When dormitory life becomes monotonous, students explore off-campus housing opportunities.

Jim Wood of Wood Rentals said two to three bedroom apartments can cost anywhere from just under $200 per person per month to $400 per person for a single.

Daily Eastern News classified advertisements list similar price ranges: about $250-275 each for three people in a three-bedroom home.

Those prices most often do not include utilities such as electricity, water or cable service.

Sandra Fischer, marketing representative for Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative, said bills are determined by the amount of kilowatt hours used.

Rates run from 9.3 cents per kilowatt hour for the first 500 kilowatt hours; 7.5 cents for the next 1,500; and 6 cents for over 2000 kilowatt hours.

“The overall average residential usage is 1,152 kilowatt hours which costs $121.40,” said Fischer.

Coles-Moultrie offers discount rates for all-electric apartments and residences with electric heating and cooling.

“It is 4.2 cents per kilowatt hour for electric heating and cooling,” Fischer said.

In all-electric apartments, the first 500 kilowatt hours have a 9.2 cent rate which drops to 5 cents after that.

“Considering the rising prices of propane and natural gas, it is much more economic to heat with all-electric utilities,” Fischer said.

While water is often considered a free resource, water service is a priced utility.

Monthly water service cost is determined by consumption.

Iris Jewell, a water department employee, said the city’s water service fee is $7.11 per 1000 gallons.

“On average, the monthly cost is around 10 to 12, maybe 14 dollars per person,” Jewell said.

Cable service, which is not as necessary as water and electricity, is still very popularly ordered in homes and apartments.

A service representative for Mediacom said cable prices range from $14.95 per month to $85.95 per month.

Basic cable, which is in the lowest price range, contains only local channels. The ABC, NBC and CBS networks are included in that category.

Expanded basic cable costs $42.90 per month and is comprised of channels 2-70.

Mediacom also offers digital cable, which is priced from $54.90 to 85.95 depending on what channel groupings are chosen.

Telephone service cost varies greatly by what services are chosen, such as whether cellular phones or land-line phones are selected.

The popular expanded basic cable service with the average electric, water and rental costs in a three-bedroom rental unit would run $1,001.30 for residents.

Based on averages, an individual living off-campus in Charleston costs approximately $334 monthly without considering telephone service, laundry or food costs.

City editor Carly Mullady can be reached at [email protected].