Money
What your first monthactually costs.
Your situation
Short-stay accommodation while you find somewhere permanent.
Your first month in Houston
$2,180 – $4,280
Must be reachable up front
$1,780 – $3,230
Due in your first fortnight, before a US bank account exists. This is the number that matters.
Of that, carry as cash
$300 – $500
Only this much. The rest belongs on a card or ready to transfer — never in a bag you are carrying through an airport.
| What | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Short-stay accommodation (7 nights)UP FRONTSomewhere verified to sleep before you have permanent housing. | $490 – $840 |
| First month's rentUP FRONTDue on or before the day you move in. | $650 – $950 |
| Security depositUP FRONTRefundable at the end, if the place is left in good order. | $330 – $950 |
| Phone — prepaid plan and SIMUP FRONTA prepaid plan needs no credit history and no Social Security Number. | $30 – $70 |
| Groceries and eating, first monthUP FRONTAssumes you cook most meals. Eating out regularly doubles this. | $280 – $420 |
| Bedding, kitchen and basicsMost of this can come from campus marketplaces and end-of-semester sales rather than a shop. | $250 – $600 |
| Transit for a monthA monthly pass. Check for a student rate first. | $50 |
| Course materialsBuy nothing until your first class. Half of the assigned books turn out to be optional. | $100 – $400 |
About Houston
Rent is cheaper than the coasts, but Houston is enormous. A place that saves you $150 a month can cost you an hour a day.
Two rules about carrying money
- Carrying more than $10,000 in cash or equivalent into the US must be declared to Customs. It is not illegal — failing to declare it is, and the penalty can be losing all of it.
- Keep cash to $300–$500. Nobody at an airport needs to see your money, and nobody offering a better exchange rate in the terminal is doing you a favour.
These are typical market ranges for planning, not quotes, and not live pricing. Rents in particular move fast. Your advisor will give you real numbers for the specific places you are looking at.
The number nobody tells you is the up-front one
A total for the month is easy to plan for. What catches people out is that most of it is due in the first two weeks, when your money is still in a bank on the other side of the world and your US account does not exist yet. That is the number to arrive with.
Get an advisor who plans this with you