College Students’ Living Expenses: A Generational Comparison

As colleges and universities start their new semester, many freshmen are faced with an important question: how much living expenses should parents give them each month? Recently, the discussion about college students’ living expenses has sparked heated discussions on the Internet.

Post-00s: Daily expenses on campus are not much, and part-time jobs are used to earn non-essential expenses

According to the “2024 China College Students’ Consumption Behavior Survey Research Report” released by iMedia Consulting, among the 1,354 college student samples, 34.3% of college students have an average monthly income between 1,000 and 1,500 yuan; 41.1% of college students have an average monthly income between 1,501 and 2,000 yuan; 17.1% of college students have an average monthly income between 2,001-3,000 yuan; 3.1% of college students have an average monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan.

Li Zhanming, a junior at Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, has a monthly living allowance of 1,500 yuan, which he thinks is basically enough. Li Zhanming showed reporters a monthly consumption list he kept when he first entered university two years ago: 5 yuan for breakfast, 10 yuan for lunch, and 10 yuan for dinner. Calculated based on 30 days, he spent 750 yuan on food per month; other necessary expenses in life cost 265 yuan per month.

Post-70s: Frugal life in college, living expenses mainly used for food

Compared to the consumption of college students born after 2000, which includes various non-essential consumption items such as travel and online shopping, college students born after 1970 do not have many entertainment options to choose from, and most people’s living expenses are used for the most basic living needs.

52-year-old Cheng Guoqing lives in Zhuquemen and studied at Northwestern University. Recalling his college life in the 1990s, Cheng Guoqing said that college students at that time mainly lived a frugal lifestyle. From the time they entered school, they carried all their bedding and daily necessities from home in a backpack to school. The monthly living expenses were mainly used for food, and many daily necessities were brought from home.

Post-80s: Consumption is rich and diverse, and spending on interpersonal communication is increasing

According to the results of the reporter’s interviews, the living expenses standards of college students after 2000 have begun to increase significantly, and classmates’ gatherings and interpersonal interactions have become reasons to spend money.

Wang Yan, a post-80s who entered university in 2006, said: “My first month’s living expenses were 300 yuan. Although the amount was not much, it was the first time I had more money at my disposal, and I felt great. At that time, I often experienced hardship before sweetness. I was very frugal in the beginning and reluctant to spend. I would check how much money I had left at the end of the month and then buy what I wanted.”

Experts: Cultivate a reasonable consumption concept and do not recommend excessive consumption

Wang Xiaoyong, an associate researcher at the Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences, believes that as an adult, college students should develop a reasonable consumption concept and financial management awareness. The amount of living expenses depends on the specific situation of the family. For families with better economic conditions, parents can give more living expenses, but it is best to use a fixed amount, and let the students decide how to use the money.

Students are encouraged to work part-time and earn money to support their expenses. This will allow them to cherish and cultivate their awareness and ability to plan the use of living expenses. Wang Xiaoyong said that pre-consumption is a common phenomenon in today’s society, but the majority of college students’ living expenses still come mainly from their families, and the income from work-study programs is only an additional subsidy after all.