Relocation Budget Calculator
Two budgets matter: what life will cost each month abroad, and the one-time bill for getting there. Replace the sample numbers with your own.
Your estimate
Monthly cost abroad
$0
- Current US monthly cost
- $0
- Monthly difference
- $0
- Per year
- $0
- One-time setup costs
- $0
- Emergency cushion
- $0
- Cash to have on moving day
- $0
- Total first-year cost abroad
- $0
- If the dollar falls 10%
- $0
- Months to recover setup costs
- —
Sample figures are illustrative only, not estimates for any country. Your numbers are saved on this device only.
Building a realistic budget
The most common money mistake new expats make is budgeting from a cost-of-living website instead of from their own life. Price the specific apartment, neighborhood, and health plan you'd actually choose. Then add the costs people forget: visa renewals, trips home, a car or taxis, and imported goods you won't give up.
- Plan for a "two-household" first year if you keep a US home while you test the move.
- Add US costs that don't go away: storage, a US phone number, insurance, and tax preparation for two countries.
- Remember that the dollar can weaken. A cushion of 10–15% protects a fixed income.
Next, read how to estimate cost of living abroad and US taxes for Americans abroad.
Common questions
Where do I get cost estimates for another country?
Start with real listings: rental sites in your target city, local supermarket websites, and the price of health insurance quotes for your age. Our destination guides explain what drives costs in each country. Online cost-of-living indexes are a rough guide at best. See cost of living abroad.
Why include travel home?
Flights to see family are one of the most underestimated expat costs. Even one trip a year for two people can add a few hundred dollars a month to a realistic budget.
What does the exchange-rate line mean?
If your income is in dollars and your costs are in a local currency, a 10% drop in the dollar raises your costs by roughly 10%. The calculator shows that cushion so you can plan for it.