What if I told you that you could save thousands of dollars for a semester in housing and food costs by studying in Central London instead of St. Louis? No, the United Kingdom has not suffered the biggest financial crisis in modern history, and, no, St. Louis has not suddenly transformed into the new Manhattan.

Yet, this has been my experience as a junior studying abroad at University College London (UCL) this semester, and it has opened my eyes to the true absurdity of Washington University’s room and board charges.

My dorm, known as Astor College, is not quite as nice as the castles we live in and the Tempur-Pedic mattresses we (barely) sleep on at Wash. U. However, it’s primarily a freshman dorm for 235 students that still boasts some impressive amenities, such as a computer lab, a television lounge and a laundry room.

I’m also fortunate enough to live in a single room, so I don’t have to deal with the equivalent of a drunk roommate storming in at 3 a.m. crying for a half and half with a side of mozzarella sticks, because Bear’s Den is closed. Yes, I have to use communal bathrooms, but it’s not so bad (although I could do without showers that require me to push a button every 15 seconds).

But the biggest selling point is that I’m a 10-minute walk away from the famous shops on Oxford Street and just a couple blocks from tons of restaurants and pubs. Plus I’m only five minutes away from campus. Oh, did I mention that I get 10 plentiful meals a week, too?

For all of this at UCL, I am paying roughly $4,540 this semester, which isn’t cheap by any means. However, I’m saving over $3,200 compared to a similar single room in a Wash. U. traditional dorm ($5,380 per semester) and the compulsory minimum silver meal plan for freshmen ($2,397 per semester).

Sure, Wash. U. has mostly double rooms and the bronze meal plan may be a fairer comparison to the number of meals I’m getting at UCL, but let me examine this scenario. In this case, the gap widens even more to a savings of $3,350, since UCL charges $3,387 per semester while Wash. U. charges $4,741 for a traditional double and $2,007 for the Bronze meal plan.

When compared to the average rent prices in each city, the differences in prices between UCL and Wash. U. are even more shocking. According to Forbes, St. Louis is the fourth best city for renters due to its reasonable average rent of $809 per month. Meanwhile, London has an average rent of a whopping 1,500 pounds (around $2,300), and it continues to soar.

This demonstrates that UCL actually tries to lower its housing prices for its students relative to the area, while Wash. U. seems keen on raising it, to the detriment of its students and the surrounding residents.

Let’s not forget that traditional dorms are Wash. U.’s cheapest housing options for freshmen and sophomores. With the demolition of Rubelmann House in favor of a newer, more expensive modern dorm, it doesn’t appear that Wash. U. is interested in building any low-cost choices.

I understand that we are paying more for having some of the best college housing and food in the country, but there comes a tipping point when we are paying too much.

Wash. U. students, many of whom are burdened with tens of thousands in student loan debt, shouldn’t be treated as paying customers. Maybe, just maybe, Wash. U. could learn from knowing its students “by name and by story” and take a more humane approach by lowering its housing and food prices.

When I decided to study abroad in London—the fifth most expensive city in the world—I never imagined that I would save over $3,000 on room and board costs. Our astronomical housing and food prices threaten any strides we have made in increasing socioeconomic diversity. Expanding the number of students receiving Pell Grants isn’t enough. It’s time for Wash. U. to cut its housing and food prices, or, at the very least, provide cheaper alternatives for its students.