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Nine-month low and moderate living expense budgets

This table shows living expense costs by region and metropolitan area over a nine-month period. Both a moderate and a low budget are provided. The budgets reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index (calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) of 1.4 percent for 2020 and 7.0 percent for 2021.

The budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The CES microdata was queried to generate budgets for additional Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) with significant population sizes. Consequently, the regional tables of the living expense budget reflect 35 MSAs, compared to 22 in published regional data tables.

Since budgets cannot be established for every area of the country, no MSA’s budget falls below the base budget.

Note: These budgets are provided to assist financial aid officers in developing living expense budgets for their independent, off-campus students. The budgets should not be confused with the actual boarding expenses experienced by an on-campus student. These budgets are intended as broad guidelines or starting points which should be adjusted to local economies, individual situations, and Department of Education Cost of Attendance guidelines.

  2022-23 2023-24
 

Moderate

9-Month

Budget

Low

9-Month

Budget

Moderate 

9-Month

Budget

Low

9-Month

Budget
United States $22,920 $15,360 $25,140 $16,840
Northeast:    
Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH 25,670 17,203 28,157 18,861
Hartford–East Hartford- Middletown CT 23,837 15,974 26,146 17,514
New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA 25,212 16,896 27,654 18,524
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD 23,378 15,667 25,894 17,345
Pittsburgh PA 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
South:    
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Apharetta GA 23,608 15,821 25,643 17,177
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD 24,295 16,282 26,397 17,682
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC
Raleigh NC		 23,378 15,667 25,391 17,008
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX 24,295 16,282 26,900 18,019
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX 23,608 15,821 25,894 17,345
Jacksonville FL
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL		 23,608 15,821 25,391 17,008
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL 24,066 16,128 26,146 17,514
New Orleans–Metairie LA 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Oklahoma City OK 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Richmond VA
Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC		 23,378 15,667 25,643 17,177
San Antonio–New Braunfels TX
Austin–Round Rock TX		 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV 26,587 17,818 29,162 19,534
Midwest:    
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI 23,378 15,667 25,894 17,345
Cleveland–Elyria OH
Cincinnati OH–KY–IN
Columbus OH		 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN
Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN		 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI 24,295 16,282 26,648 17,850
St. Louis MO–IL 22,920 15,360 25,140 16,840
West:    
Anchorage AK 24,295 16,282 26,648 17,850
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO 24,983 16,742 27,403 18,356
Urban Honolulu HI 25,441 17,050 27,403 18,356
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV 23,149 15,514 25,140 16,840
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA 25,441 17,050 27,905 18,692
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ 23,149 15,514 25,643 17,177
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA 24,524 16,435 26,648 17,850
Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA 23,608 15,821 25,894 17,345
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA 26,129 17,510 28,911 19,366
San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA 27,046 18,125 29,162 19,534
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA 25,900 17,357 28,408 19,029