A Moneybren tool

KIWISAVER vs SUPER CALCULATOR

Same salary, same returns, two retirement systems — New Zealand’s KiwiSaver against Australia’s Superannuation, head to head to retirement.

You

The worker

Identical on both sides of the Tasman

Your age yrs

Annual salary $

In local dollars — this compares the systems, not the exchange rate.

Current balance $

Same starting balance given to both funds.

Salary growth % pa

Retirement age yrs

Fund return (after fees & tax) % pa

Applied to both funds — the FMA’s Growth-fund assumption. Isolates the system rules.

🇳🇿 KiwiSaver settings

Your contribution

Employer %

Taxed (ESCT) before it lands.

🇦🇺 Super settings

Employer (SG) %

Taxed 15% going in.

Salary sacrifice %

Optional extra, also taxed 15% in.

At 65

🇳🇿 KiwiSaver

🇦🇺 Super

The trans-Tasman race

Year-by-year detail

Age	KiwiSaver balance	Super balance	Gap

Read this before you get angry. Salaries are compared in each country’s own dollars — this measures the systems, not the exchange rate or the cost of living. KiwiSaver: employer contributions lose ESCT (10.5–39% by income) before landing; the government adds 25c per $1 you contribute, capped at $260.72/yr, only under $180,000 income and age 65. Super: the employer pays 12% on top of wages, taxed 15% going in; you contribute nothing by default; accessible from age 60, not 65. Ignores the AU concessional cap, Division 293 tax, the low-income co-contribution, first-home withdrawals, and career breaks. Returns are after fees and tax on both sides. And remember the flip side: the Aussie employer’s 12% is part of the total cost of employing someone — some of it would otherwise be wages.

How to use this calculator

Enter your age, salary, and balance, and watch the same worker save for retirement under both systems. The default settings are each country’s legal minimums: KiwiSaver at 3.5% + 3.5% with the government’s $260.72, Super at the employer’s compulsory 12%.

Notice what the gap really comes from: the Kiwi puts in 3.5% of their own pay and still falls behind, because the Australian employer’s 12% dwarfs everything on the NZ side. To close the gap as a Kiwi, try raising your contribution rate and watch the race change.

This is a tool only, and none of the information it produces is financial advice. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Always check your own figures and get advice from your own financial professionals before making decisions.