Relocation Cost Estimator
Estimate the one-time cost of moving to a new city: brokerage, security deposit and moving charges.
Formula last reviewed 4 August 2026 · How we verify our calculators
One-time relocation cost
- Security deposit (2 mo)
- ₹90,000
- Brokerage (1 mo)
- ₹45,000
- Moving / packers
- ₹15,000
- Monthly rent basis
- ₹45,000
Updates live as you type
Frequently asked questions
The big three are the security deposit (often 2 months’ rent, much higher in some southern metros), brokerage (typically up to a month’s rent), and the cost of packers and movers. This tool sums all three.
It varies widely — one to three months’ rent in much of India, but historically far higher in cities like Bangalore. Adjust the months field to match what your landlord asks.
No. If you find a place directly or through a no-brokerage platform, set brokerage to zero. Where an agent is involved, it is commonly around one month’s rent.
Yes — initial furnishing, appliances, and the first month’s rent in advance. Treat this estimate as the core moving outlay and add a buffer for setup.
Over three times the monthly rent, due before you've paid rent once
A Mumbai 1BHK city-centre rent of ₹45,000, with 1 month brokerage, 2 months security deposit and ₹15,000 in moving costs, adds up fast: brokerage comes to ₹45,000, the deposit to ₹90,000, and with moving costs on top, the total one-time outlay reaches ₹1,50,000 — well over three times the monthly rent itself, all due before a single month's rent has actually been paid in the new city. That's the reality this calculator exists to make visible before moving day, not after.
Why the deposit is the number most worth double-checking
Two months' rent is a common security deposit across much of India, but the actual figure varies widely by city and landlord — some cities, Bangalore historically among them, have demanded far more. Because this input directly multiplies the largest cost in the calculation, adjusting it to match what your actual landlord is asking matters more than getting any other field exactly right.
Why the total scales so sharply with the city you pick
Both brokerage and deposit are calculated as multiples of monthly rent, so pricier cities multiply the entire moving cost, not just the rent line — a central Mumbai 2BHK at ₹65,000 rent with identical terms pushes the total past ₹2,00,000, since every component tied to rent grows in step with it. Seeing the breakdown itemised this way — rather than one lump moving-cost guess — makes clear exactly which lever to pull if the number needs to come down: a smaller flat, a further-out neighbourhood, or negotiating the deposit itself.
This covers the core moving outlay only. Budget separately for the first month's advance rent, furnishing and appliances, and keep a buffer for setup costs beyond what's itemised here. The rent figures are indicative 2025-26 ranges — confirm actual rent, deposit and brokerage for your specific flat before committing. For ongoing monthly costs after arrival, the monthly budget estimator picks up where this one stops.