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Compare two move budgets
See what each move takes up front, what you can keep each month, and whether the extra cost pays off over time. Use actual quotes and take-home pay from each offer.
Enter both plans
Use dollars and enter 0 for any cost that doesn’t apply. Put first month’s rent in housing. Add any old lease overlap under one-time costs.
The calculator doesn’t submit your amounts or include them in the URL or analytics events.
Your comparison
| Cash measure | Plan A | Plan B |
|---|---|---|
| Set aside for the move and first month | ||
| Cash left after monthly bills | ||
| Cash added over 12 months |
When the more expensive move comes out ahead
Suppose Plan A leaves you $750 each month and costs $1,400 in deposits and moving expenses. Plan B leaves you $1,050 each month but ties up $3,900 in deposits and moving expenses. Plan B starts $2,500 behind and gains $300 a month, so it pulls ahead after nine full months. By month 12, it leaves $1,100 more cash than Plan A.
Plan B still needs $7,150 for the move and the first month’s bills, compared with $4,550 for Plan A. Check the lease due date and the date of your first paycheck before relying on the first-year result.
How the comparison works
- Set aside for the move and first month: Add one month of bills, deposits, and one-time costs. This assumes you fund all of them before your first paycheck.
- Cash left after monthly bills: Subtract housing and other monthly costs from take-home pay. A negative figure means the plan draws down your cash each month.
- Cash added over 12 months: Multiply the monthly balance by 12, then subtract deposits and other one-time costs. The estimate assumes 12 months of steady income and bills and keeps deposits tied up. If a deposit or reimbursement is due during the year, check when it will arrive and consider it separately.
Use your city comparison to narrow the shortlist. The move planning guide lists the details to confirm before choosing an offer or signing a lease.