A breakdown of average economic statuses, based on minimum incomes. Note that people often exceed expectations through hard work, luck, misfortune, or laxity.
| Social status | Minimum income/month | Lifestyle/month | Upkeep/month | Taxes/month | Profit/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor (unskilled labourer, costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries) | 6 gp | 3 gp | 2 gp | 6 sp | 4 sp |
| Modest (soldiers with families, labourers, students, priests, hedge wizards) | 30 gp | 15 gp | 10 gp | 3 gp | 2 gp |
| Comfortable (merchants, skilled tradespeople, military officers) | 60 gp | 30 gp | 20 gp | 6 gp | 4 gp |
| Wealthy (highly successful merchants, a favoured servant of the royalty, or the owner of a few small businesses) | 120 gp | 60 gp | 40 gp | 12 gp | 8 gp |
| Aristocratic (politicians, guild leaders, high priests) | 300 gp | 150 gp | 100 gp | 30 gp | 20 gp |
Social Status is often tricky where adventurers are concerned, but gives a good general breakdown of what various social strata might expect to have and spend financially, as well as what it would cost for a heroic sort to emulate these strata for a month's time.
Minimum Income is the minimum amount of money you could earn in a month and believably maintain the indicated social status and resultant expenses that ensue.
Lifestyle is the cost of maintaining the quality of living associated with your social class – food and drink, new clothes, basic supplies, and whatever else is necessary for keeping up with your fellows.
Upkeep tends to be rent for those who don't own their own property, or expected upkeep for fixing damage to the property over time (and the cost of hirelings to do such work, if necessary). Wealthy or aristocratic types may be paying for one or more servants out of upkeep costs to make sure their houses remain fancy and clean.
Taxes are dependent on the jurisdiction; a 10% tax is assumed above, and most people start suffering at a tax of 17% or more.
Profit per month is the basic profit assuming that these ratios are consistent – a poor person could expect to save up four silver pieces per month if they worked as an unpaid laborer, out of six gold pieces, if their lifestyle is half of their income, upkeep is 1/3 of their income, and taxes are 10%.