Will I starve?

[TheWalkingGrad]

So, I got three offers for my PhD, and the one I'm leaning more towards is in Austin. The stipend plus fellowship amounts to about USD 20,000 a year, with the possibility of earning more if I can work during summer.

I have no idea how American taxes work and whether I can live with this amount in Austin, especially after taxes. Help?

[Le Chat]

I live in Texas and you can definitely live off of 20k + a year. Austin rent might be a little pricy but if you live with roommates will be fine. America has an income tax that you pay once a year. We deduct taxes from each paycheck, so you may pay once a year or get a refund. The sales tax rate is 6.25% We don't have a state property tax.

Heres an idea of the cost of living:

https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/austin

Edited February 16, 2017 by abnumber5

[fuzzylogician]

Ask to speak with a current graduate student to get information about how they budget. That will also help you get some idea as to where students live and what kind of expenses they have. 

[UnawareInGeneral]

9 hours ago, TheWalkingGrad said:

So, I got three offers for my PhD, and the one I'm leaning more towards is in Austin. The stipend plus fellowship amounts to about USD 20,000 a year, with the possibility of earning more if I can work during summer.

I have no idea how American taxes work and whether I can live with this amount in Austin, especially after taxes. Help?

Roommates.

I don't know anything about UT Austin's graduate student housing situation, I'm a master's student at a different Texas university. I can tell you that taxes aren't overwhelming in Texas, and anything coming to you as financial aid is not taxed. If you are being paid to work as a graduate assistant, that will be taxed but at 20K or less a year you will get a lot of it back when you file taxes at the end of the year. 

You can get by in Austin at 20K a year. You won't starve if you find roommates to bring your rent down from 800-900 a month to more like 400-500. Dunno about your transportation situation or getting around in Austin though, I'm from Dallas originally and live elsewhere now. UT Austin is right downtown though, pretty sure legions of Longhorns don't own their own cars and they all get by just fine.