Cost of USMLE Journey In 2023| Cost of Living for International Students in USA

 

 Living Expenses for International Students in the United States! The Price of Taking the USMLE!

When deciding whether or not to pursue research or residency in the United States, one of the most important issues for students is the cost of living in that country. In this post, we will discuss the various facets of the USMLE journey as well as the expense of living in the United States for overseas students and graduates of medical programs. When looking for volunteer research opportunities or clinical rotations in the United States, it is important to keep these fees in mind.

Rent

The majority of your monthly budget will go toward paying rent, and the amount you pay will vary depending on the city in which you live, the location of the house or apartment within the city, and whether or not you would want to live alone or with roommates. For instance, the cost of a room in a shared home in Rochester, Minnesota, can be as low as $500 per month, while the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Boston might reach upwards of $3000 per month. If you want to keep more of the money you earn, you might consider living with roommates or renting a room in a house rather than purchasing your own apartment. In most cases, educational institutions provide either a list of individuals who rent or a Google sheet for individuals who are looking for roommates.

The following cities in the United States have general rent prices that have been reported by tenants, with the average rent price in the United States being $1,249 per month:



What contributes to the increase in monthly rent:

Being on one's own (1-bedroom apartment)
Living in areas of the city that are very fashionable or in high demand
Those who are residents of more metropolitan, densely populated locations, as well as those who are located on the West Coast, the East Coast, or the Northwest,
$1,500–$3,000 per month in Boston, Massachusetts and Miami, Florida respectively.
New York City, New York, and Washington, District of Columbia: $1,700–3,000 per month
San Francisco, CA: $2,200-4,000 per month

What makes rent less expensive:

Living in close quarters with other people (2 or more bedrooms)
Those who are located in more rural or suburban locations, as well as those in the Midwest and the South.
$1,100–$2,000 per month in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Detroit, MI: $1,000-1,800 per month
Monthly costs of $1,000-1,800 in Dallas, Texas, and Houston, Texas respectively
$1,300–2,500 in Chicago, Illinois



Renting is almost always preferable to purchasing a home, unless you intend to remain in the same location for more than four to five years. Buying a condo or house is an investment that will only be profitable in the long run and will come with its own unique set of additional responsibilities and work. For instance, the majority of apartment landlords are responsible for any maintenance repairs that may become necessary while you are a tenant in their building. If, on the other hand, you own your own property and your washing machine breaks down, you are fully responsible for replacing it and the associated expenditures.

Tools such as Apartments.com, Zillow, Facebook Marketplace, and even Craigslist may help you investigate all of your available possibilities and get a sense of the price range that is appropriate for what it is that you desire.

It is best practice to begin looking for apartments approximately two months before relocating and to sign a lease for a new location approximately one month before moving in order to maximize your chances of finding something suitable. In addition, the majority of flats need evidence of renters' insurance, the cost of which can range anywhere from $10 to $30 per month. You can get renters insurance through the apartment complex that you're renting from in some cases, but you also have the option to buy your own insurance from a different provider.

In addition to the rent, your landlord should list the following fees for the common utilities in the lease contract for your property:

Electricity: $50 to $100 per month This might climb to up to $150 per month if your air conditioner is powered by electricity.
Internet- $45-$50/mo
The cost of water, sewer, and trash removal is typically borne by the landlord, but it might be as much as $15 per month.
ESTIMATED UTILITIES The total cost is $165 per month.

Food

If you want to prepare your own meals, it will cost you between $300 and $500 per month in groceries. However, if you choose to eat in restaurants, your expenses will be significantly more. The price of food does not vary greatly from city to city. A lunch at a fast food restaurant can cost anywhere from $7 to $15, while the same meal in a restaurant can cost anywhere from $15 to $30. Naturally, you may discover selections that are even more expensive, with some meals costing over one hundred dollars at upscale places.

You may get a broad notion of how much groceries cost in relation to location by looking at the graph that follows, which compares the price of one gallon of 2% milk in various cities around the United States.

Information taken from the 2019 report on retail milk prices published by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The following are some of the locations that are known to have the lowest prices on groceries:

Walmart Trader Joe's Aldi H-E-B

A person living in Houston, Texas might spend about $400 per month on food, which includes purchasing the components for a new recipe each week in addition to the essentials. Investing in a good cookbook and making an effort to broaden your culinary horizons are both excellent ways to cut costs and resist the urge to eat out. It is also helpful to give oneself a predetermined budget for the "weekend," such as $50, which can be spent on a meal and/or drinks. ESTIMATED TOTAL COST FOR FOOD: $450/mo.

Commuting

This will be determined by a number of factors, including whether or not you live in close proximity to your place of employment and whether or not the city provides reliable public transit. If the city offers reliable public transportation, the cost will be in the range of $70 to $150 per month. You can see a comparison of the monthly costs of using public transportation in the cities in the United States with the highest number of commuters in the graph that follows.

You might decide that living within walking distance of the hospital is the best option. However, locations in close proximity to major hospitals tend to be more expensive. When looking for a new area to live, the "public transport" option on Google Maps will figure out which combination of walking, taking the bus, and taking the metro will get you to work each morning the quickest. When looking for apartments, this is a helpful tool to use to get an idea of what your commute would be like from each potential location.

Google.com/maps

Consider the following expenses, regardless of whether you decide to buy or rent a vehicle:

The cost of purchasing a reliable pre-owned automobile might range anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000.
Insurance: $1,592 per year (may be as high as $2,000 per year if you do not have a history of safe driving in the United States)
If you travel less than 12,000 miles per year, your annual fuel costs are approximately $1,344.
Cost of upkeep and tires: $914 per year
The annual cost of licensing, registering, and paying taxes is $668.
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST FOR VEHICLE: $4,518/yr

A fantastic alternative to commuting through public transit is to get an apartment close to the place where you will be working and bike there. It is good to be able to travel to work without being delayed by traffic or having to rely on public transportation, and doing so can provide an opportunity to get some exercise even when you are quite busy. You can protect yourself from the rain by donning a poncho.

Meetings

If you are working in an unpaid role, it is possible that your mentor will not be able to pay for your travel expenses to attend scientific events. These meetings provide you with the opportunity to broaden your professional network within the industry. The registration fees (which are often discounted for students), airfare, and accommodation costs will determine the total cost of attending these sessions. In most cases, somewhere between $750 and $1500 for each gathering.

General costs

In order to keep a good quality of life outside of school, it is essential to set aside some money to spend on items such as clothing, enjoyable activities, a cell phone (costing $30–60 per month), and other similar things. The following are some examples of typical monthly costs:

Netflix: $9/mo
Students may get Spotify for $5 per month, which also includes Hulu and SHOWTIME.
Apple Music costs $5 per month for students.
Amazon Prime: $13/mo

In general, the expense of spending a year in the United States without holding a paid position (for the purpose of conducting research, completing clinical rotations, or attending school) can be anywhere from $12,000 to $40,000. You need to take into consideration the fact that if you are on a J1 visa, you will not be able to hold a job outside of your study and hence will not have a source of income. Your aircraft tickets to and from the United States, which can easily cost several thousand dollars, are another expense that must be taken into consideration. Make sure you enjoy yourself and put some thought into the preparations you make.