Where the numbers come from.
We'd rather you trust the figures than take them on faith. Here's what feeds the index, how fresh it is, and what we deliberately leave out.
The index blends modeled estimates with curated reference data. Cost figures are calibrated models; living, visa and customs data are sourced from public and panel datasets and reviewed on a quarterly cycle.
Cost & freight
- → Great-circle distances computed from country centroid coordinates.
- → Per-cubic-metre freight rates benchmarked against published groupage, FCL and air-freight ranges across major lanes.
- → Household-volume bands derived from standard removals survey norms (studio through four-bed).
- → Origin and destination labour indices normalized from cost-of-living and wage panels.
Cost of living
- → Rent, groceries, transport and utility baskets aggregated from crowd-sourced cost-of-living panels.
- → Currency conversions taken at the quarter's reference mid-market rate, expressed in USD.
- → City-level figures use the primary metro as a stand-in for the country unless noted.
Visa & customs
- → Visa routes, income thresholds and processing times summarized from official immigration and consular sources.
- → Customs and duty-free-import rules drawn from national customs authorities for the specific corridor.
- → Always verify with the relevant consulate before you act, rules change without much notice.
Mover ratings
- → Verified-review volume and recency from public review platforms.
- → Claims-and-damage and on-time-delivery signals from partner reporting.
- → Lane-operation checks: does the firm genuinely run this origin–destination corridor?
Freshness
The cost model is recalibrated quarterly; the most recent pass is labelled on each route. Living, visa and customs references are reviewed on the same cadence. Freight markets move with fuel and capacity, so treat figures older than a quarter as directional.
Caveats
These are indicative figures, not quotes. Models trade per-move precision for universal coverage, they're excellent for planning and comparison, and no substitute for a surveyed quote from a mover who has seen your home. When a source conflicts with an official authority, the authority wins.