How Much a 60-Year-Old Living on Social Security Spends Monthly

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The earliest you can claim your Social Security benefits is 62, but that doesn’t mean that other Social Security benefits aren’t available to someone who’s 60.

Those include survivor benefits, which average $1,865 per month, and disability benefits, which average $1,583 per month as of July 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. Using those figures, here’s a breakdown of what a 60-year-old living on Social Security might spend monthly. 

How Much Do 60-Year-Olds Spend Each Month on Average?

To find out what someone might spend their Social Security income on, it’s important to look at basic expenses. The most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey shows that people ages 55 to 64 spend, on average, the following percentages each month:

• Housing: 30.9%
• Food: 12.5%
• Transportation: 17.4%
• Healthcare: 8.6%

Living on Social Security Survivor Benefits at 60: Monthly Costs

For someone relying only on average survivor benefits of $1,865 per month, the monthly cost breakdown might look like this:

• $576 on housing (30.9%)
• $233 on food (12.5%)
• $324 on transportation (17.4%)
• $160 on healthcare (8.6%)

That adds up to about $1,294 for necessities and leaves around $571 for everything else.

Living on Social Security Disability Benefits at 60: Monthly Costs

For someone living on average disability benefits of $1,582 per month, the spending might look like this:

• $489 on housing (30.9%)
• $198 on food (12.5%)
• $275 on transportation (17.4%)
• $136 on healthcare (8.6%)

That totals to about $1,098 and leaves roughly $484 for other expenses.

Living on Social Security Alone Can Equal a Very Tight Budget

It’s important to note that the spending detailed above only includes basic necessities. Any other expenses, such as utilities, clothing and personal care items, are not covered, which shows how incredibly limited a 60-year-old’s budget would be if solely depending on this type of income. 

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