D.C. is the 14th most expensive city in the world to move to, according to a study by a moving company.
Movinga, a Berlin moving company that conducted the study, chose 85 cities in the world known for attracting people from other countries. D.C. clinched a top spot in the rankings because of its relatively high housing costs, according to the study.
San Francisco, New York, Boston and Los Angeles placed above the District, with San Francisco earning the top spot because of its high cost of housing.
Researchers assessed costs for an individual, as well as an entire family, to move from the United States to a U.S. city. Payments include work visas, the price of temporary accommodation, new phone plans, storage and food and drink.
“We see that often individuals say yes to job opportunities because of the attractive offer, but don’t give as much thought to the realities of moving to a different city in terms of the real estate market and the true cost of living,” Finn Age Hänsel, the managing director of Movinga, said in a press release.
The expected total for an individual moving to D.C. from another place in the world or the United States is roughly $9,300, the study states. A family moving to D.C. from another U.S. city can expect to pay about $17,000. The amounts factor in the first three months of paying for rent, storage, food and drinks and other bills.
An individual moving to San Francisco, the top city, can expect to shell out about $13,500, while a family would pay about $24,000, according to the study.