Cost of living by UK city: build a student budget

Start with the housing number

Accommodation usually drives the largest difference between cities. Compare the same contract length, room type, bills-included position, deposit and payment schedule. A weekly figure is not comparable until you know whether it covers 40, 44, 48 or 52 weeks.

• Room type and contract length
• Bills included or excluded
• Deposit and advance rent
• Distance and transport cost
• Payment dates

Separate fixed, variable and one-time costs

Put rent, phone and recurring transport in a fixed bucket; food, social spending and local travel in a variable bucket; and bedding, kitchen items, deposits and travel in a setup bucket. This makes a cheaper monthly city visible without hiding a difficult first month.

Use visa requirements as a floor, not a lifestyle budget

For a UK Student visa, GOV.UK currently sets a maintenance evidence amount of £1,529 per month in London and £1,171 outside London, each for up to nine months. These are immigration evidence figures, not a promise that your real costs will match them. Build a university- and housing-specific budget on top of the official requirement.

Compare cities with the same scenario

Run the same student profile through each city: course fees excluded or included consistently, one room type, one contract duration, a realistic commute and the same emergency buffer. Record the source and date for each estimate, then stress-test exchange rates and a delayed part-time job.

• Same room and contract assumption
• Same meal and transport assumptions
• Emergency buffer
• Exchange-rate assumption
• Evidence date and source

Turn estimates into a decision

A budget is useful only when it changes an action. If one city is affordable only with an optimistic rent or guaranteed work, mark it as fragile. If a higher-cost city has a confirmed scholarship, shorter commute or bills-included contract, record that trade-off explicitly. Revisit the sheet when you receive a written housing offer or funding decision. Keep a low, expected and high case; choose only when the high case still has a responsible funding path.

• Low case
• Expected case
• High case
• Funding source
• Trigger for review

Record the evidence behind the estimate

Save the university cost guide, housing evidence, transport source and date beside the spreadsheet. If a number is your own estimate, label it clearly and explain the assumption. This makes the city comparison refreshable when rent, exchange rates or course arrangements change and gives your family a way to challenge a number without arguing from memory.

Primary sources