Why your city shapes your nutrition as much as your willpower
Healthy eating is not just a matter of discipline — it is also a function of what your local market actually stocks, how much a kilogram of decent protein costs in your currency, and whether the restaurant culture around you defaults to fried, processed, or fresh ingredients. The same person, with the same goals, ends up eating very differently in Lisbon, Singapore, Madrid, and Dubai.
This planner computes your calorie target, your protein and macro split, and a seven-day meal plan calibrated to local ingredient availability and pricing. It then layers your destination city against your origin on healthcare access, nutrition access (proximity to fresh-food markets and quality groceries), and air quality — three of the strongest environmental drivers of long-term health that most relocation guides ignore.
The output is not a diet — it is a baseline for the conversations you should have with a local physician or dietitian once you land. Calorie targets, BMI category, and macro splits are starting points, not verdicts.
Frequently asked
How are my daily calorie and macro targets calculated?
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation from your age, sex, weight, and height. That figure is multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 sedentary to 1.9 very active) to produce your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your goal then adjusts: fat loss applies a 15-20% deficit, muscle building a 10-15% surplus, maintenance leaves TDEE intact. Protein targets sit between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight depending on your goal, fat covers 25-35% of calories, and carbohydrates fill the balance.
What does the "healthcare score" actually measure for my destination?
The score is a composite of public-system access (waiting times, coverage breadth), private-sector quality (hospital ratings, specialist availability), English-speaking provider density, and out-of-pocket cost for common procedures. It is calibrated for an international resident rather than a tourist or a local national — meaning it weighs the realities most professionals encounter when registering with a system in their first year. It is not equivalent to life expectancy or disease prevalence; those are downstream outcomes shaped by many other factors.
Why does eating healthy cost so differently between cities?
Protein is the single biggest swing factor. The retail price of chicken breast, fresh fish, legumes, and quality supplements varies 3 to 5x across major destinations once you adjust for local purchasing power. Fresh produce follows similar variation tied to local agriculture and import dependencies. Restaurant-vs-cook ratios shift the practical cost too: in cities where eating out is cheap and abundant, the marginal cost of a home-cooked healthy meal is higher than in cities where restaurants are expensive and home cooking is the default.
Is BMI accurate for athletic or non-Western body types?
BMI is a population statistic, not a diagnostic. Muscular athletes are routinely classified as "overweight" or even "obese" by BMI alone, despite low body-fat percentages. East and South Asian populations tend to carry more visceral fat at lower BMI levels than European populations, which is why some health authorities use lower BMI thresholds for those groups. Treat the BMI line in your result as one signal among several — body composition, waist circumference, and metabolic markers all add information that BMI cannot capture.
Should I take supplements that are cheap in one country and expensive in another?
Regulatory differences mean the "same" brand can have different formulations between the EU, the US, the UK, and the Gulf. Price arbitrage is not always worth the customs risk and the shelf-life loss from international shipping. Two supplements where geography matters less: vitamin D (frequently warranted regardless of latitude) and a basic multivitamin if your diet is restricted. For anything more specialized, get tested locally before committing to a regimen.
Is this medical advice?
No. The planner is a comparison and education tool that produces baseline estimates from established formulas and published city data. Your actual nutritional needs depend on medical history, medications, allergies, training load, and many factors a calculator cannot capture. Consult a registered dietitian or physician — ideally a local one once you have arrived — before making major changes to your diet or supplementation.