For some reason, it’s taboo to talk about money regarding anything. For some reason, people don’t want you to say what you spent money on specifically which is crazy. My study abroad experience was a while ago and pre-pandemic however, I’ve tried to remember some numbers to help with others who may want to pursue this endeavor.
The biggest concern I had when traveling abroad was my rent. Everything else was already covered from tuition to pre-study abroad items like getting a visa and whatnot. However, rent was the biggest question a lot of us students had before traveling abroad.
When I first got to France, my rent was 560 euros. I was staying in a homestay when I first arrived and then I moved into my own apartment closer to my school. It was 800 euros per month. However, most of my classmates were able to rent studios or shared apartments and the cost was 500 – 600 euros per student. I’d say that was the average amount paid, however, once again, that was pre-pandemic numbers.
The bus from Aix-en-Provence to Marseille was 10 euros for me because I was over 25 years old. My classmates only had to pay 2 euros because they were under the age of 25-years-old. Otherwise, all the local buses around Aix were the same price.
Eating out varied. You could get a nice cheap meal for about 5 euros, but the food wouldn’t be the healthiest or you could go to a restaurant and eat for 15-30 euros. There was variety in Aix and in Marseille as well.
Going to museums were inexpensive as well. They cost about 5-10 euros and were always a pleasure.
Groceries would just depend on your budget. The good thing about France is that the food is very healthy and it is priced at a good affordable price. You could get by for 25-30 euros a week. It’s even more helpful if you have roommates or friends and you share meals. Sometimes, classmates would have brunches or birthday celebrations and that would be the meal for the night.
When I stayed in a homestay, dinner was included so that helped with my budget as well.
There was a guy that was connected to our program unofficially that would take trips all over France. His excursions were about 30 euros, and they would consist of day trips to places like Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Avignon, and Monaco.
Overall, studying abroad doesn’t break the bank the way one might think it would. The great thing about it is that some exclusions are pre-paid and spread out through the semesters, so you already have things to do, and travel built into the time abroad.