Study Abroad in the United States: Housing & Living Costs

The cost of living varies widely across the United States. For example; the cost of living is generally lower in Idaho than in neighboring Washington. Equally, if you study in Kansas City, Missouri, the cost of living will be lower than in Oakland, California. 

International students in the United States can find themselves in small and large cities. But this section will focus on the cost of living in a major city, Atlanta, Georgia, to allow for budget planning in more expensive places. Do be aware that cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles can have a significantly higher cost of living than elsewhere in the United States.

Some average living costs in Atlanta are:

• Monthly rent (1 bedroom apartment): $1100 *
• Utilities (monthly average): $160 *
• Monthly public transport pass: $95
• Meal (inexpensive restaurant): $14
• Coffee: $4
• Milk (1 liter): $0.80
• Vegetables (1kg): $2
• Eggs (dozen): $2
• Water (1.5 liter): $1.80
• Chicken (1kg): $10
• Wine (bottle): $15
• Bread (loaf): $2.70

* Don’t worry too much about the cost of rent and utilities on that list. Most students in the United States live in dorms. These are known as halls or corridors elsewhere in the world. In the United States, it’s common to share a dorm room. This keeps costs a lot lower and generally means that you’ll only have to make one monthly payment for rent and utilities. 

The average cost of living for one person in Atlanta, excluding rent, is about $1000 a month. 

The range of cities and schools across the United States ensures that there’s somewhere to study that suits most budgets. 

Once you've been studying for nine months on an F visa, you can apply to the Optional Practical Training program. This means that you can earn money whilst studying. Find out more about it here.

A major cost that international students have to consider is healthcare. Unlike in other popular study abroad destinations, like the UK and Germany, there’s no state healthcare in the United States. The entire healthcare system is completely private and is run as a free market.

That means that you’ll need health insurance. With healthcare being a business, the market is pretty busy. You’ll need to carefully look at what plans do and don’t cover. If you have any pre-existing conditions, you’ll also have to declare these. Don’t forget to check if there’s an excess to pay on any plans. It’s best to take out health insurance before you arrive in the United States so that you’re covered from the moment you get there.