| Food | Price in $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 12 eggs dozen, large |
12.50 USD | |||
 1 beer pint in local shops, markets |
7 USD | |||
 1 kg of tomatoes |
8.50 USD | |||
 Full chicken 2kg |
38.75 USD | |||
 1litre 100% fruit juice |
8.50 USD | |||
 1 package of cigarettes imported brands |
25 USD | |||
 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples |
7.50 USD | |||
 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality |
48.95 USD | |||
| 2.5 liters of Coca-Cola |
0.95 USD | |||
 1 Bread loaf standard |
9.50 USD | |||
 Whole fat Yogurt. 500ml |
12 USD | |||
 1x6 pack Dardanelle tuna |
18.50 USD | |||
| Heinz baked beans 1 tin |
8 USD | |||
 1.5 kg Sugar |
10 USD | |||
| 2 liter cooking oil |
20 USD | |||
 Yum-yum noodles per pack |
2.00 USD | |||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes |
5.50 USD | |||
 1 liter milk |
8.50 USD | |||
 Fast food restaurant large serving/ take away |
25 USD | |||
| Housing | ||||
 Utilities per month (water, electricity, gas) for 2 people in flat |
165 USD | |||
 Wi-Fi monthly fee 8 Mbps (1 month) |
145 USD | |||
 Laundry detergent (bleach, sunlight liquid, washing surf… altogether) |
58.50 USD | |||
 House Cleaning fee per day |
105 USD | |||
 Large Gas heater price range upwards. |
200 USD | |||
 Original branded Electric Fans |
200 USD | |||
 Original branded Electric kettle. |
120 USD | |||
 40 inches Beko flat screen HD TV set |
2000 USD | |||
 Single bed Blankets |
120 USD | |||
| Personal Care | ||||
 Avon for women and men cologne |
100 USD | |||
 Ladies hair plaiting. |
60 USD | |||
 Ladies Sanitaryware (Pads and Tampoons) |
18 USD | |||
 Men's haircut |
40 USD | |||
 Ibuprofen, Panadol, Grandpa Pain killers box of 12 dosses |
24.50 USD | |||
 Mobile package local network providers’ talk-time, data and messages |
65 USD | |||
 1 month of gym subscription. |
105 USD | |||
 Earphones original (Samsung. iPhone) |
90 USD | |||
| Unisex Loris perfume |
30 USD | |||
 Gadgets maintenance and repairs (cellphone, laptops, tablets...) starting price. |
100 USD | |||
| Smart phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, HTC, IPhone) price range upwards |
1000 USD | |||
 Laptops (Samsung, Lenovo, Hp, Monster, Dell etc.) price range upwards |
3000 USD | |||
| Entertainment | ||||
 Boat cruise with refreshments and finger snacks |
120 USD | |||
 Go carting 30mins |
120 USD | |||
 Movie House 3d cinema |
30 USD | |||
 Summer Festivals (jet, bumper cars, lucky deep ...(per ticket) |
15 USD | |||
 Photo shoot |
120 USD | |||
 Cappuccino / expresso/ coffee |
12.50 USD | |||
 3 course dinner local restaurant two people |
96.50 USD | |||
 3 course dinner classy, exotic restaurant two people |
150 USD | |||
 Play station 4 console without games. |
2000 USD | |||
 Spalding Basketball |
200 USD | |||
 Original branded Racket and Wilson’s tennis balls |
500 USD | |||
| Transportation | ||||
 Taxi fare on average 5-10km |
45 USD | |||
 Public transport per trip one way maximum fare |
30 USD | |||
 1 liter petrol/diesel |
6.50 USD | |||
| 1 day rent a car cost |
140 USD | |||
 Driver’s license |
2300 USD | |||
| Clothes | ||||
 1 pair of jeans (Denim or similar) |
150 USD | |||
 1 pair of men’s formal shoes |
215 USD | |||
 1 pair original sport/casual shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) |
280 USD | |||
 1 classy summer dress (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) |
135.79 USD | |||
 Ladies formal shoes original and durable |
120 USD | |||
 Back-pack, gym bag (Nike, Adidas, New balance) |
150 USD | |||
The cost of living in the USA differs from state to state, considering the fact that the country is very huge. Some places have less living costs and some others are basically pocket-friendly especially for cities.
The top three most expensive states in the US are San Francisco, New York, San Jose and the cheapest states in the USA are Iowa, Indiana, and Alabama.
The minimum wage in the USA is about $7 an hour and the average income stands at about $13,000 before taxes. However many states in the USA have different minimum wages e.g Washington DC has the highest minimum wage of $11 an hour and Georgia having the lowest at $5 an hour.
Living expenses greatly depend on where individuals decide to reside or in the case of students where their schools are located with smaller cities or towns incurring less than bigger cities or within the city center.
In a small town, students can get housing apartments for about $300 to $800 for a month with utilities included. Also, a studio apartment costs about $500 per month and is a very common option amongst foreigners in the country.
Studio apartments in the city center cost as much as $1,600 and a two-bedroom apartment can cost as much as $2,500 for a month. Cable TV and internet are $100 for a month and electricity and gas come as a collective energy bill which is about $150 per month.
An average healthcare plan can range from $250 - $350 for an individual unless you have low income or are a student. Students have healthcare insurance arranged with their tuition by their university, these plans are very effective and favorable for international students in the long run.
Smokers or students with special illnesses can have their medical bills come up a bit higher than the average especially if they do not have any medical insurance. An average visit to the doctors cost about $30 to $50 with or without insurance.
Transportation in the United States is one of the best in the world and even better is the fact that it is very cheap for the average resident and even students. There are train systems, buses, taxis, and even ride-sharing options. Students who live on campus also rely on the many on-campus means of transport which are basically free.
Transport costs for a short distance train or bus ride cost $2.5 on the average and longer trips cost $5 on the average as well.
