What I Spend Each Month as a College Student in Toronto

SCHOOL: Humber College, Toronto, professional writing and communication

AGE: 24

I earned a bachelor of engineering in India before coming to Canada. Studying engineering was my parents’ idea, but I didn’t enjoy it. After graduating I worked a few different jobs in India to save money: I was an assistant to a fashion stylist, managed learning centres for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, did social media for a café and a local queer organization, and worked at a gallery. Together, my savings and a $15,000 Indian student loan were almost enough to cover my first year at Humber College, which is around $16,000 to $18,000, and some living costs. In September of 2023, I got a job working at my school’s LGBTQ+ resource centre ($16.96/hour) and in the summer I interned at the international development research centre at Humber ($16.96/hour). I also do freelance design work for friends back in India ($750/month).

Rent: $650

I live in a two-bedroom basement apartment with two flatmates in the west end of Toronto. It took us four months to find a good spot. Where I lived before, I paid $700 for a bigger room but it was too quiet there and it took me two hours to get downtown. Now I can go to more events and galleries and have a better social life. Utilities are included in our rent, and I pay $30 for my share of the internet bill.

Groceries: $100

We cook our meals together to save money. They do the cooking and I do the dishes. They make things like pasta, hot dogs and Indian meals like biriyani. Once a month, I make blueberry pancakes in the morning. We usually shop at FreshCo and stock up on veggies, potatoes, flour for rotis and chapatis, bread, rice, pasta and fruit.

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Eating out: $40

Once in a while, I get a croissant and coffee from the campus café at Humber, which cost about $5. I got a French press recently and have been buying ground coffee from Bulk Barn to cut down on costs. At times, like when I’m meeting a friend or going on a date, I go out for Vietnamese or tacos, but I try to keep it under $20.

Transit pass: $128

I get a monthly student pass through Humber College. I use it to get to campus and to go downtown for events, dates and nights out.

Ubers: $20

My friend was getting rid of a TV that wasn’t working properly. I thought I could repair it, so he gave it to me for free, but I had to bring it back home in a cab. I still haven’t fixed it yet, but I’m working on it.

Art supplies: $15

I like making abstract artwork, so I buy art supplies like pens, canvasses and paper. I’m also learning how to sew and I recently made a bowl and earring stand out of vinyl records.

Entertainment: $35

I go to drag shows with my friends about once a month. It costs $15 to get in and I spend another $15 or $20 on drinks. I love going to drag shows. It’s a time when I don’t have to think about the world for a while. I get to see people being themselves, and I get to be myself there too.

Subscriptions: $20

I still have Netflix on my Indian account, so it only costs me $2.99 a month. I listen to a lot of Indian classical, instrumental and folk music on Spotify, which helps me concentrate when I’m studying. I also have subscriptions to Google One, Apple One and YouTube Premium.

Furniture: $175

I lucked out and found a free dresser on the curb the day that I was moving in to my new place. I also needed a wardrobe, and, initially, I bought one off of Amazon for $160 but I couldn’t put it together because the screws were faulty. I returned it and bought another for $100 as well as a vinyl player for $75.

Phone bill: $50

I’m on a Fido plan for international students. I get 1,000 minutes of international calling, 20GB of data and unlimited calling and texting within Canada for $46 a month.

Creams, lotions, haircare products and makeup: $70

I order personal wellness supplies from India. My sister packs them up and mails them to me. She sends me a package once every three to four months.

Thrifting: $20

One of my favourite finds was a colourful jacket with a sequin cat on one arm and letter patches on the other. I get so many compliments on it and it’s fun to say that I only paid $8.99. I’ve also bought windbreakers, overcoats and pants from Value Village. I picked up the book The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri there for $5.99.

Debt repayment: $150

My dad has helped me with a couple of payments, but I’m working the $150-a-month loan repayments into my budget.

What I spent: $1,473

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