I’m planning to study in the USA as an international student from India, what would be my average expenses apart from tuition fees?
The expenses can differ for different people. But here are some of the common ones.
| Expense | Explanation | Estimated Cost (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | You can choose off-campus shared housing which will be cost effective than on-campus. The cost is based on 4 people sharing a 2B2B apartment. | $400 - $800 |
| Food and Groceries | This can vastly differ. If you cook in house and be a smart shopper, you can save a lot. | $50 - $150 |
| Transportation | This depends on your university location. Many universities offer bus/train passes which would lower the cost. If you live near university the using a bike (cycle) would be better and reduce this cost to nothing. | $50-$100 (could be zero too) |
| Health Insurance | This is usually included in you university fees if your university wants you to take insurance from them and not outside. | $75 - $300 |
| Books and Supplies | You can save good amount of money here too since most of the assignments are digital and you can even get PDF copies of the books. If you work on-campus where you have access to a printer, you could print the PDF if needed for free. | $50 - $100 (per semester) |
| Utilities | There are many housing apartments where this could be included in the rent. If not then based on quad sharing in 2B2B apartment it will be between 50-100 | $50 - $100 (could be included in rent) |
| Personal Expenses | You can control this based on your habit. Rather than watching movie in theater, eating out every week, opting for luxury apparels, or taking multiple fun trip you can choose cost-effective options. | $100 - $300 (could be much lower or nothing) |
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