Living expenses

Whether you are a UK or EU or international student, your living expenses will include accommodation (unless you are a local student living rent-free at home), food, entertainment and books. You can get a good idea of the cost of accommodation from our accommodation website. Your other living expenses will depend on your way of life. Most students spend something in the region of £6,700 to £10,000 a year on their living expenses, including accommodation. The figures below (excluding the figure for private rentals) assume a 40 week tenancy and are based on 2012/13 figures.

If you have expensive hobbies or tastes, you will need to factor these into your budget. Here are some of the things you will also need to consider:

• accommodation, which can range from around £2,500 a year for a room in a self-catered student house to £6,360 for a catered hall, or £3,380 - £4,420 a year for private rentals (private rental contracts are usually for 52 weeks of the year and exclude heating, lighting, electricity and, in some cases, water rates)
• heating and lighting around £600 if you’re living in private accommodation
• food, which can cost from around £600 a year if you're in catered halls to around £1,170 a year for students living in private accommodation
• books and photocopying are likely to cost around £300
• clothes and toiletries can be a large expense-around £650 a year is not uncommon
• entertainment and sports will vary depending on your interests, but could easily add up to £1,530 a year

You should also think about travel expenses, particularly if you are planning to study a long distance from home, phone calls, birthday presents and any additional course costs.