>What nobody here is telling you is Northampton is a very high cost of living town in an already high cost of living state.

On a more practical level, the difference between prices in downtown Northampton vs. the actual grocery stores in Northampton and Hadley (reachable by bike or in the case of stop and shop even walking from campus) is larger than regional price differences.

It's buying things at what are essentially convenience stores, prepared meals, etc. that are actually going to kill a budget.