The Real (Expensive) World: The Cost of Living for New Grads

Congrats, graduate! Your hard work has paid off, and now, diploma in hand, you’re ready to enter the working world.

Whether you’re still job searching or you’ve already lined up a gig, post-grad life is exciting —minus all the expenses it comes with. And just what are those expenses? Check out the numbers below for a rough idea of how you’ll need to budget your paychecks.

It’s not a pretty picture, especially for New York or SF-based Muses—but the good news? The median starting salary for new grads has risen to $3,583 a month (check out that breakdown by major).

About the Author

Little brings Emily more of a thrill than taking a so-so sentence and making it shine or giving an alright paragraph more of a punch. She’s a self proclaimed word-nerd whose penchant for language took her from barista-ing in a bookstore café during college to serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in a high school just outside of Madrid after graduating with a double major in English and Spanish. Since returning to the States over a year ago, Emily has worked as Associate Editor for The Daily Muse and established a Spanish language social media presence for one of Southwest Michigan’s leading credit unions. Recently married, she, her hubby, and their crazy cat, Angel, call the shores of Lake Michigan home. Follow her on twitter @EmENickerson.