The estimate given for my university to live in Berlin and Goettingen seems much higher than I would have anticipated. They estimate that, for Berlin, it will cost 3840 USD (2492 euros), for approximately a 4 month stay for room and board, and they estimate another 1880 (1220 euros) for other expenses.
For Goettingen, they estimate 14340 USD (9305) for room and board for a 12 month period, and another 4590 (2978) for other expenses. Is food really so expensive? How much do people usually spend on food a month? I know it varies a lot by a person's habits, but for the average college student who is not so extravagant?
Also, the budget worksheet emphasizes that this is a minimum estimate. I suspect that maybe they make such high estimates and then say it is a minimum is because they don't want students to wander over to a different country without enough money...that, or I'm completely missing something here, and I'm crazy.
Is it really this expensive? They say that for Goettingen our rooms will cost about 150 euros, though I don't know if this is cold or warm. I don't really understand how the program can say that the room only costs 150 euros, and then in the same breath say that it will cost a total of 14340, unless people are spending close to 1000 USD on food a month.
If it's important, the worksheets can be found here:
http://eap.ucop.edu/eap/country/germany/bu...sdam-spring.pdf
http://eap.ucop.edu/eap/country/germany/bu...re-ilp-year.pdf
http://eap.ucop.edu/eap/forms/0809/germany...ptions_0809.pdf
Tell me I am not insane.
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Cost of living in Germany
Estimate from my university seems too high
it depends a lot on your habits, but I spend around 200-300 euros a month on food, a room in a student residence in Munich is around 250-350 eur (everything included), public transport is 40 eur a month and health insurance 60 eur, so I pay around 700 euro a month minimum. But then Munich is really expensive and living in a city like Göttingen or Berlin might be significantly cheaper.
You probably want to do some traveling and having fun instead of sitting at home saving money, so a minimum of 1000 eur / month seems like a sensible estimation to me.
There are several existing topics about cost of living, http://www.toytowngermany.com/search/
You probably want to do some traveling and having fun instead of sitting at home saving money, so a minimum of 1000 eur / month seems like a sensible estimation to me.
There are several existing topics about cost of living, http://www.toytowngermany.com/search/
The estimates you mention seem high to me, too, but it is better to give people figures that are on the safe side.
To give you an idea – from a different, non-student context – what living on little money, or better: on the breadline, in Germany means: A single person on welfare gets (in addition to rent and heating subsidies) exactly 347 € per month for food and all additional costs. There is a lot of criticism about that, and welfare organisations calculate that the real minimum subsistance level is almost 1,000 € per month. This isn't accurate either, though, as living costs vary considerably throughout Germany.
In your case, how much you'll spend depends for a large part on the kind of accommodation you choose. A room in a dormitory operated by the Studentenwerk is probably the cheapest option. Does the program secure a place in a dormitory? Otherwise, it is advisable to apply for a room ASAP. If you prefer a shared flat, it is not a good idea to wait with the search until shortly before the semester starts. There is a wider choice of rooms at the end of Vorlesungszeit, e.g. now mid July, the end of summer term.
There are other variables to the total living cost, for instance how much you need to spend on textbooks which can be very expensive if not bought secondhand. The estimates from the program you are considering probably also took into account a travel budget – because that's what foreign students come here for, to get to know the country/Europe.
To give you an idea – from a different, non-student context – what living on little money, or better: on the breadline, in Germany means: A single person on welfare gets (in addition to rent and heating subsidies) exactly 347 € per month for food and all additional costs. There is a lot of criticism about that, and welfare organisations calculate that the real minimum subsistance level is almost 1,000 € per month. This isn't accurate either, though, as living costs vary considerably throughout Germany.
In your case, how much you'll spend depends for a large part on the kind of accommodation you choose. A room in a dormitory operated by the Studentenwerk is probably the cheapest option. Does the program secure a place in a dormitory? Otherwise, it is advisable to apply for a room ASAP. If you prefer a shared flat, it is not a good idea to wait with the search until shortly before the semester starts. There is a wider choice of rooms at the end of Vorlesungszeit, e.g. now mid July, the end of summer term.
There are other variables to the total living cost, for instance how much you need to spend on textbooks which can be very expensive if not bought secondhand. The estimates from the program you are considering probably also took into account a travel budget – because that's what foreign students come here for, to get to know the country/Europe.
Well, "room and meals" for Göttigen is given at $11,650. On current exchange rate, that's 7,550 Euro.
Stuff that i'd include in that are:
Bare room costs 150 -> 1,800 per year, 5,850 remaining
Utilities are 50-70 minimum -> 720 per year, 5,150 remaining
Food around 7-8 per day minimum, 225 per month -> 2700 per year, 2,550 remaining
Some basic other daily stuff around 2-3 per day minimum, 75 per month -> 900 per year, 1,650 remaining
Dunno what they're doing with the 1,650 left over. Deposit down, and you're at around 1,500 per year, 125 per month.
Of course the above food is calculated based on cooking yourself, and not eating out at all. Include ordering a pizza once per week, and you're down to 90-100 Euro. Buy bottled water for drinking (in addition to whatever other amenities) and you're down to 60-70. Splurge a bit on heating during the winter, and you're easily down to 30-40 left per month over the entire year. One beer per day maybe?
Stuff that i'd include in that are:
Bare room costs 150 -> 1,800 per year, 5,850 remaining
Utilities are 50-70 minimum -> 720 per year, 5,150 remaining
Food around 7-8 per day minimum, 225 per month -> 2700 per year, 2,550 remaining
Some basic other daily stuff around 2-3 per day minimum, 75 per month -> 900 per year, 1,650 remaining
Dunno what they're doing with the 1,650 left over. Deposit down, and you're at around 1,500 per year, 125 per month.
Of course the above food is calculated based on cooking yourself, and not eating out at all. Include ordering a pizza once per week, and you're down to 90-100 Euro. Buy bottled water for drinking (in addition to whatever other amenities) and you're down to 60-70. Splurge a bit on heating during the winter, and you're easily down to 30-40 left per month over the entire year. One beer per day maybe?
Ah, I should probably also mention that my parents pay for my room and board (rent and food). Everything else - tuition, books, health insurance, traveling expenses, etc - I pay. So I guess I am just a little concerned because I need to be able to estimate a reasonable amount of money I can ask my parents for a month. In the US, I typically ask them for about 6,500 euros a year, and I somehow figure out the other 10,000 euros or so by myself...I am hoping to be a little less dependent on them.
As some kind of orientation on food... uni cafeteria prices in Göttingen run relatively cheap, 2-3 Euro per meal. Typically, you'll have to add twice that to get over the entire day if you're living cheap. Warm dinner? Then make it 9-10 Euro per day minimum.
Hmm, Kato...I sort of suspect that they have included the price of utilities on the housing sheet, which is why they say that it is approximate, rather than giving an explicit number. And there is also the 820 euros that they estimate for another portion of the program! Which seems like, all in all, a lot of money left over.
I suppose that if I were to say I spend 10 euros a day on food, and then 180 euros for the most expensive room I am likely to live in (given my options), and, just to be safe (because no one really tells us anything, or seems to know very much - makes it more of an adventure?), 70 euros a month on utilities, and then multiply that by 12, then it is 6600 euros, or 10,150 USD, which is what they currently give me anyway. Ahh...I should try to convince them that I am the best daughter ever...
I suppose that if I were to say I spend 10 euros a day on food, and then 180 euros for the most expensive room I am likely to live in (given my options), and, just to be safe (because no one really tells us anything, or seems to know very much - makes it more of an adventure?), 70 euros a month on utilities, and then multiply that by 12, then it is 6600 euros, or 10,150 USD, which is what they currently give me anyway. Ahh...I should try to convince them that I am the best daughter ever...
Ah kato, you keep on preempting me =) I suppose 10 is a good estimate then...I actually care little about food anyway, or sleep, or those other pesky things our bodies seem to be so worried about.
I suppose it depends in which part of the counrty you live, but me and my finace only spend about 240 euro a month on food for both of us.
Yeah, depends a lot. Mostly on other stuff though, that is whether you cook yourself, just how far you can stock your fridge (and in a dorm, that's next to zero often), whether you eat (a lot of) meat, whether you buy quality occasionally instead of discounter stuff and such.
And of course you always save some money when buying stuff sized for multiple persons.
And of course you always save some money when buying stuff sized for multiple persons.
Göttingen = Univ city. So, it shouldnt be that high. I am from Aachen. There have been times when i could happily live off with 350€ per month (i was putup in a Student hostel) and there have been times (mostly of lately have been spending a lot) when even with 600€ i am just able to make both ends meet. So, It basically depends upon ur way of life. In göttingen u should be able to get a realtively cheap accommodation since it has a large student population.
So, with 500-600€/month u can lead a decent life.
cheers
So, with 500-600€/month u can lead a decent life.
cheers
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