雷切尔·斯利夫卡

Moving to a high cost of living city？ Or considering a move to one？ Heres how you can prepare and budget for the move without breaking the bank. Two years ago， I moved from Charleston， South Carolina to Seattle， Washington.

While I didnt have time to line up a job before we moved， I knew Seattle was a great area for my field. My husband and I packed up our cars and began the long cross-country drive. We were obviously excited for the change of pace and going to a new city， but we didnt really know what to expect.

I had never been to Seattle before we moved there， so I was really in the dark1 about the costs associated with living in such a large city. Plus， we were relying on just one income （plus my income from freelance writing） while I was job searching.

Dont do what I did—if youre considering a move， plan a loose budget before you go.

Budget for your apartment or home

Housing will likely be your biggest expense， so start with it first.

Chances are， if you move to a high cost of living city， youll need to increase your housing budget. How much home can you realistically afford？

Dont forget to budget in those additional expenses， such as parking， HOA2 fees， and utilities. If youre moving from a low cost of living city， you may not realize just how quickly these can add up. Be sure to ask about such expenses before you sign a lease.

Research job opportunities and pay

If you are considering moving to a high cost of living area without a job lined up， do your homework ahead of time.

It can be a scary movie， especially if you dont have an income source secured. However， with proper planning and realistic assessments of circumstances， you can make the transition as smooth as possible.

Since we moved before I had a job lined up， we knew we had to be conservative in our housing costs， since we wouldnt know for sure what my income might be.

I also researched the market in depth before we moved. I had a good idea of what companies I wanted to apply for， how much they would pay， and whether it was a hot or cold job market. I knew the market was good， and I could fairly easily find a job with my experience.

Once I landed a job， it was amazing because I was actually offered higher than I would have guessed. Plus， we had budgeted our living expenses so conservatively， so we were able to put my income towards paying off our student loan debt.

In short—be honest with yourself， your skills， and your circumstances. If youre single and moving to a high cost of living city， you may have to make further adjustments. Finding roommates and other ways to share expenses can drastically help lower the cost of living in an expensive city.

Shop around

Everything from apartments to internet service providers to car insurance can vary in cost. If youre not certain if youve been offered a good rate， ask around or check out AreaVibes3， which will help you estimate the cost of living in any given city.

Eliminate expenses you no longer need

The nice thing is， once you move to a large city， there is a ton to do and so many amenities. This was something I didnt really expect upon moving， but after a few months of living in Seattle， we were able to eliminate a lot of expenses we thought wed need， but didnt.

For instance， we were planning to have two cars in the city. But we realized that between parking （approximately $150 a month per car）， insurance， licensing， and the higher cost of gas， that it was really unnecessary. Instead of getting a second car， we purchased a used motorcycle for my husband， which he drives when the weather is nice. The rest of the time， he takes the bus to work， which is only $30 a month and is discounted through his work.

We also were able to substantially lower some of our other expenses. We lowered our traveling budget， since we simply enjoy staying in our city more often. We cancel our gym memberships in the summer because the weather is so nice and there is so much to do outside. We cancelled a few of our streaming services because we found we were just busier in a larger city.

Be realistic and compromise

Moving to a city is exciting， but it does take some adjustments.

For example， my husband and I realized there was no way we could afford everything we wanted in an apartment， so we had to compromise and prioritize. We realized location was what was most important to us， so we downsized to a one-bedroom in order to afford that.

As much as we didnt want to downsize our lives， we realized it was a necessary thing to do in order to afford to live in the city.

Save in advance

While my husband was offered a great promotion， they didnt pay for relocation expenses. Fortunately， we had ample savings so we were able to afford the actual move and still have an emergency fund.

If youre moving to a high cost of living city， even if you do have a job lined up， youll want to make sure you have plenty in savings. No matter how much you research the cost of living in a city in advance， youre bound to get some things wrong. For example， we drastically underestimated how much it would cost for us to license and register our car in Washington State （approximately $2000！）. Fortunately， we had savings and could pay the bill.

Saving is a great way to be able to afford options. If youre having a difficult time saving money， you can always consider starting a side hustle to earn extra cash.

正要迁往一座生活成本高昂的城市，或正有此打算？下述方式可帮你为移居做好准备，制定预算，以免掏空家底。两年前，我从南卡罗来纳州的查尔斯顿移居到华盛顿州的西雅图。

移居之前，我没空找工作，可我知道，我的专业在西雅图能派上大用场。我和丈夫把行李装上车，开始了横穿全国的漫长行程。新的节奏，新的环境，令我们喜形于色，但我们不知道接下来到底会怎样。

移居之前，我从未去过西雅图，对这样一座大城市的生活开支一无所知。另外，在我找工作期间，两人仅靠一份收入生活（外加我自由写作的收入）。

可别像我这样！如果你打算移居，动身之前还是做一份宽裕的预算吧。

做好房屋预算

住房很可能是你最大的一笔支出，所以首先说一说这个。

如果迁往生活成本高昂的城市，你或许有必要增加房屋预算。你实打实能负担起什么价位的房子？

别忘了算上额外的支出，如停车费、物业费和水电费。如果从生活成本低的城市搬离，你可能意识不到这些支出会增加得特别快。所以，在签订租约之前，一定要问明白这些费用。

调研工作机会和薪资

如果你在工作没有安排好的情况下打算搬往生活成本高昂的城市，一定要提前做好功课。

搬迁可能会像恐怖电影一样可怕，收入不稳定的时候尤其如此。但只要规划合理，如实评估实际情况，就可以顺利过渡。

我们搬迁在先，后来我才找的工作，所以事先知道租房支出方面必须紧缩，因为不知道我会有多少收入。

搬家之前，我还做了深度市场调研。我很清楚我想申请工作的公司、他们的薪酬标准以及就业市场状况。我了解到当时的市场行情很好，凭我的资历能够轻而易举地找到一份工作。

我很快搞定了一份工作，薪酬比猜想的要高一些，让人喜出望外。另外，我们的生活开销预算得挺谨慎，所以还能拿我的收入来偿还两人的学生贷款。

简而言之，对你自己、你的能力和你所处的环境要实事求是。如果你一个人迁往生活成本高昂的城市，可能需要做出更多的调整。找人合租或采取其他办法分担支出，就会大幅降低高消费城市的生活成本。

购物货比三家

从公寓到互联网服务商再到汽车保险，收费都可能有所不同。如果不确定是否享受了优惠，可以四下了解或者上AreaVibes网站查询，这有助你预估任一特定城市的生活成本。

剔除不必要的开支

移居大城市的好处是，可做的事特别多，便利设施不胜枚举。尽管搬家的时候我没有想到这些，但在西雅图生活了几个月之后，我们就省去了许多原以为需要但实际上没必要的开支。

例如，我们一直计划在西雅图买两辆车，但意识到停车费（每辆车一个月约需150美元）、车险费、牌照税和汽油涨价，便觉得实在没有必要。因此，我們没有再买一辆汽车，而是给我丈夫买了一辆二手摩托，可以在天气好的时候骑。天气不好的时候，他坐公交上班，一个月只要30美元，还能享受员工补贴。

除此之外，我们还大大减少了其他方面的开销。我们降低了旅游预算，因为我们就是喜欢多待在西雅图。夏季，我们取消了健身房的会员资格，因为天气宜人，可做的户外运动不少。我们还取消了一些流媒体服务，因为我们发现在大城市更加忙碌。

立足现实，学会妥协

移居大城市令人兴奋，但也的确要因此做出一些调整。

例如，在挑选房子时，我和丈夫意识到我们根本负担不起想要的公寓，所以只能妥协，分清主次。我们意识到位置比什么都重要，因而选择了面积较小的一居室，也好付得起房租。

尽管并不想降低生活水平，但我们明白，为了维持大城市里的生活，我们只能如此。

提前存钱

我丈夫虽然得以升迁，但公司不承担安置费。好在我们有足够的存款，可以负担起搬家费用，还留有一笔钱以备不时之需。

如果你迁往一座生活成本高昂的城市，就算找好了工作，也要确保自己有不少存款。即使你提前事无巨细地调研了当地的生活开支，也一定会有差池。例如，我们就严重低估了华盛顿州的汽车牌照税和注册费（将近2000美元！）。幸好我们有存款，可以支付账单。

储蓄能够让你有更多的选择。如果你存钱有困难，随时可以考虑开始一份兼职，赚点外快。