I would say don't do it! Unless you are looking for something on the side, I find that Fringe and festivals in general are not a good choice if your strapped for cash, you may end up losing more than you started with! However, if you are just starting out, it can be a good choice because it gives you experience and will improve your networking.
I agree completely. I've done two NY Fringe shows. The first I did early in my career for networking purposes. The show was fun and the people on my production were great. The second show, I did for a friend. Never do the NY Fringe to make money or break even. Expect little to no help or support from the NY Fringe staff. I had to supply, set up & run everything myself. It seems to me that their philosophy of "treating everyone equally" means to give nothing to everyone.
On the flip side, I just returned from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This show was well financed and our company was paid reasonably well. All our travel & housing expenses were covered. In addition, the staff at my venue was more than helpful. I came to this festival expecting nothing (like the NY Fringe) and was pleasantly surprised to find everyone backstage and front of house was professional & qualified. Some of them were even OVERqualified. This is a very well run festival. In addition, as part of the Assembly company, I got to see dozens of shows for FREE and eat at a discount at many local restaurants. It was a blast.
Overall, my philosophy is, if someone is paying me to travel abroad I'll do it. I'm not going to lose money on a show. Festivals can be great fun as long as it's a team effort & you're not losing your shirt.