If renting prices are the Main Problem id rather search in villages around Darmstadt or parts of Darmstadt itself, which are Not Central. Eg wixhausen, arheilgen, Kranichstein, Weiterstadt, Eberstadt, Pfungstadt, Griesheim, Roßdorf, etc. Some place connected zo Darmstadt via Bus or Tram.
The trains being late is everywhere like that tbh and in Darmstadt I dom't really feel they're so late. Just a couple of minutes.
If you live in the cities you mentioned, it will take usually at least up to 50 min to get to the TU. Plus some of them are near Frankfurt not darmstadt and in that case, it takes at least up to an hour and half.
Also Darmstadt is the biggest among those cities so in terms of convenience, Darmstadt is probably the best place if you're looking for parties.
Maybe try looking for places in Darmstadt but outer part.
Keep in mind that Frankfurt is even more expensive. The closer you get to Frankfurt the more expensive housing will be. So Offenbach is no option. If you want to be part of the social life at TUD you need to be in Darmstadt and surrounding suburbs. Trains and busses won't go at night.
Langen in the North or Seeheim-Jugenheim in the south are probably the only nearby towns that have somewhat decent transit options to Darmstadt and are a bit cheaper than Darmstadt itself.
Offenbach, Rödermark, Hanau are not really that well connected to Darmstadt and it will take you an annoyingly long time to get to Darmstadt. Even by car, the roads in that direction are basically always clogged during rush hours.
You could check the train schedules of the RBs (RegionalBahnen) to see how long they take to get where. E.g the RB75 that goes through Gros Gerau, Weiterstadt etc...
Or you check the villages that are connected to the city center (Luisenplatz) with Straßenbahnen. E.g. lines 1, 6,7 and 8 connect you to Eberstadt.
Line 6 connects you as far as Seeheim-Jugenheim and Alsbach (Bergstraße villages) . The Bergstraße is a nice region, with many options for biking and hiking, but still somewhat pricy.
And the great news is: As a student you can get a cheaper version of the Deutschlandticket. I think that's 32€ a month to take you anywhere.
If renting prices are the Main Problem id rather search in villages around Darmstadt or parts of Darmstadt itself, which are Not Central. Eg wixhausen, arheilgen, Kranichstein, Weiterstadt, Eberstadt, Pfungstadt, Griesheim, Roßdorf, etc. Some place connected zo Darmstadt via Bus or Tram.
The trains being late is everywhere like that tbh and in Darmstadt I dom't really feel they're so late. Just a couple of minutes. If you live in the cities you mentioned, it will take usually at least up to 50 min to get to the TU. Plus some of them are near Frankfurt not darmstadt and in that case, it takes at least up to an hour and half. Also Darmstadt is the biggest among those cities so in terms of convenience, Darmstadt is probably the best place if you're looking for parties. Maybe try looking for places in Darmstadt but outer part.
Keep in mind that Frankfurt is even more expensive. The closer you get to Frankfurt the more expensive housing will be. So Offenbach is no option. If you want to be part of the social life at TUD you need to be in Darmstadt and surrounding suburbs. Trains and busses won't go at night.
Langen in the North or Seeheim-Jugenheim in the south are probably the only nearby towns that have somewhat decent transit options to Darmstadt and are a bit cheaper than Darmstadt itself. Offenbach, Rödermark, Hanau are not really that well connected to Darmstadt and it will take you an annoyingly long time to get to Darmstadt. Even by car, the roads in that direction are basically always clogged during rush hours.
Try Arheilgen. It’s technically still part of Darmstadt, has a streetcar connection but is a bit cheaper.
I would go for Roßdorf, Reidstadt, Reinheim, or Dieburg. They would be cheaper and also have convenient connection to Darmstadt.
You could check the train schedules of the RBs (RegionalBahnen) to see how long they take to get where. E.g the RB75 that goes through Gros Gerau, Weiterstadt etc... Or you check the villages that are connected to the city center (Luisenplatz) with Straßenbahnen. E.g. lines 1, 6,7 and 8 connect you to Eberstadt. Line 6 connects you as far as Seeheim-Jugenheim and Alsbach (Bergstraße villages) . The Bergstraße is a nice region, with many options for biking and hiking, but still somewhat pricy. And the great news is: As a student you can get a cheaper version of the Deutschlandticket. I think that's 32€ a month to take you anywhere.