Housing in the US

If you are looking to study in the US, you have to consider the living expenses. Prices vary from city to city and the neighborhood you decide on plays a factor as well. Below you will find examples of housing costs in American cities.

Living expenses in New York City are high even by Danish standards. Housing is particularly expensive and renting something on your own may not be an option. To find something that falls within the typical student’s budget limitations you should expect a 30-minute commute to Downtown/Midtown Manhattan. For instance, expect to pay upwards of 3500 USD for a studio apartment if you want to live near NYU’s Washington Square Park campus in Greenwich Village. If you would like your rent money to go a little further, look towards Upper Manhattan (e.g. Harlem, Washington Heights) or cheaper neighborhoods in the other boroughs – e.g. Astoria, Queens where a 2-bedroom apartment might cost around 2500 USD. The Columbia Grad School of Arts and Sciences campus is conveniently located in Morningside Heights in Upper Manhattan which is a relatively affordable neighborhood with lots of students.

Chicago is similar to other major US cities with living expenses higher than the US average. Housing is expensive, but most students choose to live in Hyde Park where the Department of Physical Sciences is located. Hyde Park is an affordable though not cheap neighborhood in the southern part of Chicago with lots of life and culture. If you are looking to rent a place of your own in Hyde Park, expect to pay anywhere from 700-1500 USD for a studio to 1800-2500 USD for a two-bedroom. If you want to live closer to central Chicago, expect rents to rise accordingly.

Pittsburgh is an affordable city with lower living expenses compared to both Denmark and larger US cities. It is possible to find fairly-priced accommodations relatively close to the university campus in Oakland, e.g. a 2-bedroom shareable apartment in North Oakland might cost around 1500 USD.

The Bay Area is home to some of the leading universities in the nation, including UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UC San Francisco, but unfortunately, the area also comes with a hefty price tag. San Francisco is particularly expensive and is continuously ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the US (and in the world). A one-bedroom apartment is going to cost you at least 3000 USD, and you might have to spend 1500 USD on a private room in a shared apartment. Luckily commuting from the surrounding areas is easy and affordable. The neighboring cities of Berkeley and Oakland attract a young crowd and are popular with students because of the slightly lower rental rates and lively atmosphere and not least because of the easy access to the UC Berkeley campus and downtown San Francisco. With BART you can get from Oakland to the UCSF campus in 20 minutes or the UC Berkeley campus in 15 minutes. Expect to pay approx. 1000 USD for a private room in Berkeley, while Oakland is slightly cheaper. Other areas worth looking into are Richmond and El Cerrito which are just north of Berkeley.

Los Angeles and San Diego are right behind San Francisco when it comes to housing costs. In both cities, you should expect to pay at least 2000 USD for a studio or one-bedroom apartment and approx. 1000-1500 USD for a private room. The UCLA campus is located in the western part of LA in close proximity to iconic, but expensive neighborhoods and places such as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. Other more affordable neighborhoods include Palms and Culver City. Public transportation in LA is generally cheaper than in Denmark, though it is not convenient for long distances. The UC San Diego campus is located in La Jolla north of San Diego and subletting a room close to campus is going to cost you approx. 1000 USD.

Davis, which is home to UC Davis, is a smaller city southwest of Sacramento. Davis is considerably cheaper than major Californian cities, and you should be able to find decent accommodation without stretching your budget too much, e.g., a private room for approx. 500 USD.