24-year-old American moved to Belgium and lives on $1,132 a month

Colby Grigia, 24, has grown in a very rural and conservative community in San Luis Obispo, California. It was not to move two hours for assistance at the University of California Santa Cruz, which lingering very much in the first time.

It was the beginning of a new life by gray – I didn’t know it alone.

“Not people in my city had passports. It did not really traveled you and you didn’t go to school very far away be,” gray said CNBC do. “And it was one of those who went further and then when I studied in tired, it was a first to leave the country.”

Grey lived in the beginning of the beginning of his first first first but the invalid panelion completely the time here. From the second semester, gray has been forced to move home for about a year. It’s been during this time back to San Luis Obispo that Grisy Explored Studying Aberad.

Created gray in copenagen for six months. When I was this time, I didn’t want to go back in Santa Cruz.

‘[Denmark] he administered the pandemic really well and had a very high vaccination rate, “says.” I fell in love with her and decided that I wanted to do more. “

Gray has finished a semester to the sea before going home in California.

“When I came back to Santa Cruz, it’s State a king Reverse Reverse Shock for me,” says. “There was left-handed. The city is really not built for students.”

Back in Santa Cruz, gray campuses off in a two bedroom flat with three other relatives and worked as study abroad to the east of the extent. Spreads of the rent is $ 1,340 per month, according to the renstated documents from CNBC do.

“I had been paid to live in Santa Cruz I have paid to live in the foreigner. I told me no more,” Gray says. “I knew that after I did [with undergrad] Would be applied for a Master in Belgium. ‘

Gray say its primary motivation to want to the US is that life in the cities there is never raised with him – and hate my way.

“That was one of the things I am in love with a living in Europe, never felt as I needed a car for alive”, it says.

Gray was unhappy with the quality of education that has received to UC Holy Cross, mainly because of the cost. For the 2024-2025 last year, the average cost For students in the state living in campus is $ 44.160. The gray classes were canceled for more than one half of a semester a year and he’d always have to pay for all the thing.

“Just seems to be achieved what I have paid even with a federal finance and state,” gray to say. “I knew that I should be a better system to get an education. In the middle of my study abroad, I only have to get a visa and study as an international of silk.

“I wanted to continue my education, but I wanted to use this as trafficked towards the residence.”

Gray decided to go to his teacher’s in the teacher and considered in Cambridge, the University of Oxbrisgh in scotland, but it could not just say the cost.

Who screams gray to a léuven, Belgium, that looked the perfect choice. Leuven was built to be a “planning city”, a concept of urban planning where the most needed as healthy, and more can be reached a 15-minute walk. The concept is acquiring tracks in other tales as bruxels and cabs and cities the cities the cities and paris, france, barcelona, ​​Spain and Melbourne, Austland..

In a louuge, cars are forbidden in the city center and it is easy – and encouraged – to go bike.

“I’m in love with her and loved the Belgium was center”, could you travel, there are four different countries around me in a three-hour edge, and this is very single. ‘

KU SUVEN University in Belgium offers a degree degree program called a search permit. This permit allows students or researchers for a year and work without restriction while getting a teacher degree from a college. It’s a program of a year, and school cost is about 3.800 Euro a year or $ 4,310 USD.

“As a student, also there is no best cost of living that one concern economically to be in Europe. There is only one sense in my life,” say.

Gray came in Belgium with two checked pockets and a bag, and move in a four bedroom house with three people. Has paid 500 euro or $ 567 to the lease month: “It was awesome. I want to say that I was paying a third of the price.”

He has settled immediately to build a lifetime in a louaung.

“When I used to be here, I was secured. They are aware of the fact that he had no friends here and I am in thoroughly,” he says. “I thought it was the first time I always felt that in my life. I worked really hard to make friends and make a community here.”

Gray granted summer summer summer the summer to a 10 minute bike out of town. Pay 420 euros per month in lease, including the utility. Their current accommodation also provides some toilet and a little food, too.

The Spectals of Oranges includes 236 euros in Cerentry, 154 euros in Transit, France Euro in Transit, 3 hours, 20 euros in the clothes and 10 euros in bills. Including its income, monthly monthly monthly costs are approximately $ 998 euros a month or $ 1,132.

The gray lived in Belgium for almost two years, now, and he says he loves him the Ballo-life he has aroused.

“The community so strong here and I have a nice balance between my work life and my house at home,” he says. “It’s a life beat so slow here and it’s really beautiful.”

Since first visiting Europe in 2021 and moved in 2023, gray has traveled to 20 different countries. Her family and friends are also visited, too.

In the family of 2024, gray has arrived in Belgium and take a trip to Tuscany. Returned to the United States for the first time December.

Gray has seven seven months to his search permission and he thinks of their next steps, which could include a second diploma and traineeship in Brussels or Portugal.

The only gray thing knows is that it is not ready to go back to America alone.

“Live in the US I get a tormol for a tormol for the fallen where I had to go to the place of place, you get broken a bit and in joking as a little bit of roses,” says.

Conversion from USD to USD by using Oanda conversion rate at 1,13 USD on 8 May, 2025. All numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar.

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