My family of 7 moved from a 6-bedroom home in Salt Lake City to a 3-bedroom apartment in NYC. Our cost of living went up, but it's worth it.

Maren Droubay and her family moved from Utah to New York.

Maren Droubay

• Maren Droubay moved from Salt Lake City to New York City with her husband and five kids.
• They sold their six-bedroom house and moved into a three-bedroom apartment.
• Droubay said her family's housing costs doubled, but their New York life is a dream come true.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maren Droubay, a 32-year-old who moved from Salt Lake City to New York City with her family.