Life In Queen City » Budgeting http://www.lifeinqueencity.com Cincinnati Real Estate Web site and Blog Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:45:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Moving To A New City? Check The Local Cost Of Living First. http://www.lifeinqueencity.com/2009/12/29/moving-to-a-new-city-check-the-local-cost-of-living-first/ http://www.lifeinqueencity.com/2009/12/29/moving-to-a-new-city-check-the-local-cost-of-living-first/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:45:04 +0000 Dan Green http://www.lifeinqueencity.com/2009/12/29/moving-to-a-new-city-check-the-local-cost-of-living-first/

New town, new costs. Try a Cost of Living Calculator.It’s not only the real estate markets that differ from town to town — the Cost of Living does, too.

Insurance costs, tax bills and just plain, day-to-day living will dent a household budget differently depending on where that household is.  It can be a nerve-wracking fact for families moving from Illinois across state borders.

As an aid for the budget-aware, Bankrate.com keeps a Cost of Living Comparison Calculator on its website.  The calculator asks 3 questions: (1) Where do you live now, (2) To where you are moving, and (3) What is your salary.  It then spits out a detailed, 58-item cost comparison list between the two cities.

Some of the key costs compared include:

  • Everyday groceries
  • Energy bills
  • Routine healthcare
  • Home ownership
  • Clothes
  • Sporting goods

The Cost of Living Comparison Calculator is thorough, with data culled from the ACCRA. You’ll be surprised at how granular the list can get. On the ACCRA website, you can buy a similar report for $5.

On the Bankrate.com site, the data is free.

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