USA Guide
Cost of living in the US varies enormously by city and region. A budget that works in a smaller Midwestern city can be unrealistic in New York or San Francisco, so plan around your actual destination rather than national averages alone.
Rent is typically the largest monthly expense and varies sharply by city. Large coastal cities such as New York, San Francisco and Boston have some of the highest rents in the country, while many cities in the Midwest and South are considerably more affordable. Shared housing or a roommate arrangement is common for newcomers in the first year to reduce this cost while settling in.
The US does not have universal free healthcare, and medical costs without insurance can be extremely high, even for routine visits. If your employer or school does not automatically enroll you, arrange health insurance as soon as possible after arrival, since gaps in coverage are risky. International students often have a mandatory university health plan; workers usually get employer-sponsored insurance after a waiting period.
Grocery costs depend heavily on where and how you shop, with significant savings available at discount grocery chains compared to smaller convenience stores. Transport costs depend on whether your city has reliable public transport; car-dependent cities add costs for a vehicle, insurance, parking and fuel, while cities with strong transit systems can keep commuting costs much lower.
Common questions
A common guideline is to keep rent around 30 percent of gross income, though in expensive cities many renters spend more, especially in the first year. Sharing housing with roommates is a common way newcomers manage high-rent cities while building savings and credit history.
There is no longer a federal penalty for not having health insurance, but going without it is financially risky given high medical costs, and some states apply their own requirements. Employers, schools and marketplace plans are the most common ways new arrivals get covered.
Cities in the Midwest and parts of the South, such as smaller metro areas in Texas, Ohio and the Carolinas, are generally more affordable than coastal hubs like New York, San Francisco or Boston. Affordability should be weighed against job availability and community support in your specific field.
