Budget a move from evidence

A recurring monthly cost, the cash needed to arrive, and the savings needed to withstand an income gap are three different numbers. A move can look affordable each month and still be impossible to fund on arrival. Our worksheets keep those questions separate.

Choose one planning currency. Convert foreign quotes using the actual amount you would pay to obtain the destination currency, including the transfer fee. If you have only a reference exchange rate, mark that conversion as provisional.

For each quote record its currency, date, conditions and whether it is confirmed. An advertised “from” price is not the same as a quote for your circumstances.

If one destination includes a private apartment and another includes a room in shared housing, their totals do not measure the same lifestyle. Hold housing type, household size, commute, insurance scope and travel frequency constant before you compare. If one line cannot be quoted yet, show a range and label it uncertain.

Enter recurring amounts in the monthly cost worksheet. A weekly cost is multiplied by 52 ÷ 12. Annual irregular costs are divided by 12. Keep deposits and arrival spending in the moving budget.

These fictional amounts use one currency. Monthly costs total 1,700 and take-home income is 2,100, producing a 400 surplus. Savings are 6,000, moving costs 2,000 and a refundable deposit 1,500. Only 2,500 remains after arrival. If you protect a 2,000 reserve, the spendable buffer is 500, less than one month of expenses if income stops.

The deposit is not counted as an expense, but it still reduces cash available for bills. The monthly surplus can rebuild savings later; it cannot pay an arrival bill before that income arrives.

A monthly surplus does not show the lowest cash balance between payments. Continue the fictional example above: arrive on 1 November 2026, with the first take-home payment of 2,100 confirmed for 15 December. For this simple example, each month's 1,700 budget is paid at the start of that month. Use your actual bill dates in your own calendar.

The plan runs short by 900 before the first payday, despite the later monthly surplus of 400. The final 1,200 is a hypothetical running balance; it does not resolve the unpaid bill on 1 December. No borrowing, early deposit refund or extra income is assumed.

These balances include all remaining cash. Keeping the earlier 2,000 protected reserve untouched would require an additional 2,900 before this schedule begins, rather than just the 900 needed to avoid a negative balance.

Use the dated cash-flow planner to enter your own dates and download the result, or copy the four columns into your notes. Replace the dates with confirmed payment dates, and calculate each balance as the previous balance plus that row's cash change. Include annual prepayments on their actual dates. Add a refund only when its amount and timing are confirmed. Compare the lowest balance with the reserve you choose.

Run the plan again with a higher rent quote, a delayed first pay date and a higher transfer cost. A percentage stress scenario is useful for seeing sensitivity, but it is not a forecast of inflation or exchange rates. Put known annual payments in the month they fall due when assessing cash availability.

The EU’s official pricing, payments and currency-conversion guidance explains relevant EU payment rights and currency-conversion information. Compare an actual provider quote using our transfer comparison.

A good planning result tells you which assumption would change your decision. Set your own minimum buffer and maximum acceptable monthly shortfall. If the move only works with the cheapest unconfirmed housing quote and uninterrupted income, collect more evidence before committing.

Budget arithmetic does not establish your right to work, your tax residence or the suitability of insurance. Research those separately through the visa guide and tax guide.