• Weather

We all know that it rains in Mumbai and that winters are very cold in Delhi. But you should also keep in mind the weather of the complete year of any place you are going to so that you are prepared and not taken by surprise.

• Culture

While moving to a new city you are very likely to get a culture shock. Veena Basu, working for a BPO was shocked at the way people in Mumbai address each other with in a way that could be termed very irreverent Delhi. Make sure you talk to at least ten people who have stayed in the city you are shifting to. "

• Food

Be prepared to either adjust to the available food choices or cook your own food. If you are vegetarian and moving abroad, you may not get a wide variety of food. Apart from the brand food chains such as McDonalds, even your chai may not taste the same.

In case you want to cook your own food from day 1, make sure you take supplies for at least a week, till the time you find where you can get all ingredients from. This is important, especially when it comes to region-specific ingredients such as desiccated coconut or spices to marinate fish.

• Language Barrier

Learning the basic words of the local language will always add to your advantage - you can not only bond with people faster, but also avoid being taken for a ride.

Priya Philipose, who has recently shifted from Pune to Bangalore says, "For a long time I was baffled at the varied prices the rikshwallas would ask me for the same distance. When they knew I couldn't speak Kannada, they would try and dupe me. The first thing I learnt is to haggle and bargain with rickshawallas in Kannada."

It won't be possible for you to learn to speak the language like a local, but you can at least try. Keep a dictionary of local language into English handy.