living cost united states
 

i have posted on this site before.

me and my wife are looking to do the dcf filing route as permanent immigrant basis to the united states.as i recap i am british and she a us citizen.

a scenario if i have savings of 18000$ what is the typical living cost like as norm on conservative estimation etc. how long will last you.

many thanks

Re: living cost united states
 

It totally depends on where in the USA you'll be living. Here in Phoenix that amount might last about 5 months, not including health care and not including any large down payments you'd need to make on a home, car, utilities, phone, etc.

You know that your USC wife must complete an I-864 Affidavit of Support, right? And that if she doesn't have income that will continue from the same source in the USA, and you guys do not have assets equaling 3x that amount ($18K cash in the bank is not enough), then she will need a joint sponsor.

Rene

Re: living cost united states
 

$18k in itself is not enough for a visa. You will need a co-sponsor or your wife will need to move back earlier than you and find a job.

Moving is expensive if you start with nothing. Fresh off the boat, I'd give you 4 months in the bible belt or 2 months somewhere more civilized.

Re: living cost united states
 

Here's your previous post where this was mentioned:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=670351

Rene

Re: living cost united states
 

It is impossible to say.

Where will you be living - Manhattan or Montana?

Do you have to find an apartment to rent or will you be living with friends or relatives?

Are you going to need a car?

Are you going to need 2 cars?

The list goes on.

Apart from ongoing expenses there are lots of initial startup costs - deposits for apartments and utilities, buying furniture and household goods etc.

Depending on your situation you could burn through $18,000 in the first few weeks (if you rented an apartment, furnished it and bought a car) or you could make it last for 6 months or more if you were living rent-free with friends.

Re: living cost united states
 

I've just relocated to Indianapolis from the UK, and some of the things we have found expensive to get set up with were quite a surprise to us, things we wouldn't consider at home, particularly things like beds!

Day to day living here seems relatively inexpensive, but if you can afford to ship your furniture and household items you'll save yourselves a fortune. We booked a whole container, shipped most of our furniture and belongings, for less than it would have cost to buy 3 good quality beds/mattresses out here.