Moving Guides

Move-In Costs by City: What It Takes to Move to 9 Big Cities

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This article is part of our Moving Guides.

Last checked October 21, 2026. Every figure below links to its source.

Moving to a big city costs more than the movers. Before you get your keys you’ll usually pay first month’s rent and a security deposit. After that come application fees, a transit pass, utility setup and, if you bring a car, registration and a new license. This page puts those costs side by side for the nine cities Go Big City covers, using the same measures for every city so you can compare them fairly.

Cash to move in, by city

This estimate is for a renter without a car: first month’s rent on a typical one-bedroom, a deposit equal to one month’s rent, and your first month of transit. It’s a floor, not a ceiling. In most of these cities a landlord can legally ask for a bigger deposit (see the rules below).

City Median 1BR rent Deposit (1 month) First month of transit Cash to move in
New York $4,580 $4,580 $152* $9,312
Miami $2,500 $2,500 $112.50 $5,113
Chicago $2,200 $2,200 $75 $4,475
Atlanta $1,630 $1,630 $95 $3,355
Denver $1,530 $1,530 $88 $3,148
Nashville $1,480 $1,480 $65 $3,025
Dallas $1,320 $1,320 $126 $2,766
Austin $1,250 $1,250 $41.25 $2,541
Houston $1,090 $1,090 $66* $2,246
Rent: Zumper National Rent Report, September 2026 (median one-bedroom). Transit: each agency’s monthly pass or monthly fare cap. *New York has no monthly pass; $152 is the $35 weekly OMNY cap averaged over a month. Houston METRO has no monthly pass or cap; $66 is 22 weekday Day Passes at $3.

New York stands apart: you need about $9,300 in hand, almost double Miami. Houston, Austin and Dallas are the cheapest places to land, at roughly a quarter of New York’s figure.

Deposit and application fee rules

The law decides how much a landlord can ask for up front and how fast you get your deposit back. These rules differ more between cities than rent does.

City Deposit limit Deposit back within Application fee limit
New York 1 month’s rent 14 days $20
Atlanta 2 months’ rent 30 days No limit
Denver 2 months’ rent 30 days (up to 60 if the lease says so) Actual screening cost only; $0 if you bring a portable screening report
Chicago No limit 45 days No limit now; $50 from January 1, 2027
Miami No limit 15 days, or 30 days to notify you of a claim No limit
Houston, Dallas, Austin No limit 30 days (give a forwarding address) No limit
Nashville No limit No fixed deadline; damage must be found within 30 days of move-out No limit

Broker fees: in New York City, the FARE Act (in effect since June 11, 2025) means a landlord who hires a broker pays that broker, not you. We haven’t found an equivalent rule in the other eight cities.

Turning on the lights

City Electric provider Start fee Deposit
New York Con Edison None found Only if you have recent unpaid bills or a shutoff
Chicago ComEd None listed Only under specific conditions, such as poor credit or a past disconnection
Miami FPL $12 Up to 2 months’ estimated use, if your credit requires it
Atlanta Georgia Power $30 About 2 months’ estimated bill, if your credit requires it
Austin Austin Energy $20 $200, can be waived (for example with autopay or a utility reference letter)
Nashville NES $20 $250 unless you pass a credit check
Denver Xcel Energy $10 to transfer existing service; $45 if a site visit is needed Depends on credit
Houston, Dallas You choose a retail provider (CenterPoint or Oncor delivers) Varies by provider Capped by state rule, if your credit requires one

If you bring a car

New residents have to register their car and switch their license, usually within 30 days. These are the main government fees, before any sales or use tax.

City Registration and title (new resident) Driver’s license Approximate total Deadline
Atlanta 3% title tax on the car’s value + $18 title + $20 registration $32 About $670 for a $20,000 car 30 days
Chicago $151 registration + $165 title + $105.18 city sticker About $30 About $451 30 days (license within 90 days)
Miami $225 new-plate fee + $85.25 title + $14.50–$32.50 registration $54.25 About $380–$400, plus small fees 30 days (10 if you start a job or enroll children in school)
New York $50 title + $25 plates + $26–$140 registration + $80 in NYC fees (2 years) $73.25–$77.50 About $255–$375 30 days
Houston $33 title + $90 new-resident tax + $68 registration + inspection $33 About $236–$243 30 days (license within 90)
Dallas $33 title + $90 new-resident tax + $63.25 registration + inspection $33 About $231–$238 30 days (license within 90)
Austin $33 title + $90 new-resident tax + about $70–$80 registration $33 About $226–$236 30 days (license within 90)
Nashville $87–$91 registration, including the $55 wheel tax $28 About $115–$119, plus title License within 30 days
Denver $7.20 title + registration and ownership tax based on the car’s age and value $32 Varies by car 90 days (license within 30)

Other things to know

  • Sales tax adds to everything you buy to set up a home: Chicago 10.5%, Nashville 9.75%, Denver 9.15%, Atlanta 8.9%, New York 8.875%, Houston, Dallas and Austin 8.25%, Miami 7%.
  • Changes coming: Austin’s CapMetro monthly cap rises from $41.25 to $49.50 on January 10, 2027. Chicago’s $50 application-fee limit starts January 1, 2027. Atlanta’s sales tax is due to change after March 31, 2027.

For rent, the income you need, minimum wage, taxes and transit in all nine cities, see our Big City Moving Index.

How we built this

We used one source per measure for all nine cities so the numbers compare fairly. Rent is the median one-bedroom from Zumper’s September 2026 National Rent Report; our city guides sometimes quote Zumper’s live city pages, which show averages and run a little different. Deposit and fee rules come from state statutes and city codes. Car, license, transit and utility figures come from the government agency, transit authority or utility itself. Every figure was checked against its source by a second researcher on October 21, 2026, and we review the page every quarter. See how we research.

Sources

Go Big City Team
Author: Go Big City Team

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