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dafrk3in · 2007 March 3rd, 12:39 AM

Hello. Can any current phd students tell us how much it costs to live in certain places (for, say, a semester)? I would appreciate it.

stupidolive · 2007 March 3rd, 12:41 AM

yeah, that sounds like a good question to ask

asquare · 2007 March 3rd, 12:49 AM

In Ann Arbor, MI:

$650-800 rent/month (for a one bedroom; you can pay less by living with a roommate, the upper end of that range should include most utilities. Having heating included is nice since it's cold here.)

It's hard to say for food, since people have such different patterns (eating out, cooking, etc.) If you get lunch out, it will cost you about $6.

Car insurance is on the expensive side here. Depends on your car and driving record, but assume that you'll pay more here than what you are paying now, unless you live in CA or NJ.

Comcast will rip you off for cable/internet to the tune of about $60/month, and you probably want to factor in a cell phone, which is about the same here as anywhere else...

Bottom line is that grad students get about $14,500 stipend for being TAs. That covers 8 months (our summer break includes all of May through August, and funding for that comes from other sources). You can live on it, but don't expect to save or splurge very often. The up side is that everyone else you'll know is broke, too

Dunny · 2007 March 3rd, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dafrk3in

Hello. Can any current phd students tell us how much it costs to live in certain places (for, say, a semester)? I would appreciate it.

dafrk3in- I know you're not a phd student, but do you have any knowledge of how Tempe is to live?

I'm in Boston right now, and last year I got a decent 3-bedroom apartment for $1500/month plus electric and cable (split among 3 people). I got by on about $750-850/month for food, bills, cable, etc. You can find plenty of good Boston apartments for around $500/month if you look early enough. The most expensive part of the city is the night life. Finding dollar draft nights is a must!

Corneconomics · 2007 March 3rd, 03:24 AM

Cornell in Ithaca, NY (~$20k fellowship with expenses at ~$1.2k per month) - Rent - $935 for 2 bedroom, I've heard anything from $500 to $1000 for one, winter utilities can get high (~$150) depending on insulation (get that plastic wrap stuff for the windows), but we haven't had to pay that much. Our average utilities has been $94, but I think we've had some electric problems that have cost us.
Travel - If you want to get anywhere cheap, you have to drive 2:45 hours to Buffalo or Albany to fly. Other mid-sized airports are in Syracuse and Rochester, around one hour away. It costs ~$120 to fly round trip to Chicago from Buffalo.
Gas and Groceries can be about 2-3% higher than in a place like Syracuse since we aren't on a major interstate route for shipping ease. Right now its like $2.40 a gallon. In general, though, groceries are a lot cheaper than in a place like Chicago, although fruits and vegetables are more (except for NY apples).
NY car insurance ~$500 a year for minimum coverage.

What you save in rent here you spend if you try to fly out of the Ithaca airport. As long as you don't fly much or are willing to drive a bit first, you'll make more than you have time to spend.

dafrk3in · 2007 March 3rd, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunny

dafrk3in- I know you're not a phd student, but do you have any knowledge of how Tempe is to live?

I'm in Boston right now, and last year I got a decent 3-bedroom apartment for $1500/month plus electric and cable (split among 3 people). I got by on about $750-850/month for food, bills, cable, etc. You can find plenty of good Boston apartments for around $500/month if you look early enough. The most expensive part of the city is the night life. Finding dollar draft nights is a must!

asu is huge, so there are a ton of apartment complexes very close to campus, and you can find some good places that are reasonably priced.

dafrk3in · 2007 March 3rd, 04:22 PM

I talked to a friend of mine last night who lived about a mile away from campus. He and a roomate paid about 350/month after utilities, etc. I don't think that includes cable/internet, but Tempe has free wireless internet, and ASU has a huge wireless network.

shootermcgavin7 · 2007 March 3rd, 04:58 PM

Urbana/Champaign likewise is relatively inexpensive.

It helps if you enjoy corn, however.

Antichron · 2007 March 3rd, 05:09 PM

I pay 1000 a month for my half of the rent of my two bedroom apartment. I think my apartment is more expensive than most in the area around MIT, and it is certainly more expensive than the graduate student housing. The main advantage of it is that it is only a couple hundred feet away from the economics department. (I'm thinking of recruiting some undergrads to build a zip line that will take me directly from my bedroom window to class.)

The internet deals out here are decent (Comcast: 30-40 bucks a month for cable). Gas and electricity runs about 50 bucks a month, and heating is free. By "free," of course, I mean, "included in the rent." I don't know how expensive car insurance is in Cambridge, but cars aren't really necessary given the public transportation system. (And Peapod.com.) A "T-Pass" is around 40 bucks a month, I think, and it allows for unlimited travel on the subway. I prefer the pay-as-you-go system, though, since it gets the margins right and doesn't cost me more than 25 bucks a month.

Stuy · 2007 March 3rd, 05:24 PM

The rent is 900/month for a 2 bedroom. It includes gas, electricity & water. You dont live in Manhattan for this price, obviously subsidized by NYU. I dont have a very clear picture of other expenses but, food in NY is expensive. We go walking to washington square but there are free shuttles, so transport 0. And in first year money for entertainment is close to zero.

2007 March 3rd, 12:39 AM	#1 (permalink)
dafrk3in Within my grasp! Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 310	Can current grad students give cost of living numbers? Hello. Can any current phd students tell us how much it costs to live in certain places (for, say, a semester)? I would appreciate it. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Attending ASU in the fall (as a 2nd year student)

2007 March 3rd, 03:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
Corneconomics Eager! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 82	Cornell in Ithaca, NY (~$20k fellowship with expenses at ~$1.2k per month) - Rent - $935 for 2 bedroom, I've heard anything from $500 to $1000 for one, winter utilities can get high (~$150) depending on insulation (get that plastic wrap stuff for the windows), but we haven't had to pay that much. Our average utilities has been $94, but I think we've had some electric problems that have cost us. Travel - If you want to get anywhere cheap, you have to drive 2:45 hours to Buffalo or Albany to fly. Other mid-sized airports are in Syracuse and Rochester, around one hour away. It costs ~$120 to fly round trip to Chicago from Buffalo. Gas and Groceries can be about 2-3% higher than in a place like Syracuse since we aren't on a major interstate route for shipping ease. Right now its like $2.40 a gallon. In general, though, groceries are a lot cheaper than in a place like Chicago, although fruits and vegetables are more (except for NY apples). NY car insurance ~$500 a year for minimum coverage. What you save in rent here you spend if you try to fly out of the Ithaca airport. As long as you don't fly much or are willing to drive a bit first, you'll make more than you have time to spend. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ First year graduate student in economics at Cornell in Ithaca, NY. Occasional author of an occasionally dissenting blog, Corneconomics. Student of (generally) development and game theory.

2007 March 3rd, 04:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
dafrk3in Within my grasp! Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 310	I talked to a friend of mine last night who lived about a mile away from campus. He and a roomate paid about 350/month after utilities, etc. I don't think that includes cable/internet, but Tempe has free wireless internet, and ASU has a huge wireless network. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Attending ASU in the fall (as a 2nd year student)

2007 March 3rd, 05:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
Antichron TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 635	I pay 1000 a month for my half of the rent of my two bedroom apartment. I think my apartment is more expensive than most in the area around MIT, and it is certainly more expensive than the graduate student housing. The main advantage of it is that it is only a couple hundred feet away from the economics department. (I'm thinking of recruiting some undergrads to build a zip line that will take me directly from my bedroom window to class.) The internet deals out here are decent (Comcast: 30-40 bucks a month for cable). Gas and electricity runs about 50 bucks a month, and heating is free. By "free," of course, I mean, "included in the rent." I don't know how expensive car insurance is in Cambridge, but cars aren't really necessary given the public transportation system. (And Peapod.com.) A "T-Pass" is around 40 bucks a month, I think, and it allows for unlimited travel on the subway. I prefer the pay-as-you-go system, though, since it gets the margins right and doesn't cost me more than 25 bucks a month. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ MIT Economics, class of 2011

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2007 March 3rd, 12:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
stupidolive aja aja fighting Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 464	yeah, that sounds like a good question to ask

2007 March 3rd, 12:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
asquare TestMagic Guru Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,725	In Ann Arbor, MI: $650-800 rent/month (for a one bedroom; you can pay less by living with a roommate, the upper end of that range should include most utilities. Having heating included is nice since it's cold here.) It's hard to say for food, since people have such different patterns (eating out, cooking, etc.) If you get lunch out, it will cost you about $6. Car insurance is on the expensive side here. Depends on your car and driving record, but assume that you'll pay more here than what you are paying now, unless you live in CA or NJ. Comcast will rip you off for cable/internet to the tune of about $60/month, and you probably want to factor in a cell phone, which is about the same here as anywhere else... Bottom line is that grad students get about $14,500 stipend for being TAs. That covers 8 months (our summer break includes all of May through August, and funding for that comes from other sources). You can live on it, but don't expect to save or splurge very often. The up side is that everyone else you'll know is broke, too

2007 March 3rd, 04:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
shootermcgavin7 TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 571	Urbana/Champaign likewise is relatively inexpensive. It helps if you enjoy corn, however.

2007 March 3rd, 05:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
Stuy Within my grasp! Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 170	The rent is 900/month for a 2 bedroom. It includes gas, electricity & water. You dont live in Manhattan for this price, obviously subsidized by NYU. I dont have a very clear picture of other expenses but, food in NY is expensive. We go walking to washington square but there are free shuttles, so transport 0. And in first year money for entertainment is close to zero.

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