Living Expenses Estimates

One of the most common questions incoming students to US have is about the living expenses. Living expenses vary from person to person and the university. Most universities are in small towns and are low on expenses. Though there might be some in the metropolis for which you will have to shell out more bucks for your living. Generally, students spend almost the same amount everywhere but the comforts vary. Students in big city get less comforts for the same amount, while there peers might have a better lifestyle in smaller cities.

In this post, I try to summarize the average living expenses of a student in US universities. Please note that the accuracy of this estimate depends on your lifestyle. I have seen students managing in $400, while some of there peers might be spending $800 in the same city.

The normal expenditure if you live your life normally and not lavishly will be as follows:
* Rents: (Varies according to places including gas, water and electricity) $250 to $350 if you have a roomy sharing room with you. $400 to $500 if you want your own room.
* Phone: $35(family plan) to $50(individual plan) per month
* Insurance: $30 to $50 per month
* Grocery: $75 to $125 per month
* Total: $500 to $600 per month. (Some places, the total amount per month can reach upto $700)

There might be more expenses if you need to buy a car (that's rare, but if you are enrolled in Ph.D. you would like to consider that) or have other typical lifestyle expenses. Also, you might spend some money eating out, shopping and going for trips etc. Most of these expenses should be around $200-$500 for most people. You might also want to save money while shopping for books, electronics, travel etc. by finding some great deals in US.

I would recommend everyone to take care of there expenses. Do keep track of all your spending and make sure you have a budget for it. Budget all your expenses and keep a reserve for emergencies.

Have a pleasant stay in the US!