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Brighton is a city in East Sussex on the south coast of England. Because of its location by the seaside, varied nightlife and social scenes, and its good access to London, Brighton’s become a very popular place for tourism and to live. Because of this it’s not a cheap city to live in and is one of the most expensive cities in the UK to be a student.
While it’s not as expensive as London and some other major cities, you’ll definitely find plenty of cheaper places to go to uni throughout the UK. Saying that, it’s also a fantastic place to live and one of the best student cities in the country. Read on to learn more about the cost of living in Brighton for a student.
CONTENTS
- Fees and funding in Brighton
- Student accommodation in Brighton
- Cost of groceries in Brighton
- Going out in Brighton
- Transport in Brighton
- Other student expenses in Brighton
Fees and funding in Brighton
When thinking about fees and funding in Brighton, you’ll need to consider that for most uni courses in the UK you’ll need to pay tuition fees. These usually cost up to £9,250 per year. On top of this, you’ll have living expenses like rent, food and going out costs, as well as general day-to-day stuff. We’ll go into more detail about these costs throughout this article.
When you apply to go to university you can apply for a student loan from Student Finance which will help you cover some of these costs. This funding only needs to be repaid once you’ve started working.
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may also be able to apply for extra funding from your uni in the form of scholarships and bursaries. For example, the University of Sussex’s bursary is automatically awarded to students from lower-income households. The University of Brighton also awards scholarships and bursaries to students based on personal circumstances including household income, heritage, subject choice and sporting ability.
Student accommodation in Brighton
How much you pay for your accommodation in Brighton depends on where you decide to live. Most students choose to live in university halls of residence in their first year of study. Living in Brighton, the typical cost for halls is around £120 to £225 per week. Catered accommodation and en suite rooms are generally more expensive than self-catered and shared-bathroom options.
If you’d rather not live in halls or you miss the accommodation deadline, you can also look at private rental options. You can find a room in a shared house for around £110 to £240 per week, or a one or two-bed studio flat for around £210 to £400 per week. If you live in a privately rented accommodation, you will need to pay utility bills, such as water, gas, electricity and internet, on top of your rent payments. In Brighton, you should budget at least £15 a week for these costs.
If you decide to live in university halls, your utility bills should be covered as part of your rent payments. It should also be noted that if you live in privately rented accommodation, your contract will probably last 52 weeks, whereas in halls you usually only have to pay for accommodation during the academic year.
Some students who study in Brighton choose to live in nearby Eastbourne, where you can find cheaper accommodation options.
Cost of groceries in Brighton
You’ll find all the mainstream supermarkets in Brighton, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Lidl, Aldi, Waitrose and M&S.
On average, you’ll find the following rough prices for these common goods:
- Milk (1L): £1.12
- Bread loaf: £1.28
- Rice (1kg): £1.49
- Eggs (12): £2.49
- Cheese (1kg): £7.18
- Chicken fillets (1kg): £5.94
- Apples (1kg): £2.36
- Potatoes (1kg): £0.89
Living in Brighton, the average student budgets around £35 to £50 per week for food shopping. It should be noted that money can be saved by shopping at the more reasonably priced supermarkets and by buying home-brand items.
Going out in Brighton
Brighton is one of the more expensive cities in the UK to go out in. On average, the price of a pint of beer is around £6 and a standard glass of wine usually costs between £5 and £6. Entry into a mainstream club costs on average £10 to £15. Like with most cities, you will find student nights and cheaper bars and pubs that will help you keep your costs down.
On average, a meal in an inexpensive or chain restaurant will cost around £15 per person, while a two-person meal of two or three courses in a mid-range restaurant will cost around £60.
The University of Sussex advises that the average student in Brighton budgets around £40 per week for going out, socialising and doing activities. This figure will vary from person to person.
Transport in Brighton
Brighton is well-connected to other major cities in the UK. To give you an idea of how much it costs to reach other parts of the country, a one-way train ticket from Brighton starts at £6 to London, around £35 to Birmingham and around £50 to Manchester. You may be able to find cheaper fares if you book in advance. Also, if you have a 16-25 Rail Card, you’ll be able to save 1/3 on your train fares.
Travelling around Brighton and the local areas by bus is convenient. You can buy a one-day citySAVER travel card for around £3.85, a week pass for around £17.50 or a 28-day pass for around £65.
Other student expenses in Brighton
As a student in Brighton, you’ll have other expenses that you should be aware of and budget for. The University of Sussex suggests that the average student spends around £6 to £10 per week on laundry, around £20 per month on course books, around £12 a month on toiletries and around £30 per month on clothes and accessories.
As a university student in Brighton, the average student should budget to spend around £1,100 a month, not including course fees.
