What are the living expenses in NY?

[Mira_awar]

I really want to go to NY and I am already enrolled in a university that is able to transfer me there. What are the living expenses like?

[Steven_Renteria]

Born and raised in NYC here are some of my living expenses:

-Rent (including internet/cable, gas, and some places require you to pay electric)
-Monthly MetroCard if you will be traveling to work everyday
-High Grocery store cost (I usually resort to using instacart,or amazon fresh)
-Breakfast, lunch, and Diner fund (You can be the person to pack your own food but many of the times during long work weeks you give into just buying lunch since there is millions of places to choose from)
-Phone Bill
-Health Insurance
-Monthly hulu and netfilx subcriptions
-Seamless fund
-late night uber rides
-Most important, going out with friends fund!

I hope this helps!

[Kamilla_Kabibster]

Rent is definitely the biggest expense. You can substantially cut that cost by living with roommates and/or moving out to the Brooklyn or Queens. Other than that, it really depends on your lifestyle. If you don't live close enough to campus to walk or bike, you'll need a monthly pass ($117 right now I believe). Groceries are pretty expensive but if you're willing to wait in line at Trader Joes its pretty cheap and if you don't live in popular parts of Manhattan you can usually find a cheap grocery store in your neighborhood. Dining and going out is definitely a big expense but the amount you spend really depends on the lifestyle you want to have. There's a lot of temptations that will drain your bank account but if you're smart and stick to a budget you should be find. I find that while I spend more money eating/going out than I have at other cities, the smaller spaces tend to make you buy less stuff so you end up saving a lot that way.

[Natalie_Nichols]

I first moved to Brooklyn from the Midwest in 2011. My rent tripled in price. I moved into a collective in Bedstuy which was a gentrifying neighborhood but not yet expensive. I paid $600 a month for a small bedroom. I moved around a lot. I think that the only place you could live for that price would be far outlying neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens like Midwood and Woodside. Also I have noticed that no matter where you live in this city, rent seems to inflate $100 a year. Groceries are severely cheaper in the outlying areas as well. A metro card will cost you $117 a month. Utilities are not that expensive as water is always free.

[tillieeze]

I used to order out all the time, and never cook. Recently I've given those food subscriptions a shot and have been pleasantly pleased. I went from not cooking ever, and spending an amount I am ashamed to post, to cooking a few times a week and reheating leftovers. Today I had the urge to make lemon bars. LEMON. BARS. Unreal.

Water is a necessity just to live, so getting a Brita filter is an inexpensive investment. Since I've saved so much from cooking at home, I have a water subscription of Icelandic Glacial via Amazon. I take a bottle with me to drink as I have a habit of losing those refillable bottles.

Fairway is one of the more inexpensive grocery stores in Manhattan, as is Associated which is available in Brooklyn too.

If you are interested in the cooking subscriptions, I have a few discounts I can send your way.

Hope this helps!