How do you compare a weekly Sydney quote with a monthly Berlin one that includes utilities and a Toronto one that does not? You cannot, not directly. Every city quotes differently and hides different costs. Here is a method that actually works, because I have watched students get this wrong in expensive ways.
Step one: normalize everything to monthly, all-in cost. Some cities quote weekly (Sydney, London sometimes). Some exclude utilities (most of North America). Some include them (many European listings). A room that looks cheap weekly can be brutal monthly once you add the extras. Convert every listing to one number: total monthly cost to live there. That is the only number that matters. Everything else is marketing.
Step two: compare like with like. A studio in one city versus a shared room in another is not a comparison, it is a fantasy. Pick your housing type first, then compare. The average monthly rent for students in London Zone 2 vs Zone 3 is the perfect example of why granularity matters. Same city, same room type, wildly different prices, wildly different commutes. City averages hide all of this. Neighborhoods do not.
Step three: add the commute cost. A cheap room with an expensive commute is not cheap. Price the transit pass for that specific zone or distance. Students underestimate this constantly. I did too, once. Never again.
Step four: check what students actually pay, not what listings ask. Asking prices skew high. University housing offices, student forums, and a good cost of living database by study abroad city show real numbers. A city by city student expense tracker app helps you log and compare once you are there, but do the research before you sign, not after.
Step five: factor in deposits and fees. Some cities expect two months upfront. That is a cash flow problem, not just a cost problem. Plan for it.
A study abroad cost of living calculator app, iOS or Android, handles the currency math while you do this. Run a student housing costs comparison by city across two or three shortlisted cities and the winner usually becomes obvious. Or skip the spreadsheet entirely and let the pre-departure concierge at studyabroadadvisor.fyi run the comparison with you. The method matters more than the tool, but the tool saves you an afternoon.