USA Cost of Living Calculator
Build a monthly and yearly student budget for studying in the United States, including the lines American universities bill separately.
Fill in what each line costs where you are studying. The calculator totals your month, multiplies it out over a year, and shows what is left once your income is counted. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Where to get the figures#
- Your university publishes most of this. The cost of attendance on the financial aid pages, and the figures behind your I-20, are the institution's own estimate for its city. Start there and adjust.
- On campus or off changes the shape of the budget: a dorm and meal plan are usually billed by semester, while a lease is monthly with utilities on top. If yours is billed per semester, divide it across the months it covers.
- Health insurance is normally required, and many universities enrol you in their own plan and bill it unless you get a waiver approved with comparable cover. Treat it as a fixed cost, not an optional one.
- Transport varies from a campus shuttle that costs nothing to a car with insurance and parking.
Costs that are not monthly#
Keep these out of the monthly figure and budget for them once: tuition and university fees, the SEVIS fee and visa application, your flight, a security deposit, and setting up a room. Note too that work on an F-1 visa is limited, so be careful about counting on a job to close a gap.
Why it starts empty#
Costs differ enormously between a college town and a coastal city, and they move each year. A number filled in for you would be wrong more often than right, so the figures should come from your own offer and city.