cost living

Student cost of living calculator

Discover your estimated monthly spend at university, based on UK averages, by answering questions built in partnership with students, focussing on what matters most to them.

Housing

Accommodation costs vary based on location, type and availability. These are average estimates for catered and non-catered options.

Where do you plan on living while at university?*

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What are your housing costs?
I’ll be living
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  • At home - Staying where you currently live which means living parents or guardians. This typically means no rent and is likely to be the cheapest option overall. Choosing this option will count your housing costs as £0. For universities that only offer online or distance courses will also be set to £0 as you will likely have to stay at home. However, if you contribute to household bills while living at home, or expect to, please tick 'I already know how much I'll spend' and add the monthly amount in the box provided.
  • University / private halls - You can apply to live in university accommodation through your chosen university. You will be able to find information about accommodation, prices and the application process through your university’s website. Rent in university accommodation typically includes utility bills such as electricity, water, and internet making it a convenient option for students moving away from home. If a university has halls in more than one location the price will be shown in the results as a range. You should always confirm fees and double check included costs on your chosen unis website.
  • Shared or Private Rental - Found through estate agents or rental platforms. These are generally more expensive options. Our calculation includes regional utility costs, such as electricity and internet, but you can adjust this by entering your actual rent and bills if you know them. If a university in your results doesn't have it's own or recommended halls the estimated cost will be set at that of a shared private rental in the area.

If you already know how much you'll spend, please tick 'I already know how much I'll spend' and add the monthly amount in the box provided.

Food

Where will you eat out / order takeaways from?

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How many days do you eat out each week?*

Breakfast

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Lunch

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Dinner

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What are your eating out costs?
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If you already know how much you'll spend on eating out and takeaways, tick 'I already know how much I'll spend', choose monthly, weekly, or yearly from the dropdown, and enter your estimated cost. If not, please select the types of places you usually eat out at or order takeaways from:

  • £- Budget restaurants : This would include meal deals from placed like McDonald's and Greggs.
  • ££ - Mid-Range restaurants : This would include places like Nandos and Byron Burger.
  • £££ - High end restaurants : This would be places like Flat Iron Steak and Nobu.

Then, please use the plus and minus signs next to breakfast, lunch and dinner to help us estimate your food costs each month. We'll use the national average prices and your indicated price range to calculate how much it will cost you to eat out.

Where will you do your food / grocery shopping?*

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What are your food shopping costs?
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First, think about where you plan to do most of our food or grocery shopping

  • £- Budget supermarket : Think Aldi, Lidl or Iceland.
  • ££ - Mid-Range supermarket : These include supermarkets like Sainsbury's or Tesco.
  • £££ - High end supermarket : More expensive supermarkets like Waitrose or M&S Food..

Based on how many meals you told us you will eat out or takeaway, we'll calculate your grocery shopping as the national average costs of breakfast, lunch and dinner ingredients for the remaining days in the supermarket price bracket of your choosing

If you already know how much you typically spend, just tick the box and enter the amount and choose the frequency from the drop down.

Remember: All stores often have discounted own-brand options - so consider your shopping style. If you shop you'll shop a mid-range or high-end supermarket but will likely only choose supermarket own brands or their economy ranges then your shopping will end up costing you less so pick the option that feels right for how you'll be doing most of your supermarket shops.

Hygiene and personal care products?

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To estimate your monthly expenses for hygiene and personal care:

  • Start by listing all the products you use regularly, including essentials like shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste, as well as any hair care or makeup products you rely on.
  • Think about how often you typically replace each item (e.g., weekly, monthly, or less often) and jot down the cost of each product from your preferred supermarket or store.
  • Divide the total cost of items replaced less frequently by the number of months they last to calculate their monthly contribution.
  • Add up these costs to estimate your monthly spend.

Tip: Don’t forget to include items specific to your personal routine, health requirements, or preferences, such as skincare, hair treatments, or specialized products..

Travel

How often will you use public transport?*

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What are your public transport costs?
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Indicate how often you use public transport so the calculator can estimate your monthly cost. Costs are calculated using public transport ticket prices from Numbeo: ‘Never’ assumes £0, ‘Rarely’ is one-way ticket price × 3, ‘Sometimes’ is one-way ticket price × 8, ‘Often’ is one-way ticket price × 20, and ‘Every day’ uses the monthly pass price. If you are not sure this will give you an accurate representation of your travel costs please tick 'I already know how much I'll spend' and add the monthly cost in the box provided and remember:

  • If you'll be living at home, consider your commute costs, like a bus pass or travel card.
  • Some universities offer free shuttle buses for campus transport—check your university's website for details.
  • In Scotland, you may qualify for free bus travel if you’re under 22 through Transport for Scotland.
  • Student discounts on travel are widely available across the UK for the initial price of a student discount card, so check with your university and local transport providers.

Do you have a vehicle?*

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Input costs of: Insurance, Fuel and Road tax
Insurance
Fuel
Road tax
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If you'll own or drive a car, moped, motorcycle, or any vehicle while at university that requires fuel, insurance, and tax, enter the monthly amounts in the boxes provided. Please note that while parking costs at university and the yearly MOT charge aren't listed as separate options here, you can include them in the 'Other Costs' section below.

How much would travel cost to visit family and friends?

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Enter what you think it will cost to travel to see your friends and family. Select from the drop down whether your calculations are monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly.

Clothing

How expensive is the clothing you usually buy?*

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How many items of clothing do you buy monthly?*

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What are your clothing costs?
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If you already know how much you spend per month on clothes, please enter the amount by ticking the box next to 'I already know how much I'll spend'.

If not, please select the usual price range of the clothes you purchase:

  • £ - Charity shop/budget clothing store like Primark or Penneys
  • ££ - Mid-range clothing store like Next or Zara
  • £££ - High-end stores or designer labels like Selfridges or Harrods

Then, select how many items you buy per month. The calculator will estimate a cost based on your answers and UK averages for each price band.

Daily life

How often will you go out to socialise?*

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What are your socialising costs?
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Estimate how much you are likely to go out. Your total will then be calculated based on price of an international release cinema ticket and the price of a domestic beer in a restaurant in the city or region you have selected. For example, spending once a month includes 1 cinema ticket and 2 beers, while going out more than once a week averages 2 tickets and 8 beers monthly.

If you already know how much you are likely to spend, tick ‘I already know how much I spend’ and enter your budget. Consider your usual social habits like music and theatre performances, club nights, nights in with friends and evenings down the pub. But exclude hobbies—add those in the 'Other expenses' section below."

Which paid streaming services and apps would you use?*

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ADD OPTION
What are your streaming and app costs?
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If you already know how much you will pay in total for your monthly subscriptions, please tick 'I already know how much I'll spend' and enter the amount in the box provided.

If not, please select all the apps and streaming services you'll be paying for. You can add your own if there are any we haven't covered by typing the name, adding the cost, and selecting the payment frequency from the drop-down menu.

Subscriptions selected from the buttons provided will be calculated based on either the average subscription cost or the student discounted rate. If you know for sure how much you pay, please enter your subscription cost manually in the section provided for the most accurate cost for you. Remember you may be on a family plan for some of these subscriptions so don't add them in if you don't pay for them. However, if you contribute to the family plan add it below marking it as your share or add it to 'Other expenses' below.

How much will you spend on your phone contract per month?*

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Enter the cost of your monthly contract including any add-ons.

What type of sport / exercise do you prefer?*

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What are your sport / exercise costs?
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If you choose to select one of the activities above, the calculator will estimate monthly costs based on the average for your area.

If you already know how much you will spend, please tick the box next to 'I already know how much I'll spend' and enter the amount you spend per month on sport/exercise.

Are there any other costs you would like to add? (optional)

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ADD OPTION
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If there are additional costs not included in this calculator that need to be part of your monthly budget, please add them here. These might include expenses related to dependents, such as childcare, or debts like store cards and credit cards, as well as any hobbies. 

Your income

What income will you get? (optional)

Student loan
Scholarship
Part-time work
Other sources

Budgeting for university can be daunting, but it is important to remember that most students across the UK are likely to have some form of income which supports their living costs. This often includes student loans (which many are eligible for), part-time work earnings, support from family or guardians, scholarships, or bursaries. Please enter your known or estimated income in each category.

  • Student loan: If you're unsure, we recommend using this easy student finance calculator on gov.uk.
  • Scholarship: Include any bursaries or support you expect to receive. You can research scholarships and bursaries and what you may be entitled to on individual uni websites.
  • Part-time work: Remember to choose the right frequency based on when you may get paid; typically, this could be weekly or monthly.
  • Other sources: Consider savings, family contributions, or any additional income.

If you're uncertain about your income, tick "I'm not sure of my income," and we'll base calculations on spending only.

Tip: While this section is optional, entering estimated figures will help you understand if you'll have some extra money to save (or spend) or if you may fall a bit short.

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