If you’ve watched Emily in Paris and thought, “Sure — I’ll take the rooftop views, the outfits, the lunches that last longer than most marriages,” you’re not alone. The question is whether your paycheck can keep up with the fantasy. A new December 2025 report says marketing executives in Australia come closest to living that glossy, high-heel sprint of a life — without needing to sell a kidney or marry into an old-money arrondissement.
The study, produced by SEO agency Loopex Digital, set out to put real numbers on Emily’s on-screen spending and compare it with marketing executive salaries in 20 countries. It looked at annual salary levels, cost of living, rent, plus lifestyle categories such as food, clothes and wellbeing — then calculated how many monthly pay packets it would take to fund an Emily in Paris-style existence.
And here’s the blunt truth: it’s not just what you earn. It’s what your money can still do after rent takes its bite and “just a quick coffee” turns into a budget line item.
The headline result: Australia makes the fantasy easiest
Australia lands at number one, thanks to the highest marketing executive salary figure in the rankings: $201K annually. The report estimates the Emily in Paris lifestyle costs $16,989 a month, and says it would take 1.01 months of salary to fund it.
In plain English: the pay nearly covers the lifestyle in one monthly hit — and the biggest chunk of the imagined spending goes on fashion. The study pegs shopping at $4,299 a month, which is less “capsule wardrobe” and more “walking department store with opinions.”
The top five countries for the Emily-style life
1) Australia
- Marketing executive annual salary: $201K
- Estimated lifestyle costs: $16,989/month
- Months needed: 1.01
Australia’s the closest thing in this list to having your croissant and eating it too. High salary, and a monthly lifestyle cost that doesn’t completely detach from reality — assuming your reality includes spending four grand a month on clothes.
2) The United States
The US takes second place. Marketing executives there, the report says, would need 1.16 of their monthly salary to cover an Emily in Paris lifestyle. Monthly income is cited as $14,663, with costs broken down into essentials (a little over $2.5K) and rent averaging $2,592. Dining out is estimated at a little over $1,100, plus $116 for bars.
It’s achievable, but it’s tight — the financial equivalent of trying to carry three coffees, a laptop and your dignity across an icy New York sidewalk.
3) Denmark
Denmark is the best-placed European country in the top three. Here, the report says the lifestyle requires 1.39 monthly salaries, with a marketing executive earning about $147K annually. Rent is around $2.1K, and beauty/wellbeing spending is higher than the US at roughly $160 for hair, nails and a gym membership.
In other words: you can live the look, but you’ll pay for the polish.
4) Belgium
Belgium ranks fourth and is positioned as the most affordable European option for marketing specialists in the study, with a cited monthly cost of living of around $1,739. It also stands out for the lowest rent in the top five: an apartment average of $1,036. High-end restaurants are said to be around $200 cheaper than in Denmark, requiring about $840 a month.
Overall, the report puts Belgium at 1.46 monthly salaries to support an Emily in Paris lifestyle — not “cheap”, but comparatively less punishing when rent is kinder.
5) Singapore
Singapore rounds out the top five. The report states it takes 1.5 monthly salaries to fund the lifestyle, with marketing executives earning $136K annually (about $11.3K a month). Restaurants are budgeted at over $1,120, with $120 for coffee and treats — the sort of line item that sounds harmless until you realise it’s basically a second phone contract made entirely of pastries.
What the ranking is really saying (and what it isn’t)
| Rank ↕ | Country ↕ | Monthly salary ↕ | Months needed ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Australia | $16.79K | 1.01 |
|
2 |
United States | $14.66K | 1.16 |
|
3 |
Denmark | $12.25K | 1.39 |
|
4 |
Belgium | $11.67K | 1.46 |
|
5 |
Singapore | $11.36K | 1.50 |
|
6 |
Germany | $11.32K | 1.50 |
|
7 |
Netherlands | $10.97K | 1.55 |
|
8 |
United Kingdom | $10.71K | 1.59 |
|
9 |
China | $10.65K | 1.60 |
|
10 |
Austria | $10.12K | 1.68 |
This isn’t a promise that moving to Sydney will turn your life into Netflix lighting and charming misunderstandings. It’s a purchasing-power snapshot: salary versus a constructed “luxury lifestyle” basket.
The more useful takeaway is that salary headlines can be misleading. Location costs decide whether a good income feels comfortable or claustrophobic — and marketing, like plenty of industries, still clusters around expensive cities.
Vahan Poghosyan, CEO and Co-Founder of Loopex Digital, put it like this:
“The salary numbers don’t tell the whole story. What really matters is how far that paycheck actually goes in your day-to-day life. Around 55% of marketing jobs are fully on-site, which means professionals are still tied to expensive cities where their companies are based. We’re seeing a major shift, though: talented marketers are starting to realize they can take a $120K job in Belgium or Singapore and actually live better than making $150K in New York or San Francisco, especially now that remote work is getting accepted across the industry.”
That’s the heart of it: the new status symbol isn’t just a bigger salary — it’s a better trade-off. If you can earn well in a place where your rent doesn’t behave like a loan shark, your day-to-day life improves fast.
The practical bottom line for marketers
If your goal is an Emily in Paris lifestyle — the dining, the clothes, the “yes, I do Pilates” energy — the report suggests Australia offers the easiest path on paper. The US remains strong but can become a grind in high-cost hubs. Denmark delivers a high standard of living, Belgium offers Europe’s best affordability in this top bracket, and Singapore is pricey but still competitive for top earners.
Or, to put it in language every marketer understands: it’s not just the headline number. It’s conversion. How much of your salary turns into actual living — after rent, bills and the quietly terrifying cost of trying to look put-together effortlessly.
