How Much Does It Cost to Move in the USA?

Let’s put the situation aside: you won a green card, which means you can legally live and work in the USA. You don’t have relatives or friends near, who could take you home for a while and they can’t provide financial assistance.

The amount you need will primarily depend on the family members. If you’re moving alone it means a lower amount, and if a family consists of two or three people who are moving too, these are completely higher expenses.

Moving together is more difficult from one way, and it’s easier from another, it all depends on the specific situation.

Of course, the amount to start in the USA depends on your usual expenses. If people were living in a big way, before moving then, of course, they at least do not want to live worse in the USA. Everyone has their own standards, for example, in some families, the wife regularly goes to spas and solariums, and a nanny takes care of the child, while in other families, both family members work and they’re ready to live in saving-money mode at any time.

We will consider the option when people have small incomes and are ready to make certain sacrifices in order to change their lives for the better in the future.

So, let’s move on to the cost of living in the USA.

#1 Rental of Property

The cost of renting a home in the USA will depend on which city you are going to live in. This is a very important question. Suppose in some cities (states) you can rent a two-room apartment, called Avant bedroom (one bedroom) for $ 1500-2000 per month, then in other states, you can rent the same apartment for $ 400-500. For example, one of my friends rents an apartment in New York for $2,000 a month, another rent the exact same apartment in Omaha for $600.

Cost of living is the main reason why people moved last year. Loans for rent are one of the good ways to solve the problem if you don’t have enough money to make a monthly payment.

How Much Does It Cost to Move in the USA?

When you pay rent for the first month, you will be forced to pay a security deposit, the amount of which also varies greatly depending on various factors (requirements of the landlord, location of the house, etc.). Some ask to pay a security deposit in the amount of the monthly rent of an apartment, some ask for 50% of the cost. This amount is returned to you after your eviction from the apartment if you do not make any damage to the landlord’s property.

Based on the statistics the average cost of property in the USA is $374,900 as of the second quarter of 2021 and home prices increased by 16.2% from 2020 to 2021. That is why rent costs became higher too.

#2 Payment for Additional Services

Nutrition

How much does it cost to eat in the USA? Let’s just say that in order to eat normally, $ 500 for two will be enough for you. You will buy products in supermarkets and cook at home. This is more than enough for you! It’s enough money to buy good, healthy and tasty products.

Transport costs

Transport costs will depend on where you live and how far you need to get to the job. Let’s assume that you will not immediately buy a car, and will get to the job by public transport. On average, a monthly pass will cost you $150 per person.

It would be also good if you have the opportunity to take something from home for everyday life. Take dishes and a couple of pots to avoid additional expenses for the purchase of such things.

Let’s summarize. You have arrived in the USA, calculate the cost of air travel yourself. Until you rent an apartment, you will need to live somewhere. You can rent an inexpensive double room, let’s say for 3 days, which will cost you on average $300.

Total:

Hotel accommodation – $300
Housing rental ~$800
Security deposit – $600
Additional services in the apartment – $250
Nutrition – $500
Transport expenses (even if you do not immediately get a job, you will have to move a lot in searching for job) – $ 150

So, the main expenses for the first month of stay in the USA for two persons will cost you on average $2,600. Let’s add another $400 for contingencies, for a total is $3,000.

For insurance, I would recommend taking money for at least 2 months of living, because it is not clear whether you can immediately find a suitable house and get a job. The second month of living in the USA will cost you less because you will not need to pay a security deposit in the amount of $600 and you can still have money from the contingency item – this is another $400. Those expenses for the second month of residence will be $ 2,000.

Suppose you can immediately get a job with a minimum wage of $ 10 per hour, so you will earn $ 2,000 and be able to provide accommodation for the next month. And if your beloved is working too, you will have the opportunity to save more money for something else, or invest this money in your own development, for example, in improving the English language or in education.

We want to once again draw your attention to the fact that each person has his own requirements, someone may agree with our calculations, and someone may not. But we want to assure you that you can live in the USA with a small amount, it all depends on the place where you’re going to live and other nuances.