Check All Living Costs Before Moving

published 8 March 2018

If you're a retiree looking for a change of scenery, or you've been offered a job in another city, you may want to consider more than just the cost of housing. Prices for groceries, utilities, health care and other necessities can also vary significantly.

For example, the average cost of a doctor's appointment in Rockford, Ill., is $139, compared with $75 in Bloomington, Ind., according to the Council for Community and Economic Research's cost of living index, or COLI. The general rule of thumb is that you should spend no more than 50% of your budget on necessities such as housing, food and transportation. But relocating to a high-cost area may make this guideline unworkable.

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Rivan joined Kiplinger on Leap Day 2016 as a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. A Michigan native, she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 and from there freelanced as a local copy editor and proofreader, and served as a research assistant to a local Detroit journalist. Her work has been featured in the Ann Arbor Observer and Sage Business Researcher. She is currently assistant editor, personal finance at The Washington Post.