According to my calculations, living in the U.S. actually turns out cheaper—or about the same—as living back home. My state is the second most affordable in the U.S., which makes me super happy. Still, by the rules of my program, I need to have a steady $400 a month.
As for expenses, I only pay for my personal stuff: snacks (my host family doesn’t eat them), tickets to museums and exhibitions, clothes, gifts for friends. If we stay in a hotel, we split the cost evenly. When I go out with friends, we usually pay 50/50—or sometimes they cover me! And when I try to give them money back, they just say, “That’s what friends are for, don’t worry.” Moments like that remind me of home, where we literally argued over every single coin 😂
All food is covered by my host parents. At school I eat for free, too. But I know some exchange students who had to pay for school meals. By the way, my host family doesn’t get ANY money for hosting me—it’s 100% volunteer work. Many people back home couldn’t believe that, but honestly, it’s just the American mentality.
The biggest things I’ve spent on were fixing my phone ($300) and buying AirPods Pro ($250). Services in the U.S. are really pricey, so my tip—fix your phone and get your beauty stuff done before coming here! On top of that, I’ve spent about $200 on random personal things.
So yeah, I’m proud that I’m such a budget-friendly exchange student even in America 🥳 (Like, seriously, am I supposed to get my nails done here for $70??) 🤔
Try it yourself—become an exchange student and see what your American budget would look like!