How do you work out how many work hours something costs?

You divide your take-home pay per month by the number of hours you work per month to get your hourly value. Then you divide the price of the product by that hourly value to see how many hours of your work the purchase costs.

Why see purchases as 'work hours' instead of dollars?

Turning the price into work hours makes the real cost more concrete — thinking about an amount in dollars is not the same as thinking about 'a whole day at work'. This way of looking at spending comes from the book Your Money or Your Life.

Should I use gross or net pay?

Use your net pay (what you actually keep after income tax and the ACC earners levy) so the calculation reflects your real purchasing power.

Free Calculator

How Many Work Hours Does a Product Cost?

Turn the price of any product into hours of your work, based on your salary. Another way to look at your spending, in New Zealand dollars.

Your Details

Net Pay per Month$4,500

Price of the Product$600

Hours Worked per Month160h

A full-time week in New Zealand is usually around 37.5-40 hours, about 160-173 hours a month. Adjust to your real schedule.

The Real Cost

Work Hours Needed

22h

≈ 3 days of work (8h day)

💬 In Plain Words

Every hour you work is worth $28.13. To buy something that costs $600 you have to work 22 hours — the equivalent of 3 days of your time.

Value of Your Hour$28.13

Hours Needed22h

Work Days3

Estimate based on your net pay and hours worked. Does not account for overtime, bonuses or irregular income.

Examples: How Many Hours Do Common Products Cost?

With net pay of $4,500 and 160 hours a month (hourly value of $28.13), a few common products work out to this many work hours:

Product	Price	Work Hours
Mid-range smartphone	$600	22h
Games console	$500	18h
Laptop	$1,000	36h
Weekend trip (flight + hotel)	$450	16h

The prices in the table are examples only — change the price of the product above to the real value you want to compare.

Where Does This Idea Come From?

The idea of converting spending into life hours comes from the book Your Money or Your Life (Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez), which suggests looking at every purchase not in money but in the hours of your life it took to earn that money.

Applying that mindset before a big purchase — instead of just looking at the price — helps you decide whether something is really worth that time of your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you work out how many work hours something costs?: You divide your take-home pay per month by the number of hours you work per month to get your hourly value. Then you divide the price of the product by that hourly value to see how many hours of your work the purchase costs.
Why see purchases as 'work hours' instead of dollars?: Turning the price into work hours makes the real cost more concrete — thinking about an amount in dollars is not the same as thinking about 'a whole day at work'. This way of looking at spending comes from the book Your Money or Your Life.
Should I use gross or net pay?: Use your net pay (what you actually keep after income tax and the ACC earners levy) so the calculation reflects your real purchasing power.