Start with your life, not an average
City averages are useful for orientation, but they are not a personal budget. A student sharing a flat, a remote worker renting a one-bedroom apartment and a family can live in the same city at completely different monthly costs.
Build the comparison around your actual habits: housing type, eating out, transport, travel and the expenses you consider non-negotiable.
Separate fixed, flexible and one-time costs
Fixed costs include rent, utilities, insurance and recurring transport. Flexible costs include groceries, restaurants and entertainment. One-time costs include a deposit, agency fee, furniture and the first trip to the new city.
Comparing only monthly rent can make a cheaper city look more affordable than it really is.
Compare time as well as money
A neighborhood that saves money but adds two hours of commuting every day has a real cost. The same is true of living far from an airport when you fly often.
The best comparison combines cash cost, time cost and quality-of-life tradeoffs.
Quick checklist
- Housing type matched
- Utilities included separately
- Transport cost added
- One-time moving costs added
- Emergency buffer included