About this tool
The Should I Relocate Decision Matrix turns a messy life decision into a transparent score. Most "should I move" conversations are a tug-of-war between salary numbers and gut feeling. This tool replaces the tug-of-war with a multi-factor model: salary delta, tax domicile change, COL shift, 5-year wealth projection, lifestyle indices, family overhead, and career ecosystem strength. You get a single recommendation banner plus a per-factor breakdown so you can see exactly where the move wins or loses.
The math handles geographic arbitrage explicitly: cities like Dubai and Singapore offer tax-free regimes that compound into massive 5-year wealth deltas even with smaller nominal salaries. Cities like San Francisco offer high gross pay but burn most of it on housing. The matrix exposes which dynamic dominates for your specific pair.
How the matrix scores
- Pick origin and target cities. The tool loads housing, tax, lifestyle, school, and crime data for both.
- Enter salary information. Current salary in local currency. Optionally, target offer if you have one.
- Set personal context: family status, primary reason for the move, expected stay duration.
- Read the recommendation banner. RELOCATE / STAY / MIXED is decided by the net score on a 0-100 scale.
- Inspect the factor cards. Financial, tax, lifestyle, family, and career are scored separately so you see exactly where the win or loss comes from.
- Sensitivity table tells you how robust the recommendation is to your salary expectation.
- Tactical move plan sequences visa, lease, schools, and tax domicile transition with timing windows.
The scoring formula
The 0.40 weight on wealth is the dominant lever because money compounds. Lifestyle, family, and career split the remaining 0.60 evenly. Reason-for-move adjusts weights slightly: tax optimisation tilts more to wealth, family bumps the family weight, career increases career weight.
City data used
| City | Rent 2BR/mo | Tax on $150K | Transit (1-5) | Air (PM2.5) | Crime idx | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $3,800 | 37% | 3 | 10 | 72 | 4.2/5 |
| Seattle | $2,700 | 32% | 3 | 8 | 60 | 4.0/5 |
| NYC | $4,500 | 40% | 5 | 9 | 49 | 4.0/5 |
| Austin | $2,200 | 32% | 2 | 7 | 54 | 3.8/5 |
| Chicago | $2,400 | 36% | 4 | 11 | 62 | 3.6/5 |
| Boston | $3,400 | 37% | 4 | 7 | 43 | 4.4/5 |
| Los Angeles | $3,200 | 37% | 2 | 14 | 56 | 3.7/5 |
| London | £2,700 | 40% | 5 | 11 | 54 | 4.3/5 |
| Manchester | £1,400 | 32% | 4 | 9 | 57 | 3.8/5 |
| Toronto | C$3,200 | 43% | 4 | 7 | 43 | 4.1/5 |
| Vancouver | C$3,300 | 41% | 4 | 5 | 44 | 4.0/5 |
| Calgary | C$2,000 | 36% | 3 | 9 | 50 | 3.9/5 |
| Sydney | A$3,800 | 34% | 4 | 5 | 43 | 4.2/5 |
| Melbourne | A$2,800 | 34% | 4 | 6 | 42 | 4.2/5 |
| Brisbane | A$2,500 | 34% | 3 | 6 | 41 | 4.0/5 |
| Dubai | AED 11,000 | 0% | 4 | 45 | 15 | 4.0/5 |
| Abu Dhabi | AED 8,500 | 0% | 3 | 40 | 14 | 3.9/5 |
| Singapore | S$5,200 | 17% | 5 | 14 | 26 | 4.5/5 |
| Bangalore | ₹55,000 | 30% | 2 | 50 | 54 | 3.5/5 |
| Mumbai | ₹85,000 | 30% | 3 | 72 | 57 | 3.6/5 |
| Delhi | ₹65,000 | 30% | 3 | 90 | 60 | 3.5/5 |
| Berlin | €1,800 | 40% | 5 | 9 | 43 | 3.9/5 |
| Munich | €2,200 | 41% | 5 | 8 | 33 | 4.1/5 |
Rent figures are median 2-bedroom city-centre apartments (Numbeo 2025-26). Tax shows effective rate on USD $150,000 equivalent. Crime index lower is better. Air shows annual PM2.5 average (WHO 2025).
How to use the Relocation Decision Matrix
The Relocation Decision Matrix runs entirely in your browser. Pick origin and target cities, enter salary information, set personal context, and read the recommendation banner plus per-factor breakdown. The page also renders sensitivity analysis and a tactical move plan. Inputs never leave your device.
- Privacy: nothing is logged, sent, or stored by 3Tej. Inputs disappear when you close the tab.
- Speed: results update as you type. No network round trip.
- Offline use: once the page is cached, it works without internet.
- No signup: no account, no email, no rate limits.
Step by step
- Pick your current city. Currency symbol on the salary input updates.
- Pick your target city. The model loads tax rate, rent, transit, schools, and crime data for both.
- Enter your current salary in local currency.
- Enter the target offer if you have one. Otherwise the model uses a market median for the target city.
- Set family status. Single, couple, or family with kids changes the COL multiplier and weighting on schools.
- Pick your primary reason. Career, COL, family, or tax optimization shifts the dimension weights.
- Read the banner. RELOCATE / STAY / MIXED with a one-line headline.
- Inspect the factor cards to see where the score comes from.
- Check sensitivity to see if the recommendation holds at lower salary increases.
- Use the tactical plan to sequence the actual move.
When you would use this
- Considering a job offer in another city. Quantify whether the salary jump actually wins after tax and COL.
- Bangalore to Dubai tax arbitrage. UAE 0% income tax compounds into a 50% savings boost even at smaller nominal salary.
- SF to Austin cost-of-living escape. 30% lower COL in Austin offsets a moderate pay cut.
- London to Dubai effective rate cut. UK 40% to UAE 0% is the single biggest tax delta available in legal arbitrage.
- Family vs single comparison. Kids change the math significantly; the matrix accounts for it.
- Sensitivity testing: see how the recommendation flips if the salary offer comes in 20% lower than expected.
Frequently asked questions
What visa lead time should I plan for an international relocation?
Plan 3 to 9 months. UAE Golden Visa: 4-8 weeks once paperwork filed. UK Skilled Worker: 8 weeks but the certificate of sponsorship must be issued first. US H-1B: lottery-bound and can take 12+ months. Singapore Employment Pass: 3-8 weeks. Australia 482 TSS: 4-12 weeks. Canada Express Entry: 6-12 months. Always build a 2-month buffer for medicals, police clearances, and apostilles.
How does tax-domicile transition work when I relocate?
Tax domicile is sticky. You typically remain a tax resident of the origin country until you sever ties (183-day rule in most jurisdictions, plus a clean break of permanent home, family, and business presence). The UK has a Statutory Residence Test with 5-year clock for split-year treatment. The US taxes citizens worldwide regardless of residence (only renunciation severs it). UAE and most Gulf states have zero income tax so the move can immediately reduce your effective rate. Always file a final return in the origin country and start fresh in the destination.
Should I break my lease or wait it out?
Math: break fee plus double rent during overlap vs full remaining months at origin. Usually breaking is cheaper when 6+ months remain. Most leases have a break clause (2-month penalty in UK, 1-2 months in US, varies in Singapore). Negotiate: offer to find a replacement tenant, or pay the break fee in installments. If your new employer covers relocation, ask them to absorb the break cost (often part of the package, around USD 3,000-8,000).
Should I sell or rent out my existing home?
Sell if (a) you're moving permanently and don't expect to return, (b) capital gains tax exemption applies (US Section 121 gives $250K/$500K exclusion if you lived there 2 of past 5 years; UK PRR gives full exemption while it was your main residence), or (c) the rental yield is below 4%. Rent if (a) you may return in 3-5 years, (b) yield exceeds 5%, and (c) the rental market is strong. Crossover scenarios include keeping the home for 2 years from leaving (UK PRR final period exemption) then selling tax-free.
How do I time the move for kids' schools?
Best windows: June-August (summer break in northern hemisphere), December-January (mid-year for southern hemisphere). Avoid mid-year transitions for kids over 8 unless unavoidable. International school applications often close 6-9 months ahead; British, American, French, IB systems are most portable. Have a fallback school within 30 minutes of housing. For teenagers in exam years (GCSE, A-Level, SAT, IB), avoid the move unless absolutely necessary; consider delaying 12-24 months.
How do I manage foreign-currency salary risk?
You're paid in destination currency but may have debts or family obligations in origin currency. Three tools: (1) Multi-currency account (Wise, Revolut Business, HSBC Expat) holding 6-12 months of spending in origin currency. (2) Forward contracts for known large transfers (school fees, mortgage payments). (3) Diversified portfolio holding 30-50% in origin currency if you may return. Avoid speculating on FX; just hedge known liabilities.
How do I handle dual-career considerations?
This is the biggest unmodeled cost in relocation decisions. If your partner can't transfer their role or industry, count the lost income for 12-24 months (often USD 60,000-200,000) as part of the move cost. Mitigations: (a) Negotiate spousal job-search support into the offer, (b) Pick destinations with strong dual-career markets (London, NYC, SF, Singapore, Dubai for finance/tech), (c) Time the move so trailing partner has 3-6 months of runway before financial pressure starts, (d) Consider remote work continuity for one partner.
What if the salary offer is in a foreign currency I don't trust?
Negotiate either (a) USD-denominated salary (common in oil/finance/consulting in MENA and Asia), (b) Annual FX-reset clauses if local currency depreciates more than 10%, or (c) Bonus paid in stronger currency. Worst case: salary in INR or AED is fine for local spending but means your savings buffer in USD/EUR shrinks. Use a multi-currency account and sweep excess salary out monthly into your reserve currency.
Is the Relocation Decision Matrix accurate?
The math is exact for the inputs you provide. The city data are blended planning figures (Numbeo, OECD, Mercer 2025-26), not your specific landlord, school, or insurance quote. Use the result as a directional signal then verify with your employer relocation team and a tax adviser before pulling the trigger.
Is the Relocation Decision Matrix free?
Yes. 100% free, no signup, no payment, no API key. The site is funded by display ads that appear around the tool but not inside the calculation flow.
Are my inputs saved?
No. Inputs stay in your browser tab. Closing the tab discards them.
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes. The tool is responsive and tested on iOS Safari, Android Chrome, and major desktop browsers.
How do I report a bug?
Email hi@3tej.com with the URL of this page and a description of what you saw vs expected.
How accurate is the Relocation Decision Matrix?
The arithmetic is exact. The city data are blended planning figures, not your marginal landlord or insurance quote. Real outcomes depend on employer package and tax-treaty positions.
Does this calculator work offline?
Yes. Once the page is loaded, it works without internet.
Why are results different from another relocation tool?
Most relocation tools compare gross salary only. This one gross-up for tax, COL, schools, and move cost over 5 years.
How do I share results?
Screenshot the result block or scorecard table. The page does not generate shareable URLs for specific calculations.