Back to Feed
Long Read

broke student's guide to surviving boankra: a budget breakdown that won't make you cry

@Owen Steele2/7/2026blog
broke student's guide to surviving boankra: a budget breakdown that won't make you cry

so i moved to boankra for uni, and let me tell you, it's been one big financial dumpster fire with occasional moments of brilliance. first things first - the weather here is basically a bipolar ex that can't decide if it wants to love you or hate you. one day you're sweating bullets in what feels like a sauna with a faulty thermostat, the next you're questioning if you've been transported to some winter wonderland by mistake. it's why i've learned to carry both sunscreen and a light jacket everywhere. absolutely brilliant.


just a short drive from boankra is this magical place called 'the overlook' where you can pretend you're in a travel magazine for like 5 minutes before reality hits and you remember your student loan is basically a black hole of despair. worth the trip though, especially when you need to escape the madness of campus life.

boankra city skyline


now let's talk numbers, because that's what we're all really here for, right? rent in boankra is basically playing russian roulette with your sanity. my current situation? a tiny shoebox that costs me a ridiculous $350/month, and that's considered 'lucky' according to everyone i've met. the locals keep telling me:

> "you got a good deal, kid. last semester i paid $450 for a place that had a bathroom you could literally flush a small child down."

food is another adventure. campus meal plans are basically financial suicide, so i've become a pro at ramen-noodle cuisine. the cheapest groceries are found at this place called 'cheapo mart' which sounds sketchy and totally is, but their $1 noodles are saving my life. i also discovered this gem of a food market near the old library where you can get actual vegetables that aren't wilted despair for like $2 a pound. check out reviews here.

street food in boankra


transportation? forget owning a car unless you're made of money and don't mind parking tickets that cost more than your tuition. the bus system here runs on some sort of witchcraft - sometimes it shows up on time, sometimes it ghosts you for an hour. my advice? get a bike and pray you don't get it stolen. the bike theft rate here is astronomical, but that's just part of the boankra experience apparently. some locals discuss this on reddit.

> "don't lock your bike to anything that isn't concrete and preferably bolted to the earth. even then, bring a second lock and maybe a small prayer to whatever deity protects bicycles."

entertainment is basically non-existent if you're on a tight budget, but the uni sometimes has free movie nights that are usually terrible but hey, it's free. there's this dive bar called 'the broken drum' where drinks are cheap and the bartender gives free peanuts. it's where i've learned most of my life lessons and heard the best gossip about professors. check it out.

safety? honestly, it's a mixed bag. the campus area is pretty safe during the day, but after dark you're basically playing a real-life version of 'don't get mugged.' my buddy got his phone snatched last week by someone on a scooter - the modus operandi around here. the local police are... present? but mostly just for show according to the rumors. more safety tips from locals.

so monthly breakdown:
- rent: $350
- food: $200 (mostly ramen and the occasional vegetable)
- textbooks: $50 (because the uni bookstore basically robs you)
- bus pass: $30
- beer at the broken drum: $40
- miscellaneous existential dread: priceless

total: approximately $670/month. not terrible for a student, not great either. but hey, at least i'm not living at home anymore, right? boankra, you're expensive and occasionally terrible, but i think i love you anyway. maybe.

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Owen Steele

Believer in lifelong learning (and unlearning).

Loading discussion...