Cheapest UK cities for students
Ranked by monthly balance: your maintenance loan minus private rent, transport, and groceries. A positive number means money left over for actually living.
Tap any row to expand. Costs based on average private rent — halls can be cheaper.Use the calculator →
London students get a higher maintenance loan (£1,529/mo vs £1,171) — but London rents average £1,200/month before you've bought a single meal. The extra £358 loan disappears instantly, and you're still £21 in the red before transport and groceries. The cities above give you real money left over.
Glasgow and Edinburgh both offer free bus travel to under-22s — saving around £55/month compared to other cities. Edinburgh's higher rents offset this, but Glasgow combines the free buses with lower rents to land in the top 5. Scottish students: your loan goes further than you think.
Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol all host Russell Group universities — but their city costs vary wildly. Manchester (£161/mo surplus) is far more affordable than Bristol (£46/mo). If you're targeting a Russell Group degree and every pound counts, Manchester or Leeds beats Bristol on pure affordability. See our Russell Group affordability ranking for the full picture.
See the full picture for your university
Every university page shows halls costs, monthly budget, and whether your loan covers it.