<p>Experiences differ.</p>
<p>I had two kids at different colleges, both without cars and without supermarkets within walking distance.</p>
<p>When they moved off-campus, both found cooking to be extremely inconvenient because of difficulty in obtaining anything to cook. Traveling to distant supermarkets by bus was time-consuming, and the amount of food that could be obtained in this way was limited to what the student could carry (and what wouldn’t melt during the long trip home). The cost of taxis was prohibitive. </p>
<p>Both students ate many meals at on-campus facilities that accepted cash and relied on takeout food for other meals. The cost ended up being comparable to or greater than that of a full meal plan for a student living on-campus.</p>
<p>I wish it had been cheaper, but they and I never figured out workable way to reduce costs.</p>