More people are leaving the big city lifestyle behind and moving to smaller cities for financial reasons. There are a variety of money-saving components when moving from a big city to a small city starting with the cost of living.
Bigger cities have higher population numbers correlating with a higher cost of living compared to smaller cities with smaller populations. One of the biggest financial differences in the real estate market is that it tends to be more expensive in bigger cities and less expensive in smaller cities. Another financial benefit of moving to a smaller city is real estate tends to be more affordable in some cases, you can spend the same amount of money on housing that tends to be more spacious.
One of the most common expenses living in a big city is small daily purchases of novelty foods, convenience foods, and snacks. Big cities often have convenient stores or coffee shops that often result in buying something more than you planned on spending like an extra drink or snack.
These purchases might seem small but can add up to creating a massive amount over time and can also impact your budget. This occurs more frequently in big cities since most people are on the go away from home like commuting, working, or going out.
Another similar expense that is more common in big cities is going out to a bar, coffee shop, or dining out. It might not seem like a big expense but going out too frequently can become excessive when living in a big city.
Most of these expenses can be cut by enjoying these activities at home while saving money on transportation and services. People living in a big city tend to automatically plan to go out but it’s more common for people to host at home in smaller cities. Another option for getting together with friends and family in a smaller city is to enjoy the local community like a beach or park.
Groceries can be a big part of any budget that can be managed with some planning, but random grocery trips can impact your budget. Big cities often have multiple supermarkets or grocery stores that can be tempting to make random shopping trips. Convenience stores are also more common in big cities but tend to have higher prices for the sake of convenience.
Smaller cities have fewer grocery stores that makes it easier to stick to planned grocery shopping trips. Another benefit of smaller towns is fewer convivence stores and less temptation to spend more spontaneously on small purchases.
Big cities are a driving market for products needed as a result of living in the city like micellar water, cough drops, eye drops, and other products to compensate for the city’s air quality. The environment of a big city impacts the air quality resulting in people needing to buy products to counteract the effects of the dry air like eye drops, cough drops, micellar water, and chapstick.
If the financial cost of living in a big city is the majority of your expenses, you might want to consider the benefits of moving to a smaller city. Everyone has their own personal situation and it’s up to you whether this change is right for your lifestyle.
