My Monthly Budget Living in Residence at UBC

I’m from Zimbabwe. University tuition is very expensive for my family, so I applied to schools that offered grants for international students. I was accepted to the University of Oxford, the University of Toronto, York University and the University of British Columbia. UBC offered me the most in money­—$74,000­­­—which included the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award. I think my application stood out because of my music involvement. I sang and played the piano seriously growing up and also play a few traditional instruments. I brought one, a mbira, here with me to Vancouver. I chose an arts degree at UBC because it allowed me to take a variety of courses. I’m interested in economics and in the fields of world diplomacy and governance. 

I work part-time as a referee for the UBC intramural soccer league. I work two or three hours every weekend and I earn minimum wage, which is $17.85 an hour. I also receive a $1,500 honorarium for my role as the area president of my residence. Here is what I spend in a typical month.

Housing: $944.63
As a scholarship student, I’m guaranteed on-campus housing. I was randomly assigned to Place Vanier in my first year, where I volunteered as a floor representative and treasurer. I have a single room but the washrooms are communal. Recently, I was elected as the area president of Place Vanier. We create programs and events for first-year students to get to know each other and build long-lasting friendships. I really enjoy the residence community.

Meal plan: $938
I have an all-you-can eat meal plan so I can access the dining hall as often as I want. I usually get eggs or Greek yogurt and granola for breakfast then chicken and vegetables, like broccoli, carrots and cucumber from the salad station, for lunch and dinner. 

Eating out: $69.50
I’m in the Vancouver Youth Choir and, some nights when I have rehearsal, I forget to pack something for dinner and end up eating out. The last thing I got was a chicken bowl from Chipotle, which cost about $16.50. My friends and I were also up late one night recently, so we got pizza from a restaurant called Uncle Fatih’s. I got a slice of chicken pesto, which cost about $3. The only time I ever go out for a proper dinner is to celebrate someone’s birthday. The last one was at Cactus Club Cafe, where I ordered a teriyaki chicken rice bowl, a drink and dessert. The bill came to roughly $50 with tax and tip. If I eat out a lot one month, I’ll make sure to spend less on it the next month. 

Ubers: $22 
I take an Uber about once a month as a last resort. Recently, for example, our choir had a concert downtown and I didn’t realize the bus line from campus to downtown wasn’t in service when I needed to leave. 

Gym: $15
I use the UBC gym, which costs $60 per term. I try to go five times a week to use the free weights and machines, but sometimes—like during exams—my schedule gets hectic and I can only go twice a week. If I can’t go to the gym, I’ll do push-ups or another exercise in my room. I also get a lot of cardio in walking around campus—I regularly walk 10,000 steps a day. 

Spotify: $6.39
I’m constantly listening to music, usually when I’m doing homework that doesn’t require reading, like coding or math problems. I listen to a lot of choral music. 

Phone plan: $39
I’m on a 10-gigabyte plan with Freedom Mobile. It’s not a lot of data, but I’m usually on the campus Wi-Fi most of the week so I don’t use much anyway. 

Haircuts: $45
I get a haircut every other month. I try to time it around when our choir has an event or performance coming up. My friend Kobi from church, who always has a really nice cut, referred the barber to me. 

Air purifier: $20
When I first moved to Canada, I ordered items from Amazon or went to Walmart. Now I use Facebook Marketplace a lot. This semester, I bought a really good air purifier for $20 that would have cost me $128 if I bought it new. I usually stock up on clothes and shoes when I go back to Zimbabwe, since they are a lot more affordable there. 

Total monthly spend: $2,099.52

This story appears in the 2026 edition of the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities. You can buy the issue for $19.99 here or on newsstands.