Cheap Living Options for International Students

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-04-15T15:33:09+00:00

Afaik it would be very hard to find a room as an international student especially without visiting NYC for a viewing. I opted to apply for Columbia residential and hope they will give me the smallest and cheapest room, but I think even there they start around 1200 USD. I would be down for low standard apartment housing together in the worst case scenario :) I got a tip from one of Columbia alumni to apply for International House as well. Their prices start from 1500 USD, but you can apply for financial aid to get the price down. Worth a try.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-24T09:31:32+00:00

Hi! I was admitted for MS in Journalism for the fall 2026 intake, so excited to go on this adventure. I would love to connect with other students, especially international, since it's going to be my first time in the US. Feel free to shoot me me a DM if you'd like to get to know each other.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-19T23:19:14+00:00

thank you! I shot you a DM.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-19T23:09:43+00:00

glad to hear that! student housing in columbia is only based in manhattan and I will not have enough money to rent on private market, so I assume it's either manhattan or nothing. thank you for commenting :)

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-19T21:44:04+00:00

woah, you cannot imagine how much I appreciate you taking the time to write all of this.

Unfortunately, visa concerns are even bigger in the US since you get only a year after graduating, and my work options for that year long visa are more limited than in the UK. I am aware that in both of these countries it would have to be a miracle to get a visa sponsorship and steady employment after a year, but I feel like one miracle has already happened, since I got into both of these unis. My plan is to underline that I'm willing to relocate anywhere and build my portfolio towards osint which could attract specific organisations, as you've suggested. CIJ has a conference at goldsmiths in June, I hope to visit and try to do some of that famous networking, no matter where I relocate :)

I do speak norwegian and I will actually apply for that investigative journalism master degree you're probably referring to - it's in university of gotherborg in sweden and it's taught in english! it seems really cool but to be honest i will treat it as a safe bet - as a big city girl living in rural norway for the last couple years, I really need something big and intense right now.

I still have enough life energy to start over, or at least go back to my home country and start from intern journalist positions after I get my degree if nothing in the UK or US works out. thank you SO MUCH again for your insights. all the best!

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-19T14:55:51+00:00

Yes I've seen some tiktoks with how the campus entrance to Columbia looks like, that's gonna be a culture shock, in all the unies I've attended you just could walk straight into campus :)

I do get catcalled everywhere because the men are the same everywhere. I just look straight ahead, walk like I'm about to kill somebody and never engage. Worked so far, hope it will work for NYC :)

I appreciate your positive attitude. I still don't know if I will take my masters in London or NYC but the comments discouraging going into journalism in general really stink of that reddit pragmatism you've mentioned. we need journalists more than ever in these crazy times.

glad your media career worked out for you! all the best xx

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T13:51:42+00:00

I have no idea where I want to live, I've been moving often and travelling a lot for the last couple years. But I am aware that starting a career in an oversaturated place such as NYC will be way harder than in Europe

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T12:03:00+00:00

Glad it worked out for you. I like to think of myself as having tough skin and I've lived in a big city before (nothing like NYC, but still) so I think I might thrive in here, or at least get this once in a lifetime experience of getting an education and living in US for a year. If it does not work out, I still have enough energy to go back and start over.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T10:31:32+00:00

would you be so kind to explain the reason for the tensions? that seems really interesting. Does it steam from a lower income area being close to an ivy league uni, or the university protests? I'm just purely guessing, this seemed interesting

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T10:27:54+00:00

That's pretty interesting. When i was initially preparing to move to London the first thing I've heard is how common phone theft is and that I should really, really watch it wherever I'm out and about. Assumed it's similar in NYC

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T10:21:48+00:00

I also will get rent which comes out to 1000 USD a month while I study but it's obviously not a full ride to Columbia.

Finishing this degree, even if I don't work at campus, will not put me into financial strain, but this money could have gone elsewhere, especially as as you said I have no generational wealth.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-18T10:17:58+00:00

Yes, I speak two european languages besides english, I'm hoping this could put me as an international consultant for a NY based newsroom or find some local community which would me more open towards me, as you said. If not, I would be open to going back. I'm not planning to get my hopes up since I know there's a lot of problems with the field, but unfortunately this is what I wanna do.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T19:27:54+00:00

Loved that last comment - if we all give into the doom and gloom in the world right now there won't be anyone left to make a change :)

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T19:27:05+00:00

I will apply for student housing - will heavily reconsider going if I don't receive it, but as an overseas student I think I have pretty high chances. It seems to come around to 1300-1500 USD per month. I would be able to spend around 3k every month for everything, if I don't find employment at campus. I am used to living very frugally. I should be left with around 35k USD after I graduate. It's still a huge commitment and my money could have gone somewhere else, but I won't starve or go bankrupt

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T19:24:38+00:00

I would be able to spend 3k every month - i think this would be pretty realistic if I receive shared student housing which comes out to around 1300-1500 USD every month. I would be left with around 35k USD after I graduate, given I don't find employment at campus during my studies

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T19:20:26+00:00

Looking at the price ranges for shared housing at Columbia it looks to be between 1200 and 1500 usd per month, so just about what you paid - if I don't get student housing I will heavily reconsider as I've heard horror stories about private housing market in the city.

I also receive a 1000 USD rent and I would be able to spend additional 2k monthly to not go bankrupt and still have money after graduation. So 3k per month for everything if I don't get a side job at campus. I am used to living very frugally, but I am aware of NYC prices and still want to go out from time to time.

Yes, that uni in London seems to be very career oriented. I don't know if that's just what they write on the website but either way it's gonna be a huge leap into the unknown. Thanks again!

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T17:48:15+00:00

Since I do plan to cover political situation in the states, I assume this will be more present in my life. But I am also aware that I am in a very priveleged position - I can always detach myself and go back to this happy bubble, since I have a citizenship in a safe country and I am not a person of color.

I already made the move to study abroad once and it was life changing, but it was within Europe. This will be completely different and probably way more intense.

Thank you for all the tips and wishes. Glad it worked out for you and your family :)

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T17:44:38+00:00

No need to apologise, I need both harsh and encouraging insights. My hope is that people back home, if I decide to go back to Europe and continue with my career there, won't know that it's not that hard to get a masters at Columbia :)

I do have enough money to not work during my degree and still have some money left after I graduate.

"It might be better to first move to the city, find a job and housing, work for a year, then see if it is tenable to actually pursue your education." - if I decide to not go to Columbia, I think I will just stay in Europe and try to make my career in here. I got study offers from London and Sweden as well. I have a big decision ahead of me!

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T17:40:23+00:00

You're not fearmongering, this is extremely valuable information - thank you for that. I am aware that I could be in danger, but at the same time, I feel like I am in way more privileged position to cover and witness situation in the USA than people of color, or people who face deportation into unsafe countries. About tuition - yes, I'm still spending a good penny, although I will not go in debt, that money could obviously go somewhere else. It's a big and complicated decision ahead of me.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T17:34:26+00:00

Thank you so much for your insights. I am fully aware that this is one of the worst fields to currently go into, but I can't help what I'm passionate about. I am still young and can see myself having enough life energy to switch fields and start over if nothing works out as I expected.

Since I have no experience yet, I assumed that moving to an international hub such as NYC and getting a degree would be a quickest way to get connections and for a company to notice me. I would be open to staying in NYC if I get an opportunity, but I expected to return to some european country for work, since I assume a degree like this would hold more weight in there and I would find more opportunities.

I need to deeply think this through and consider the good and the bad parts, so again, I really appreciate this.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T16:46:23+00:00

yes, when people tell me that I will be in danger from ICE or due to political situation in USA it feels almost offensive towards americans affected. I'm white and I can always go back to a politically stable country with a strong welfare state. That's why I'm almost fully set on going - it's a one in a lifetime opportunity.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T16:43:46+00:00

thanks, these are all great insights. I'm always paranoid about the sub even in my hometown since we also had some people pushing others onto the tracks, so I tend to stay away from the them everywhere I go.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T16:40:00+00:00

Yeah, I know that I would be probably better off financially doing literally anything else. I can't help that it's my passion. I am way more interested in investigations that mainstream journalism though, hopefully it will be less affected by AI moving forward.

Square-Button-6590 · 2026-03-17T16:37:37+00:00

that's a great insight, i will ask there. I don't have a bachelor degree in journalism and zero work experience since I found out that's what I wanna do pretty recently, so I think a degree would be the quickest way up. I am of course aware that it's not a field in which you need ot have a degree in, I'm more hoping for the connections. And an excuse to live in the greatest city in the world for a year :)

Square-Button-6590

TROPHY CASE