Cost Of Living In USA For Students In 2025

The cost of living in USA and living expenses for international students will range from modest to high, depending on the city, area and the lifestyle you choose to live while studying in this country. 

If you stay in major cities like New York, LA, etc., then this will be in the expensive range.

While mid-range cities like Denver, Atlanta, etc., will offer mid-range expenses.

And small cities or rural areas will offer affordable living and lifestyle expenses.

Is the USA a student city? 

The USA is home to many top-class universities in the world. Based on the results of the QS Best Student Cities, these are the top 5 places to study in the US: Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles.  

According to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Open Doors report (2021-22), there were approximately 914,095 international students enrolled in many universities across the country.  

Is USA expensive for international students?

United States is an expensive country with the cost-of-living costing between $1,000 to $2,000 per month, including student rent in usa, travel, food and other usa living expense. This will not include your tuition fee in usa.    

For more personalized information, use our cost of living calculator to estimate your desired area’s average cost of living in usa for indian students in 2024-2025. 

Please remember that usa living cost will depend on your lifestyle.  

Before we list the details of the monthly expenses in usa let’s summarize its cost. 

Is it expensive to study in USA?

It is an expensive place to study abroad as the tuition fees are slightly higher than in other countries. There are many public and private universities in USA to choose from, offering UG and PG programs. They teach in English.  The cost of tuition fees in public universities will differ from those of private ones. Therefore, the fee will depend on the program, course, and university you choose to study. Below is only an average amount given for UG and PG program fees; please check in with your university for the same.   

How much is student rent in USA?

The cost of student accommodation in USA will depend upon the type of accommodation. There are many student housing in USA that offer student apartments in USA.   

Student Housing

Student housing in USA is a great way of living for students. It is off-campus accommodation located close to the university campus, offers furnished apartments equipped with modern amenities and inclusive of utility bills.   

Most of the accommodation is under 3 miles. While the ones outside of the city center are up to 20 miles. 

Private Apartment 

In this type of student accommodation, you can opt for a single private apartment or a multi-occupancy apartment (shared student apartment in the USA). Most students opt for this due to the availability of some personal space and privacy! 

What is the average food cost in USA?  

The cost of food in USA will depend on your lifestyle, eating, and spending habits. Eating and drinking in USA is a lot cheaper than you can imagine! So, if you want to eat three times meals outside, it will cost you around $15-30  /per person. There’s also a cheaper way of saving money on food. With the student apartments in usa having furnished kitchens, you can cook meals at home.     

What is the cost of electricity in USA?  

Student accommodation in USA comes with an inclusive bill for electricity including Wi-Fi, Water, Electricity, Air Conditioner, Gas etc.  

How to get around USA? 

The best and cheapest way to get around the USA is the Urban Rail Systems: Subways and Metro; Light Rail and Streetcars. The buses comprise of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT); Intercity Buses; Trains and other modes of transportation.  

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