<p>My sons went to school in DC and it is an expensive city; however there also is a lot to do that is free. You might want to budget some money for Metro fares so you can explore DC maybe $80/ month? See if your campus meal plan can include local eateries near campus–many take dining dollars–my so s tended to eat a fourth meal many nights after studying or intramural sports. On weekends they would often do things off campus, such as going to the Smithsonians or Kennedy Center which are free but would use metro fare and often go out to eat before and/or after generally at relatively inexpensive ethnic restaurants. They also used metro fare to get to various internships (earlier ones unpaid, later ones paid) which also had some expenses for dry cleaning etc. </p>
<p>My sons didn’t have much in the way of other personal expenses but girls might have more</p>