The big city is not always as glamorous as the movies make it out to be. There is a chance that there are more job options available there than in smaller towns. But living somewhere is about the atmosphere, the people, and the convenience of daily life. If city living is more stressful and expensive, it may not be worth the added options and the bump in pay to move.
Moving is sometimes the easiest part. Packing up your house may sound like work, but a moving company can make the entire process simple and organized. Making a new home in a new place is where the difficulties come in. While the city can offer you a higher pay rate, the cost of living in a city can sometimes be prohibitive. Is it worth the move if you have to give up a spacious house for a small apartment?
Alternatively, a busy career-minded young adult is not going to be home often. You will likely only need your apartment to be cozy and comfortable as you will spend the days at work and the nights out with your friends.
Some cities are also not great for cars. But you may need to keep it if you want to visit your family regularly. That would mean the additional cost of paying for a garage. On the other hand, city transport is easy to find and can often be faster than gridlocked traffic. There is a lot to consider, and understanding the advantages and disadvantages can help you know if you are ready for the big move.
Advantage: Mass Transit
Transport options within a city are varied and affordable. Most cities offer a card or token system where you can prepay and carry the card to access every transport system, from trains to buses. Ridesharing companies have also further reduced the need for you to carry cash, and you can order a car to wherever you are with your phone.
This is all convenient and relatively cheap. It is definitely much cheaper than the cost of maintaining a car. Cars require maintenance, garage costs, parking fees, and insurance payments. By selling your car and using public transport, you can put the additional savings towards your savings accounts or investments.
Disadvantage: Transport Breakdowns
The main risk of depending on mass transit within a city is that you will be stranded f there is any kind of breakdown or strike. Luckily, these kinds of breakdowns are widely reported on, so you will have proof for your work if you happen to be late. But, in many workplaces, they expect you to allow time for such incidents, and your lateness can count against you despite it being out of your power.
A car can ensure that you will arrive on time. But to counter the heavy traffic, you have to wake up several hours before the time you need to be at work. This isn’t much of an advantage as it can leave you tired and lethargic. Driving while tired is also ill-advised and could lead to an accident. This would cause your insurance premiums to rise to a point where you may not be able to afford to drive the car at all.
Advantage: Varied Job Opportunities
Cities are places that attract new businesses and thus, have so much variety when it comes to opportunities. You could find every type of job and educational opportunity in a city. If you are financially stable, you could try out a few different types of jobs before settling on the most fulfilling one.
Most corporate jobs within the city also offer opportunities for training and education to entice employees to remain loyal. You could find a job in your field and become very well-trained and an expert in the field within just a few years. You would have to work hard. But it is easier to be dedicated to your job when surrounded by other young professionals who also live a similar lifestyle.
Disadvantage: Cost of Living
This is well-worth researching before you make any plans to move. Cost of living should be considered, especially if you plan to stay in the city long-term. While some cities have a higher cost of living index, other cities can have a cost of living that is almost prohibitively expensive.
You must consider the advantages you will gain against how expensive it would be to have any kind of lifestyle for yourself, a future spouse, and future children. If the cost of living affects your ability to save for the future, you may want to reconsider the move.
Looking things up online is helpful, but if you can, look into getting connected with someone who has lived in that city for a while. Ask them the real costs of living there that may not be listed in magazine articles. Housing, groceries, health care, and entertainment costs differ from city to city. They should be a major factor in helping you decide whether it is worth the inconvenience of moving to go to that city.
