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What year was this and what university? In 1998 I paid $325/month to live in my off campus apartment in central Illinois. That didn't include any utilities. It looks like the same apartment complex units are going for $600/month today.
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Just last year. Though I should have mentioned that I was living with a roommate but that we had individual leases... so when he graduated I had the whole place to myself since they couldn't find anyone spur of the moment in the middle of the year.
Though I think it's fair to add that in a lot of apartments on college towns Utilities are included in the rent. The only one I had to pay for while I was living at the apartment in this example was electric. I've lived at others where all I've had to pay for was internet.
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A Google search said that the average cost for room and board at a public school was $6500/year in 2006. Average for private was $7800/year.
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But that already isn't an accurate figure because very few people are allowed to live on campus for a full year. The most is really 8 months, if they mean by school year. Anyone like foreign students and the like have to pay extra that I can guarantee is more than this average.
Anyway, my point was that in order to look at this realistically you have to take your 325 /month fee and multiply it by 8, not 12.
325/month = 2600
The difference from the lower figure is 3900. Utilities just don't cost that much.
Hell, let's look at my current place.
550 / month 4400
20 / month - internet 160
10 / month - garbage 80
roughly 80 / month - electrical 640
5280
So provided I didn't even have a roommate and was simply paying for the entire place myself, I would still be saving more money than living on campus.