We'd rather be honest than impressive. Here's exactly what's real, what's indicative, and where we use a rough rule of thumb — so you can trust the shape of the answer, even where the figures are estimates.
Indicative, not live
Prices are realistic medians, not a feed of today's listings.
Conservative by default
Where we guess, we round so the number doesn't flatter.
Internally consistent
Every city is priced the same way, so comparisons are fair.
01 · Income & currency
You enter take-home pay — after tax, per person, per month — in whatever currency you're actually paid. We convert everything to AUD internally, then show your result in the destination's currency.
What we assume
Pay basisAfter-tax, per person /mo
Exchange ratesLive mid-market (open.er-api)
If offlineBuilt-in fallback rates
Working currencyAUD, shown in local
02 · Rent & buying
Rent is the indicative median for a two-bedroom place, converted to a monthly figure. Buying uses standard AU-derived assumptions — applied globally, so treat the buy path as a guide more than a quote.
What we assume
RentMedian 2-bed × 52/12
Bond & setup4wk bond + 2wk + $1,500
Deposit20% of median house
Mortgage6.0% p.a. · 30-yr amortised
Stamp duty~4% (avg across states)
Conveyancing & setup$2,500
Rates / insurance / upkeep$2,000 + $1,500 + 1%/yr
03 · Everyday living
Base monthly costs for a couple sharing, then scaled by each area's cost-of-living index. Groceries and going-out flex with the lifestyle you choose.
Lifestyle & going out · by lifestyle$300 / $750 / $1,300
Children · each, all-in$1,300 /mo
All figures shown at a cost-of-living index of 1.0 — each city scales these up or down by its own index.
04 · The move & the in-between
The part other calculators skip: flights and shipping to relocate, the visits while you're still apart, the partner-visa pathway, and a buffer for the months the mover earns nothing after landing.
RegionMove / visit flight
Oceania$1,300 / $600
Asia$1,800 / $900
Europe$2,600 / $1,800
Americas$2,600 / $1,800
Africa & Middle East$2,800 / $2,000
Interstate (within AU)$800 / $350
Partner visa (AU 820/801, 309/100)~$10,000
Typical visa wait~18 months
Australia ⇄ New ZealandNo partner visa
Visits while apartvisits/yr × flight
Landing buffermover's income × months
Emergency buffer (optional)months × total costs
05 · The verdict
Based purely on what's left over each month after the basics — in AUD-equivalent terms.
Comfortably≥ $1,500 left /mo
Doable but tight$300 – $1,500
Not quite yet< $300 left /mo
06 · Your future
A deliberately plain, linear projection — no assumed price growth, pay rises, or grants. Honest, if anything understated.
Deposit target20% of median house
RentingSurplus builds the deposit
BuyingDeposit + principal paid
Where this is rough — on purpose
•City prices are indicative medians — internally consistent, but not sourced from a live feed or guaranteed current.
•Visa, stamp duty and mortgage figures are rough global constants, not per-country-pair accurate.
•We list selected areas, not every suburb — and tax treatment is simplified to take-home pay.
•Before going to market, prices would be replaced with live data (e.g. SQM Research / CoreLogic).
⚠️
Close the Distance is a planning tool to start a conversation, not financial or immigration advice. Figures are estimates and your real numbers will vary — check current rates, visa rules and prices with a qualified professional before making decisions.