Cost of living in LA / NYC?

Hi all, could use a little help.



I want to go study in LA or NYC (same school) next year, but don鈥檛 know how much it will cost to live there, I鈥檓 going to be there for a minimum of 20 months, maybe 2 years.



The problem with LA is transport, I would have to buy a car which would bring up the price, but allowing me to live further away from the more expensive areas. This then would bring the price back down a little.

In NYC a Metrocard would be enough, cost $100 per month, and needs no fixing, gas etc.



A place to stay, I need the cheapest available, roommate(s) would be best right? Just a bed to sleep in, privacy I can get in the bath. The price is much the same I think LA or NYC, $600 - $850 per month, right? Everything included.



Food, would $500 per month be enough, where I live now (Denmark 鈥?one of the most expensive places in the world) $400 is enough. I am doing the cooking myself, cheap foods, pasta, bread etc.

I don鈥檛 need steaks or anything fancy, I don鈥檛 need to eat out in a restaurant once a week.



Fun, I don鈥檛 go clubbing (hate it), I don鈥檛 drink that much, a few beers somewhere with friends would be fine, and I don鈥檛 smoke. Maybe a show every now and then, I really don鈥檛 care for these things, last time I was at the movies was back in 2001. Prefer to watch a dvd with friends.



Extras, laundry (important), toilet paper etc. how much?

Maybe a cheap phone for local calls.



I don鈥檛 need to go shopping for new clothes or anything.



I鈥檒l be studying, studying, studying and studying. Just need to live like a student, a little food in my belly, a place to sleep and clean clothes.



Also, what鈥檚 the atmosphere like in these places? And what are people like, how would they treat me? (might be a strange question, but you'd be surprised of how people treat others around the world)



Which place would you choose?



Is $1,250 - $1,500 per month enough? Please be, please please please



Thank you



I'll be 27 by the time I'm leaving.Cost of living in LA / NYC?
There is a better quality of life in LA at a lower price than NY. To live very nicely and safely in LA, you really need to be well-off, in NY, you need to be wealthy. With a low budget, you're better off in LA.



A 2 bedroom in an ok area of LA would be $1500 on the low end, so that's $750 a month with a roommate, and figure $100+ for utilities. Roommates are often big trouble, you may want to consider a single at $900 - $1000. It's usually worth the extra cost. Ask the school about housing, most schools that don't have on-campus housing still have off-campus housing and roommate info.



There are cellphone companies with local service, but make sure it has good service (ask at Y/A) at your apartment or you'll want to get a regular phone, and that can run $25+ a month (taxes are high), but you might need one if you want DSL internet. Consider car and insurance cost. You might be able to get by on less than $500 a month for food, depending on what you buy, if you buy on sale or use coupons. Keep air conditioning use to a minimum or it can literally cost you hundreds a month during the summer for a small apt. $1500 a month really isn't enough to live in LA, definitely not in NY. I mean, you could try, but will you be miserable? Find out free stuff to do, like which days are free at museums, where the free concerts are (downtown LA , Pasadena and Santa Monica during the summer, probably elsewhere), where to hike, etc, so you can have some balance to help you make it through.



Owning a car and commuting to a less expensive area really wouldn't bring down the price of rent of comparable apt when you figure in gas and maintenance. You want to live as close as possible to school, commuting can be terrible, but you will still need a car or you will have like no life. You don't say what type of school, but if it's film or acting, a car is necessary. Maybe you can start out without a car for awhile and see how it works, but then you'll really want to live on a direct bus line to school, we have not-so-good public transportation, and check out the walkability of your neighborhood.

Walkability of neighborhoods: http://www.walkscore.com/



If your lifestyle is going to take a hit, consider how that will affect your ability to study and do well. How important is environment to you for feeling good? 6 months you could do, maybe, but if it's a big factor, any longer can be a problem. If it's a similar lifestyle to what you have now, you won't have as many issues.



People in LA tend to be friendly, and laid back, and in most circles, really don't care to interfere in others' lives. Of course, that's a generalization, but I find people in LA friendlier than most other places.



What school are you considering that is both in LA and NYC? Just curious. There may be differences in the schools. Have you looked at all options?



Good luck!Cost of living in LA / NYC?
I didn't read everything you wrote but if you get a roommate it's not going to be no $600-$850 per month for a two bedroom apartment in NYC. Maybe one but not two. My brother got a two bedroom apartment down in the city with his friend and the rent was $1400 or maybe a little more so he had to pay $700-$750 a month for his half.Cost of living in LA / NYC?
Both cities are expensive and there are trade offs. Sure a car will let you live farther away but it will increase your weekly fuel bill and car maintenance costs. You also need car insurance and there's a yearly fee for auto registration with the state that is calculated on the value of your car.



Your rent in NYC is going to be much higher but as you have already noticed, you've got the wonderful metrocard. In Los Angeles, many apartment complexes have laundry facilities on site that run anywhere from a $1.50 to $2.00 a load for wash and buck or so for a cycle in the dryer.



You can find cheap cell phones with pay as you go minutes or all inclusive nationwide dialing and texting plans. Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT%26amp;T are the major cell phone providers. Start looking through Google to find the smaller carriers. For clothing there are outlets like Ross where great deals can be found.



LA and NYC are two very different places. In general NYC has a hyper energy to it because of your continuous close proximity to other humans, whereas in Los Angeles you've got a spread out city where the automobile rules and people tend to be in them to get from A to B. This is a gross generalization of course but I hope you get the point. You can be just as easily ignored in LA as you can NYC. The vibe you put out is the vibe you will get back.



Lastly, I don't believe $1250 to $1500 per month is enough to survive in either city. Maybe it could be done by a seasoned resident but you'll be new to the place. I'd choose LA because of weather. On a day that isn't going well you will at least have the option of a nice walk with sunny skies.



To get an idea of rents for 1 bedroom apartments or people looking for roommates use www.craigslist.com.
You can compare the cost of living in both cities here:



http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living鈥?/a>



It's a collaborative page, so if there are prices missing, you can fill them in yourself. You can also compare prices in LA or NYC with prices in your current city by using the boxes at the top of the page.



Good luck!