The cost of living for international students in the U.S. can be unexpectedly high when starting college. Beyond the standard tuition, housing and food, hidden expenses can quickly add up.
“Having a plan and the resources to manage these expenses can help students participate more fully and alleviate financial stress,” says Nita Kansara, assistant dean for institutional diversity and international students and scholars at Harvey Mudd College in California.
Some colleges and universities provide international students with a little guidance on budgeting for expected costs. For example, American University in Washington, D.C., has a worksheet students can fill out to help, while Rice University in Texas has a list of costs international students can anticipate and a sample template for budget planning.
Having an idea of the cost of living is a good place to start. Cities with the highest costs of living include New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, which range from $2,500 to more than $4,500 per month excluding tuition, according to fintech firm Prodigy Finance. But no matter where students attend college in the U.S., they should expect to spend between an average of $1,000 to more than $2,500 a month beyond tuition, the firm estimates.
[First-Year Tips for International Students at U.S. Colleges]
Hidden or unexpected fees can accumulate quickly. Here’s a look at such costs that international students should plan for.
Unexpected Housing Costs
International students exploring universities in the U.S. may already be informed about the costs of on-campus housing, but off-campus housing can vary widely.
College towns like Indiana University–Bloomington are consistently rated among the best places to live, work and retire in the U.S., says John Wilkerson, the school’s associate vice president for international services.
“This means that there is a high demand for housing that can drive rental prices up to levels you might expect in an urban city center or on the coast,” Wilkerson says.
Experts say when searching for rentals, students should keep in mind that some landlords may require a higher security deposit or months paid up front, since international students do not have a Social Security number that can be run for credit checks.
Shopping, Dining and Entertainment
Students who miss the taste of home may often visit ethnic restaurants and grocery stores for favorite items, and those expenses can quickly accumulate.
“You may need to purchase groceries for food on the weekends or in the evenings when dining services are closed, and if you are cooking food, you will need to purchase your own cookware, utensils, etc.,” says Alecia Mahato, IvyWise college admissions counselor and a former assistant director of admissions at Duke University in North Carolina.
While budgeting for groceries, clothing items may also need to be included since students “may need to purchase clothing which they didn’t need in their home country, such as heavy winter coats, gloves, scarves and hats,” Mahato says.
[Read: Campus Resources for International Students.]
Then there’s leisure activities that college students enjoy, like amusement parks, concerts and movies. The average person in the U.S. spends a median amount of $487 a year on leisure activities, according to a report by Self Financial based on federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Kansara encourages students to “look for student discounts and deals and participate in off-campus events hosted by the college.” She says leisure expenses can become a significant hidden cost if not budgeted for ahead of time.
“We recommend that students prioritize necessary expenses first and treat entertainment as discretionary spending,” Kansara says.
Taxes and Tips
International students should plan to put money aside for tips and taxes, as well.
“Living in California, sales tax is extremely high and the overall culture of America highly encourages a compulsory tip,” says Moyo Oyedeji-Olaniyan, a Nigerian international student at Harvey Mudd.
Only four states have no statewide sales tax: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Alaska has no state sales tax, but local governments may.
Students living in other states should expect to pay a sales tax on items ranging from textbooks to clothing to food. Kansara says her office typically advises students to budget an extra 30% “just to be safe.”
And when ordering beverages and food, students will be expected to tip.
“Tipping culture is consistently one of the things that is most surprising to international students,” Wilkerson says. He notes that tipping is not a custom in much of the world and adds that “many cultures from which our students come consider tipping offensive.”
Oyedeji-Olaniyan says she was initially not used to tipping, but “had to learn that here leaving a tip is a sign of respect and value that seems to be expected irrespective of the quality of service itself.”
Experts say it’s customary to tip 18% to 20% for restaurant servers, with gratuities also common for services like taxi rides, food delivery and salon treatments.
[Read: International Student Services at U.S. Colleges: What to Know]
Travel and Transportation
Winter, spring and summer breaks are a good time to travel home or sightsee, which also requires early planning and budgeting.
Experts advise students to book flights early rather than last minute to save money, and to be flexible with travel dates and times to save more money. Apart from buying your ticket, Oyedeji-Olaniyan says, you “must also pay for commuting fares, luggage charges, food during your journey and accommodation costs.”
When you’re not traveling, getting around town every day can mean taking advantage of buses, trains, taxis, Uber, Lyft and other available transportation — all of which cost.
“The biggest hidden cost for transportation is that the United States has a relatively small public transit infrastructure compared to other countries,” Wilkerson says. He says some schools, like IU, have free service to get students around college campus, “but you may have to pay for private transport to go between cities.”
Most colleges provide information on the their website about transportation options and potential costs for students. For example, the University of California system projects personal transportation for the 2025-2026 school year to cost $3,200 for on-campus students and $4,100 for off-campus students.
Depending on where you attend college, you may need to buy a car, Mahato says, which “will require additional expenses such as paying for car insurance, registration, general maintenance and gas.”
Experts say taking some time to budget early can help students handle the most common hidden expenses with ease. It’s also wise to find out about and take advantage of student discounts.
“Obviously, there will be other personal expenses that will come up along the way as international students adjust to life in the U.S.,” Mahato says.
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Hidden Costs for International Students in the U.S. originally appeared on usnews.com
