Which Job Offer Should You Take? (India Calculator)

Run both above and look at the 'money left over per month' row, not the CTC. A ₹12 LPA Bangalore offer gives roughly ₹90,000 in-hand, but Bangalore living costs ~₹85,000/month leaves about ₹5,000. A ₹10 LPA Pune offer gives ~₹75,000 in-hand against ~₹68,000 living costs, leaving ~₹7,000. So the lower-CTC Pune offer can leave you with more savings every month. That is the whole point of this tool — the higher number on the offer letter is often not the better deal once rent and cost of living are factored in.

Compare them on guaranteed (fixed) in-hand first, which this calculator does by default. Startups often pack a big chunk of CTC into variable pay and ESOPs — money that may never fully arrive. Set the startup's fixed-pay slider to its real guaranteed portion and you will usually see the gap shrink or reverse. Treat ESOPs as a lottery ticket, not salary: count them at zero, and if they pay out, it is a bonus. An MNC's lower headline number is often more cash in your bank, more reliably.

CTC (Cost to Company) is what your employer budgets for you — it includes the employer's PF contribution, gratuity provision, insurance and a variable bonus you might not get. None of that is money in your bank account. In-hand is what actually reaches you each month after tax, PF and professional tax. Two offers with the same CTC can have very different in-hand depending on the fixed-vs-variable split and salary structure. Always compare jobs on real take-home, never on CTC.

Honestly? Assume zero until they vest and you can actually sell them. Most startup ESOPs expire worthless because the company never has a liquidity event at a higher valuation. If you want to factor them in, treat them as a separate upside scenario — not as part of your monthly salary. This calculator deliberately keeps variable pay and ESOPs out of the monthly winner so you compare on guaranteed cash, then decide for yourself how much weight the upside deserves.

Look at the commute reality-check line above. A 60-minute one-way commute is about 44 full days a year spent travelling versus a 20-minute commute. If the higher-paying offer only leaves you a few thousand rupees more per month but costs you 30+ extra days a year and daily stress, many people are better off with the closer, slightly lower-paying job. There is no universal answer — but seeing the time cost in days rather than minutes usually changes how people decide.

Yes — switch the tax regime toggle to 'old'. Note that in old-regime mode this tool assumes your PF is your only 80C deduction and does not apply HRA exemption, so it is a conservative estimate. For a precise old-regime figure including HRA, rent, 80C and 80D, use the CTC to In-Hand Salary Calculator, then bring those numbers back here to compare. For most salaried people in FY 2026-27, the new regime gives higher in-hand anyway.