Kingsford/Kensington Blog

Moving house is well known to be one of the more stressful events in life – and beyond the physical shift itself, there are a multitude of emotional reasons why: it could be the first time out on your own, or moving in with your partner. And then there’s the possibility of moving out after a break-up, or moving for a job change, a sea change, upsizing for family, or downsizing years later.

Whatever the reason, weighing up an interstate move is not just about the salary and the cost of renting or buying – it’s also about the associated lifestyle costs your choice of location dictates. And it is in these hidden costs where your expected lifestyle could unravel.

It seems crazy to think that a mere potato can be significantly more expensive in some cities than others, let alone a 25% increase in the same bottle of wine depending on which city you buy it in. Transport, nights out, shopping for food, shoes, clothes … parking when shopping for food, shoes and clothes. It’s the fine print that we so often don’t read and it’s the fine print that really matters when it comes to weighing up your big move.

There are no hard and fast rules and while some cities can take an enormous bite out of your budget in housing, they may be a lot kinder in public transport, nights out, and even the cost of a pair of jeans. The cost of living across population centres has so many variations that guesswork can make for a rude awakening.

This is where tools like Budget Direct’s Cost of Living Index can help. This handy tool analyses data from a variety of popular cities around the world and can compare the costs of living, including nights out, shopping, dating, transport, salary, health and fitness, and grocery shopping in three cities of your choosing. It’s a useful tool to compare cities across Australia and the world for when you’re planning your next big move, and might just give you the information you need before you start packing.