McGill University: Which accommodation is better?

Since you’re an international student from another culture altogether, staying on campus will definitely help you a lot. It is always better and convenient than off-campus locations as it’ll save you the hassles of flat hunting, interacting with totally new people. 

However, vacancies in hostels are really less and you must apply for residence as soon as possible. So make sure you’ve applied for it as soon as you receive the offer letter. International students are better off staying on-campus at least for the initial period as it saves them a lot of time, effort and money spent on understanding the local areas. 

• On-campus residence at McGill houses over 3,000 students in its many dorms, apartments and hotel-type styles so you’ve a lot of budgets and arrangements.
• This housing includes a mandatory meal plan costing 5,475 CAD/year. 
• There are also shared kitchens to help students meet their diverse needs and dietary requirements
• University housing charge ranges from 8,148 to 13,052 CAD annually

Off-Campus Residence

If you fail to get housed or choose to go for off-campus housing, it has its own perks too. 

Foreign students can go for The Buddy Program where you can find a "Buddy" who helps you find a place outside the campus. This is a safe and handy facility offered by McGill itself.

• The rent and options in Saint Anne are economical with multiple facilities.
• Public transport is great and easy to use.
• Rent usually costs 500 to 1,300 CAD per month with meal plans ranging from 2,600 CAD to 4,000 CAD annually.

The whole area of Saint-Anne de Bellevue is beautiful, small, quiet and comfortable which is littered with nice restaurants and has reasonable rentals. The lakefront is a major attraction for weekends. Foreign students can explore these options if they want to avoid the hostel limitations or other issues.