The Real Costs of Relocating a Family to the U.S.

When you relocate to the U.S. through a corporate package, a lot of the stress disappears — housing, movers, flights, even schools can be managed for you.

But if you’re a VC-backed founder, an early-stage exec, or running a bootstrapped business, the entire relocation cost, logistics, everything usually sits squarely on your shoulders.

Visa costs are easy to research.
The real costs, the ones that come with moving your entire life and family, are the ones nobody tells you about.

I moved in 2018, and I’ve updated these numbers for inflation and today’s pricing. Here’s the real picture.

1. You Start with Zero Credit — And It Changes Everything

Your first major challenge: in the U.S. you arrive with no personal credit history. That means traditional banks won’t lend you anything. You won’t get a credit card. You won’t get a mortgage. You’re essentially treated like an 18-year-old with no financial footprint.

Top tip:
Get an Amex card in your home country and use it before you move. When you land, you can at least transfer to a U.S. Amex fairly quickly and start building credit.

Still, it takes 2+ years to build a proper credit rating.

Our longtime U.S. business bank, where we held all of our company accounts and I was the primary signatory, literally laughed in my face when I asked for a personal credit card. Humbling moment. I don't bank with them anymore...

2. Housing — Your Biggest Cost (By Far)

You will almost certainly be renting first. Two reasons

You won’t get a mortgage without U.S. credit.
You need time to understand neighborhoods, schools, commutes, and general lifestyle fit.

With no credit rating, expect to pay:

12 months’ rent upfront, plus
1-2 months' deposit

If you have kids, aim for top public school districts. Zillow makes this easy to research. Great public schools are technically “free,” but houses in these zones are more expensive — and they’re worth it.

Why?
Because schools create instant community. Living among families whose kids attend the same school makes integration 10x easier. Opting for cheaper housing + private school often leads to social isolation, especially early on.

And if your family isn’t settled and happy, building a business becomes exponentially harder.

Example: Our move to the Austin area

We live ~45 minutes from downtown (a commute I thought was fine — most locals disagree). But it’s a great school district.

Current rental prices for comfortable family homes:

$3,000–$8,000/month
Typically 4–5 bedrooms, 2,500–5,000 sq ft, good amenities

With deposits, total upfront housing costs = $42,000–$112,000.

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You won't pay any additional housing costs for year one. These rents include property tax but be careful to check what other costs are or aren’t included in the rent – see below.

Prices vary massively by state. Visit areas beforehand, and find a realtor who listens. I emailed 20 “specialists” only one stood out. She helped us rent, then buy, and our families are still friends. If you’re moving to Austin: Anne-Marie Cancienne at Intelligent Real Estate is outstanding.

Realtor costs are paid for by the seller or the landlord and they are much higher than in the UK. However, a good realtor here does an incredible job compared to the UK. They are genuine experts and will walk you through every step of a rental or purchase process. They will know details about the local area and can really help ensure you make the right choices. They are an incredible free resource to help plan your move. Pick wisely and be kind to them!!

3. Additional Housing Costs You Don’t Expect

These often surprise new arrivals:

Electricity, gas, water (standard)
Trash collection (usually separate)
Landscaping / gardening & Pest control (yes, you’ll want this, mowing in 110°F or discovering a hornet infestation convinces you quickly)
HOA fees
Pool servicing in some homes
Maintenance expectations written into the lease

Furniture & household items

If possible, rent furnished for the first months or year.
U.S. furniture is a different world — bigger, bulkier, and styled very differently. I’m pretty sure a U.S. fridge is the same size as a UK guest bedroom. Shipping UK / European furniture doesn't really make sense.

4. HOA Fees

Many U.S. neighborhoods have an HOA (Home Owners Association). They maintain community areas, enforce standards, and provide facilities.

We pay $110/month, and we get access to:

Pool
Sports courts
Gym
Community center
Beautiful landscaping

Some people complain about HOAs. I think, compared to the costs of all these facilities in the UK, they’re incredible value. Sure, you have to maintain your property to a certain standard and some HOA reps can get a bit drunk on power, but on the whole our experience has been very positive.

5. WiFi, Cable, and Streaming

Budget $200–$300/month.
Cable TV is mostly adverts but often bundled with WiFi. Streaming services can transfer, but the process is unnecessarily painful.

You’ll probably want a VPN for accessing TV from back home.

6. Phones & Devices

You can use UK devices initially. Cheap pay-as-you-go options like Mint Mobile work well. But eventually you’ll want U.S. devices, chargers, and contracts.

New electronics in the U.S. are:

Strangely expensive – with the exception of TV’s
Hard to finance without credit
Often easier to get through the business

Expect to spend a day in a phone store setting every thing up. For a full family of devices and usage you are looking around $300 -$500 a month

7. Schooling

Public schools are free, but:

Supplies
Sports
Field trips
Tutoring
Event / Charity Contributions

…all cost money.

You’ll also need to ensure vaccinations are up to date. Some states require specific ones, so check early. There is a lot more parental involvement expected at schools in the US compared to the UK. A lot of parents also want to volunteer for school activities and sports coaching. It’s much more of a volunteer culture than the UK. Be careful how involved you get as if you’re not careful you can end up with a second job with no extra pay!!

FYI Public Schooling starts at Elementary School which is from age 5. Younger than this is Pre School and its harder to find Public Schools with Pre School programs. Pre Schools tend to be private and therefore cost. Be sure to check out these costs before you locate or be prepared to have your little ones with you for an extra year.

8. Shipping & Relocation Costs

Most families ship too much (we certainly did).
We used Doree Bonner International — good service, took 4–8 weeks.

We spent around $8k, but in hindsight, I’d ship far less.

Reasons:

Your UK furniture won’t look right in a U.S. home
Electrical items won’t work
You’ll accumulate U.S. stuff anyway
Houses here are much bigger; your old furniture looks miniature

Plan to buy things gradually.

9. Unexpected Purchases in Year 1

This category catches everyone off guard.

You end up buying:

Tools
Gardening kit
Step ladders
Cleaning equipment
TVs, consoles, electronics – everything that has a plug needs replacing eventually.
Christmas decorations
Halloween decorations (yes, it’s a thing — a very big thing)

You can borrow from helpful neighbors at first, but eventually you’ll buy your own. You don’t realize what you have amassed overtime until you start again from scratch and have to buy everything again.

Budget: $15k–$20k in Year 1 for household items.

10. Cars & Transportation

You will need at least one car. In most places, you’ll need two.

Leasing is the most cost-effective option, but tough with no credit.
We used expatride.com — they understand the situation.

Expect:

$5k upfront per vehicle
Monthly lease payments
Car insurance of $200–$300/month initially

You’re treated like a brand new driver until you build history.
Switch insurers yearly, loyalty doesn’t save you money here.

Gas is cheap: $3.00–$3.50/gallon.
Filling a tank: ~$50.

11. Kids’ Sports / Music

A brilliant way to integrate into the community — but pricey.

Example from my son:

Football Helmet: $400 – This lasts 2 seasons before you need to get it recertified
Pads: $100
Fees: ~$400 per season
Multiply that by 3 seasons per year
Multiply again if they play multiple sports.

A lot of the sports here need a lot of kit. It adds up fast, but the community impact is worth every cent.

Music at school is also a lot different compared to the UK. There is Band - huge part of the community, Orchestra and Choir. These kick in at Middle School and run all through high school. At Middle School you are just looking at instrument purchases or rental - about $80 per month should cover most instruments and upkeep.

At High School the costs of Band get real and the expectations on time are huge. This is very competitive in the US and, as a parent, you will be expected to be actively involved and fund raise for the Band. These kids travel extensively to play at sports games and competitions and the costs wrack up pretty quick.

12. Food Costs

Food is noticeably more expensive.
I joke that every time I leave the house it costs me $200.

Groceries are 20–30% more expensive than the UK.
Eating out is even more — especially after you add tax and 20%+ tips.

If you want British Treats or from your home country you can get them but expect to pay a premium. I have however found a British Bakery near me so i can satisfy my Sausage Roll and Scotch Egg cravings.

13. Healthcare

If you own the business, you are the employer — so healthcare is a real cost to you, not a corporate benefit.

For a family:

$25k–$30k per year for decent coverage
$5k–$10k deductibles are common
Co-pays for every visit, even when insured

This shocks many international founders. I'd recommend reading our "Beginners guide to Healthcare" blog to familiarize yourself with the key information.

14. Tax Considerations for Founders

If you own 25%+ of your company, prepare yourself.

The U.S. wants visibility and tax compliance on all international income and assets. Filing becomes more complex and significantly more expensive.

Expect:

$10k+/year in accounting and tax return costs
A need for tight alignment between your personal tax advisor and your business accountant

Sort this early. Avoid nasty surprises.

A good advisor will also help you legally optimize what can be run through the business — and that can offset some relocation costs.

15. Travel

Although the costs of visas are clear a lot of people don’t account for the fact you are going to have to repeatedly travel back to your home country and renew visas in the US embassy. Your whole family will have to travel, and you will need to remain in the country for around a week whilst you wait to get your passports returned.

This might not sound like much but if you are travelling in school holidays these costs can build up, and they are rarely factored into budgets.

Final Thoughts

Relocating a family to the U.S. is one of the most exciting opportunities you can take — but also one of the most financially demanding and logistically complex.

If you plan properly, understand the real costs, and build the right support network early, it becomes an incredible adventure rather thana chaotic one.

It’s exactly why we built In2America — to help founders and international companies avoid the traps, plan properly, and land smoothly in the U.S., both personally and professionally.

The costs and advice in the article are personal to me and my experiences and are designed to give you an idea how to budget and what to budget for. Please do your own research and plan carefully. adrian.kinnersley@in2america.com

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The Real Costs of Relocating a Family to the U.S.