Can I Afford to Move?

Compare the cost of a move against your savings and the cushion you need afterwards.

Moving costs more than the truck: deposits, transport, furniture, setup. The healthy question is whether the move leaves your savings with a cushion, not just whether you can cover the bill.

At a glance

What you enter: Estimated total move cost, Savings available, Essential monthly costs after the move
What you get: Move as share of savings, Leftover savings after the move, Cushion months afterwards, Affordability score (0–100)
Formula shown: Yes — every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Results are estimates for general information only — always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Can I Afford to Move?

1 Enter Estimated total move cost
2 Enter Savings available
3 Enter Essential monthly costs after the move
4 Press Calculate. You get Move as share of savings, Leftover savings after the move, Cushion months afterwards, Affordability score (0–100), and every intermediate step stays visible under “How is this calculated?”
5 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result — that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

A $2,500 move with $12,000 saved

Essential monthly costs of $2,400 after the move.

You enter

Estimated total move cost: $2,500.00
Savings available: $12,000.00
Essential monthly costs after the move: $2,400.00

You get

Move as share of savings: 20.8%
Leftover savings after the move: $9,500.00
Cushion months afterwards: 3.96 months
Affordability score (0–100): 100

The move uses about 21% of savings, which scores 100. It leaves $9,500 behind — nearly four months of essential costs — so the cushion survives comfortably.

Open this example in the calculator →

A $7,000 long-distance move with $9,000 saved

Essential monthly costs of $2,600 after the move.

You enter

Estimated total move cost: $7,000.00
Savings available: $9,000.00
Essential monthly costs after the move: $2,600.00

You get

Move as share of savings: 77.8%
Leftover savings after the move: $2,000.00
Cushion months afterwards: 0.77 months
Affordability score (0–100): 43

The move takes 78% of savings and scores about 43. Only $2,000 is left, under one month of essential costs, so one unexpected bill after the move would put you straight into debt.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

What belongs in the total move cost?

Movers or van hire, packing materials, the deposit and first month’s rent on the new place, connection and installation fees, travel between the two places, and replacement furniture that does not survive the trip. Long-distance moves also bring costs like temporary accommodation, vehicle shipping or storage that a local move does not. Estimate it as a total rather than a per-item list, then add 10% for the surprises.

How is the score calculated?

A move that uses 40% or less of your savings scores 100. Above that, the score loses 1.5 points for every extra percentage point, so a move consuming 60% of savings scores 70 and one consuming 90% scores 25. If the move costs more than you have saved, the score is 0 — that is a move that needs borrowing, not a tight one.

Why does the cushion matter more than the move cost?

Because a move you can pay for but cannot recover from is still risky. Cushion months is your leftover savings divided by essential monthly costs, and three months is a common rough target for how long you could manage without income. Where you live, how secure your job is and whether anyone else shares the bills all change what is genuinely enough — the number is a prompt, not a standard.

Why must the essential costs be the ones after the move?

Because that is what the leftover savings will have to cover. A cheaper flat in a more expensive area, a longer commute or new utility contracts all change the monthly picture, and a move that looks cheap today can raise your costs permanently. Enter your best estimate of post-move rent, bills, food and transport, not your current ones.