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Student budgets are a hot topic right now, and if you’re applying to university or going through Clearing, then the cost of living in the cities you might be moving to is probably on your mind. Most undergraduate students will be eligible for the student maintenance loan, but it certainly goes further in some cities than others. We’ve picked out a handful of UK cities with lower-than-average cost of living to help you make an affordable uni choice.
Please note, because of the multiple different factors, it’s not possible to say for certain which uni city is the ‘most affordable’ in the UK. For this list, we’ve used Numbeo’s average rent prices and NatWest’s Student Living Index 2022 to select a range of cities in different UK locations. While this list is only considering university cities, smaller university towns also often have a lower cost of living than their nearby university cities.
Coventry
Located in the West Midlands, Coventry is a relatively small city with great transport connections to larger cities such as Birmingham. The city was named 3rd most affordable for students in the UK by the NatWest Student Living Index 2022, and average rent here for students is roughly £450 per month if you’re renting privately. Living in Coventry, not only will you benefit from the lower-than-average cost of living, but you’ll also be attending Coventry University which was named Top New University by Complete University Guide in 2018, or the University of Warwick, which ranked 11th in the UK overall in Complete University Guide’s 2024 league tables.
Learn more about the cost of living in Coventry.
Southampton
Joint 3rd most affordable city in the UK according to the NatWest Student Living Index 2022 is Southampton. Unsurprisingly then, you’ll find renting privately to be a similar price to Coventry, and you can keep costs down by choosing to live in a nearby neighbourhood such as Portswood rather than the city centre. Studying here, you’ll have the choice between the University of Southampton, which was ranked 17th in the UK by Complete University Guide’s 2024 league tables and Solent University, who have recently been making large investments into campus improvements, leading to it ranking within the top 50 UK universities for student satisfaction in Complete University Guide’s 2024 league tables.
Learn more about the cost of living in Southampton.
Birmingham
Surprisingly, one of England’s major cities has made it to the list! Birmingham was ranked joint 6th for affordability by NatWest’s Student Living Index 2022. The rent in Birmingham is a bit more expensive than in Southampton or Coventry, though as it’s a much larger city that’s to be expected! An average three-bedroom apartment in the city centre goes for around £1800 per month, or £600 per person. As Birmingham has a great public transport network, you may save money by living a little bit further out of the city and travelling in. Here, you’ll have a range of unis to pick from, including University College Birmingham and Birmingham City University. University College Birmingham came 2nd in the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards for Best University, while Birmingham City University have invested over £340 million into transforming their campus and facilities.
Read more about the cost of living in Birmingham.
Cardiff
Cardiff, Wales’ capital city, came top of the list for affordable UK cities according to NatWest's Student Living Index 2022. As a capital city, this might be a bit of a surprise, but for anyone on a student budget, Cardiff is an ideal choice. If you live a bit further out of the city, we wouldn’t be surprised if you could find a room in a shared house or flat for £350 per person – a bargain! Here, you’ll be able to choose to study at the University of Cardiff or Cardiff Metropolitan University. Cardiff Metropolitan University is known for its diverse community, with over 140 countries represented by its student body, while the University of Cardiff ranked 21st in the UK according to Complete University Guide’s 2024 league tables.
Learn more about Cardiff’s cost of living.
Aberdeen
While it wasn’t included in NatWest’s Student Living Index study, we felt Aberdeen deserved a place on this list thanks to its astoundingly low rent prices. The average rent for a three-bedroom apartment is just over £1000 per month, which would work out to around £350 per person. It’s a smaller city than most of those on this list, but it’s still home to two universities – the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. The University of Aberdeen ranked 35th in Complete University Guide’s 2024 league tables, while Robert Gordon University is proud to be an industry-led university, meaning it offers excellent connections to local businesses and offers students plenty of chances to get involved in more practical-based learning.
Find out more about the cost of living in Aberdeen.
Sheffield
NatWest ranked Sheffield as the third most affordable UK city, joint with Coventry and Southampton. It offers students a central location within the UK and has transport connections to other major cities including London and Birmingham. The city has two universities – Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK’s largest, with almost 25,000 undergraduate students, while Sheffield University is home to around 20,000 undergraduates.
Find out more about Sheffield’s cost of living.
Sources
1. NatWest Student Living Index 2022. This is calculated based on students’ monthly outgoings (rent, items, activities) compared to their average monthly income (student loan, parental support, earnings from part-time work).
2. Numbeo. Numbeo calculates average prices in different towns and cities based on aggregated information submitted by users.
