Guide
Compare job offers when one means relocating
Put the written offers, real housing quotes and your priorities beside each other before deciding which trade-offs you can accept.
Two offers can look easy to rank until one requires a move. A higher salary is one input. Housing, benefit terms, office attendance and the disruption of relocating can change what that offer means to you.
This guide is a manual worksheet. ifYouMind's interactive Life comparison is in development and is not available through this guide. The current product provides Business city comparisons, not a personal take-home-pay or relocation calculator.
Start with the decision and the deal-breakers
Write the actual choice: “Should I stay in my current city for Offer A or move for Offer B before the start date?” Then list constraints that a larger salary cannot automatically compensate for: an unaffordable deposit, a required professional licence, care commitments, a partner's work or an unacceptable commute.
Separate these constraints from preferences such as a shorter journey or a different neighbourhood. An option that fails a genuine constraint needs a solution before a weighted score would be useful.
Use one table, and keep unknowns visible
The following figures are invented examples, not salary or housing data for any real city. They are not a calculation of disposable income.
| Factor | Offer A: stay | Offer B: move | Evidence to obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual base salary, before deductions | $100,000 | $112,000 | Written offer and pay schedule |
| Monthly housing quote | $1,800 | $2,500 | Comparable current listings and lease terms |
| Days in the office each week | 5 | 3, subject to confirmation | Written attendance policy |
| One-way commute on an office day | 20 minutes | 45 minutes | Route checked at work hours |
| Employee health-plan cost | Confirmed | Unknown | Benefits documents |
| One-time relocation costs | None assumed | Not yet quoted | Itemised quotes and reimbursement terms |
Use the same household size, housing requirements and time period on both sides. Record the date beside each quote. Leave missing benefits or moving costs marked “unknown”; treating them as zero can make the incomplete offer look better.
Compare compensation without calling gross pay take-home pay
Keep base pay separate from discretionary bonuses, equity, employer contributions and benefits you may not use. The Bureau of Labor Statistics distinguishes wages and salaries from benefit costs. Its employer averages provide context, not the value of your particular package.
Ask each employer when coverage starts, what you pay, whether retirement contributions vest, and which payments are conditional. Obtain household-specific payroll and tax information before comparing spendable income. Subtracting housing from gross salary does not account for deductions or the rest of your budget.
Evaluate the move with current evidence
List deposits, travel, overlapping housing, moving quotes and any reimbursement conditions separately from recurring expenses. Check the actual neighbourhood and journey you would use. A city or metro average cannot substitute for your lease or commute.
BEA regional price parities compare regional price levels for a stated year. Use that context to ask better questions; do not treat it as a current quote for your household or combine it with a full set of quoted costs as another bill.
Test what could change your preference
Revisit the comparison with a higher housing quote, fewer remote days and no discretionary bonus. If your preference changes, identify the assumption responsible and ask for better evidence before accepting. Keep qualitative factors such as support networks and work quality visible rather than inventing a dollar value for them.
Finish with a short decision note: preferred option, unresolved questions, confidence in the evidence, and the condition that would make you reconsider. The aim is a choice you can explain, not a universal winning city.
For a reusable comparison process, read how to build a decision matrix from your own data. If the decision concerns a business site, use the business location checklist and inspect the working Business sample report.