Free tools
Budget the move before you book the flight
Ten calculators for the costs that decide whether the move is affordable — from the first quote to the first local paycheck.
Ten calculators for the move
Relocation
Relocation Cost Calculator
Total one-time cost of moving abroad, with contingency and per-person split.
Open tool →Move-In Cash Calculator
Deposit, agency fee, advance rent and utility deposits — the cash due at signing.
Open tool →Rent Affordability Calculator
The rent your net income can carry after utilities, fixed costs and savings.
Open tool →Ship or Replace Calculator
Compare the full cost of shipping household goods with buying replacements at the destination.
Open tool →Pet Relocation Cost Calculator
Flights, crate, vet paperwork, permits and quarantine — the full cost per pet.
Open tool →Temporary Housing Calculator
The cost of the gap between arrival and a signed lease, including deposits and weekly burn.
Open tool →Job-Search Runway Calculator
How many months of local costs you can cover before the first paycheck.
Open tool →Household Goods Duty Calculator
Duty and import VAT on shipped household goods, with and without residence relief.
Open tool →Currency Buffer Calculator
How much extra to hold for exchange-rate moves and transfer fees during a relocation.
Open tool →Family Move Cost Calculator
Scale a relocation budget by adults, children and school enrolment.
Open tool →Reference
Short, sourced entries for the terms our tools act on — written for humans and machines alike.
Relocation
The cash curve of a move
A move is not one payment. It is a curve: quotes and deposits before departure, a peak at the lease signing, then a second dip while temporary accommodation, transport and setup costs run before local income begins. The total is less useful than the shape, because the shape tells you whether you run out of cash in week three.
Map the curve in three blocks: before departure (flights, shipping, visas, insurance), at arrival (deposit, agency fee, advance rent, utility deposits, temporary housing), and the gap until income (monthly burn × months without a local paycheck). The calculators on this site cover each block separately so you can see which one is actually binding.
What people forget to budget
The forgotten lines are rarely glamorous: certified translations, courier fees for original documents, a second visa appointment after a rejection, excess baggage, a storage unit for what did not ship, and the phone contract that requires a local address you do not have yet.
Add a document line and an administrative line to every move. In most budgets they are small individually and material together, and they are the lines most likely to be paid by card at a bad exchange rate.
Ship, store or replace
Shipping is priced by volume or weight, not by sentiment. A sofa that cost little to buy can cost more to move than to replace, while a small box of documents and irreplaceable items is almost always worth shipping. Split the household into three lists — ship, store, replace — and price each list before you accept a mover's quote.
Remember the timing cost: goods that arrive eight weeks after you do mean temporary furniture, kitchen basics and a second set of bedding. That cost belongs in the shipping comparison, not in a separate surprise.
The first ninety days
Local income rarely starts on day one. Registration, a tax number, a bank account and a payroll cycle can add weeks. Budget the gap explicitly: monthly burn in the new city, plus one-time setup, plus a reserve for the first month when everything is more expensive because you do not yet know where to shop.
A useful target is enough cash to cover the gap without touching the emergency fund. If the numbers only work by draining that fund, the move is being financed by its own safety net, which is the definition of a fragile plan.
Frequently asked questions
Should I budget in my current currency or the destination currency?
Build the plan in one currency, using the rate you expect to pay at, then keep a separate buffer for the move. Mixing currencies makes the total impossible to compare; ignoring the rate move makes the buffer invisible.
How accurate is a relocation budget built from quotes?
As accurate as the weakest line. Replace estimates with quotes as they arrive and re-run the total. A budget built entirely from guesses is a scenario, not a plan.
Do I need a local bank account before I arrive?
Usually not, but check what the landlord and employer require. Some landlords accept a foreign card for the deposit; some employers can only pay into a local account. The answer changes the timing of your first weeks.
What if the move is employer-funded?
Budget your own share anyway. Reimbursement arrives after you pay, and capped relocation packages rarely cover the move-in stack. Enter only the costs you will carry until the reimbursement lands.