2026-09-02
How much does it cost to relocate a family internationally?
Why a single price is not honest, and which lines actually dominate the budget.
Anyone who quotes one number for ‘a move abroad’ is averaging a studio in Porto with a four-bedroom in Zurich. We will not.
The lines that dominate are rent and deposit, international school if you use it, the container, flights, insurance for the gap before local cover, and the lawyer’s fee for the visa. Coordination, which is us, is quoted after the city and the headcount are known.
A public school in Germany or Portugal removes the largest optional line. An international school in Bangkok, Dubai, or São Paulo puts it back, often above the rent. Childcare waitlists push families into a nanny, which is a salary plus tax, not a tip.
Legal fees are paid to counsel. We do not wrap them into a package that hides who is responsible for the filing.
Bring the city, the ages, and whether anyone is pregnant. Then a budget is a document. Before that it is a mood.
