How much money do you need to move abroad? Moving costs by country (2026)

Updated 21 October 2026

Deposit, agency fees, removals, flight, residence permit: here is what you pay before your first salary, in 21 countries, then what a month there costs. Calculated with each country’s official rules and rents.

Work out my budget

The short answer

For a single person leaving London to rent a one-bedroom flat in the country’s main city, moving costs range from £1,580 (Spain) to £5,420 (Australia): deposit, agency fees, removals, flight and residence permit. Then comes the first month of living costs, and the following ones until the first pay cheque.

Moving costs, country by country

What you pay once to settle in, in pounds, then a month’s living costs there to keep the life of an average Londoner, without a car. Most expensive first:

Destination	Moving budget	Of which deposit (refundable)	Then, each month there
Australia Sydney	£5,420	£1,470	£2,480
Switzerland Geneva	£4,460	£3,470	£2,890
United Arab Emirates Dubai	£4,160	£590	£1,730
United States New York	£3,870	£1,820	£2,780
Qatar Doha (Al Sadd)	£3,850	£1,080	£1,710
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (KLCC)	£3,780	£1,930	£1,250
Egypt Cairo	£3,390	£1,120	£820
Italy Rome	£3,270	£1,600	£1,200
France Paris	£3,160	£1,340	£2,090
Belgium Brussels	£3,080	£1,830	£1,680
Indonesia Jakarta (South)	£2,860	£670	£760
Canada Toronto	£2,780	£950	£1,700
Kazakhstan Almaty	£2,640	£460	£920
Portugal Lisbon	£2,580	£1,350	£1,290
Turkey Istanbul	£2,520	£990	£760
Russia Moscow	£2,270	£670	£1,070
Tunisia Berges du Lac 2	£2,170	£800	£760
Morocco Casablanca	£2,150	£790	£880
Germany Berlin	£2,140	£1,080	£1,160
Saudi Arabia Riyadh	£2,130	£280	£1,050
Spain Madrid	£1,580	£560	£1,190

Calculated on 21 October 2026 with the Vie Ailleurs calculator, for a single British employee renting a one-bedroom flat outside the most sought-after areas and moving about 5 m³ in a shared container. Exchange rates from the central banks.

What the moving budget includes

The deposit: often the biggest item, 1 to 3 months of rent depending on the country (3 months in Switzerland). You get it back when you leave, if the home is in good condition.
Agency fees: paid by the tenant in some countries (Morocco, UAE, Italy, Qatar…), by the landlord in others (Switzerland, Germany, Spain…).
The residence permit: visa and residence permit, at official fees.
Removals: about 5 m³ in a shared container (a few pieces of furniture and boxes): the price we have for the route, otherwise an estimate based on distance.
The one-way flight: half of an average return fare for the route, or an estimate based on distance.

Also plan enough to live on while you find a home and a job and wait for your first salary: the last column of the table gives the cost of one month there, to do the maths.

Detailed examples

Moving to Canada (Toronto)

Deposit (refundable): £950
Removals: £1,480
One-way tickets: £230
Residence permit: £130
Total: £2,780

Moving to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

Agency fees: £620
Deposit (refundable): £590
Lease registration: £50
Utilities deposit (refundable): £410
Removals: £1,480
One-way tickets: £230
Residence permit: £790
Total: £4,160

Moving to Australia (Sydney)

Deposit (refundable): £1,470
Removals: £1,480
One-way tickets: £380
Residence permit: £2,100
Total: £5,420

Moving to the United States (New York)

Deposit (refundable): £1,820
Removals: £1,480
One-way tickets: £230
Residence permit: £340
Total: £3,870

Frequently asked questions

How much money do you need to move to Canada?

For a single person leaving London to rent a one-bedroom flat in Toronto: about £2,780 to settle in, including a £950 refundable deposit, then about £1,700 a month in living costs.

How much money do you need to move to the United Arab Emirates?

For a single person leaving London to rent a one-bedroom flat in Dubai: about £4,160 to settle in, including a £590 refundable deposit, then about £1,730 a month in living costs.

How much money do you need to move to Australia?

For a single person leaving London to rent a one-bedroom flat in Sydney: about £5,420 to settle in, including a £1,470 refundable deposit, then about £2,480 a month in living costs.

How much money do you need to move to the United States?

For a single person leaving London to rent a one-bedroom flat in New York: about £3,870 to settle in, including a £1,820 refundable deposit, then about £2,780 a month in living costs.

Which country is cheapest to move to?

In this comparison, Spain (£1,580) and Saudi Arabia (£2,130). But moving costs are not everything: also look at monthly living costs and wages.

Your own case

The calculator redoes this budget with your household, home, nationality and what you take with you (suitcases, a few pieces of furniture or a whole home), and also shows the salary you would need there.