eligibility, family size, and changing exchange rates. Use the PopaDex FIRE calculator methodology to build a custom deterministic scenario, not a personalised recommendation.
Where does your net worth stand?
Track it across all your accounts.
Record assets and debts manually, or connect an exact supported institution after checking coverage. Keep the balances and spending assumptions behind your FIRE estimate up to date.
Compare FIRE targets across currencies
A country comparison should use the same definition of annual spending and a stated withdrawal assumption. Translate local spending and target portfolios with dated exchange rates, while keeping the local-currency figure visible. Taxes, healthcare, housing, and pension eligibility can change the result more than a small difference in the displayed currency conversion. Use the ten-country infographic as a scenario comparison, then adjust for your household and residence status.