Great Britain holds great expectations for international students. But, what is the cost of living in the UK?
What will be the average monthly cost in the UK for an international student?
What are the tuition fees, accommodation costs, transport, and all other costs associated with studying and living in the UK?
We have done the maths for you, keep reading to find out more
Studying in the UK includes the cost of tuition fees, living expenses, and other academic investments that make up the total of your cost of education in the UK.
While your cost of living in the UK may vary depending on multiple other factors, your tuition fee is something that will be definite. AECC Global brings you an estimate of tuition fees for undergraduates, postgraduates, and doctoral degrees.
But, before we move forward let's find out a little more about tuition fees.
Tuition fees are the basic charge of universities and colleges to cover key elements of your course. These elements include:
The exact cost of tuition fees depends on the course, where the student comes from, and the place of the university. However, below is a rough estimate of tuition fees for undergraduate courses in the UK
|
Student's home region |
Studying in England |
Studying in Scotland |
Studying in Wales |
Studying in Northern Ireland |
|
England |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,000 |
Up to £9,250 |
|
Scotland |
Up to £9,250 |
No fee |
Up to £9,000 |
Up to £9,250 |
|
Wales |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,000 |
Up to £9,250 |
|
Northern Ireland |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,250 |
Up to £9,000 |
Up to £4,395 |
|
EU and other international* |
Variable |
Variable |
Variable |
Variable |
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There are multiple factors that determine the cost of postgraduate courses in the UK. The cost depends on course duration, and the institute primarily.
As per the Universities and College Admission Service (UCAS), tuition fees range from GBP 4,000- 30,000 annually with an average of 11,000 GBP per year.
This cost can be a concern to many international students. But, universities offer Tuition Fee Reduction to international students.
Universities in the UK may consider a reduction in your tuition fees depending on the country of your origin. The tuition fee reductions are made by the universities that are in accordance with public funding literature.
Most universities in the UK will provide on-campus accommodation facilities known as the 'Hall of Residence' for International Students. However, some students choose to live off-campus and that comes as a separate cost for international students.
We break down these costs for you to make an informed choice while studying in the UK.
Off-Campus accommodation is a residence chosen by students that are not part of the university.
The off-campus accommodation will cost you rent, council tax, and utility bills along with your weekly/monthly grocery bills. Rent will depend on the city you choose to live in. Here is the breakdown of the rent depending on the city.
London is the most expensive city in the UK. Student accommodations will cost around GBP 1200 for basic facilities in central locations of the city.
Manchester is pretty good with its property market and students can find good accommodation in the range of GBP 500-700 monthly.
Liverpool is in the same price range as Manchester and if you extend your budget to 285 GBP per week you may find some pretty instagrammable furnished studio apartments in Central Liverpool.
Glasgow again is on the expensive side and students wanting to live close to university will have to pay a rent of GBP 800-1000 monthly.
Edinburgh is also an expensive property market although students can make a pick with their area and rent a decent furnished student accommodation between GBP 700-1000.
AECC Global TIP:
If you choose student accommodation then you may or may not be eligible for council tax.
We recommend you check with your real estate agent and then make a final call on the accommodation.
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International students making a move to the United Kingdom might not hop on the idea of buying/renting a car. Public transport will be their go-to pick for travel.
The United Kingdom has pretty good public transport connectivity and students can avail of student discount cards with their university ID cards.
Even with student ID discount cards, transportation comes at a heavy cost and is highly dependent on the city you live in.
Here is the transportation cost breakdown for you:
London: Bus & Tram pass or Oyster Card will be your friend when in London. You can either buy a monthly pass or get a pay-as-you-go card which you can use as and when you want to use it.
The monthly bus cap is 62.20 GBP
Manchester: FirstBus service is the bus service of Manchester and they have 2 options for students.
Liverpool: If you are a student in Liverpool, bus tickets are valid only for students from the University of Liverpool, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool John Moores University, and the University of Chester.
Liverpool bus service also has term-wise bus passes which cost from 135 GBP to 355 GBP covering your entire semester period.
Glasgow: FirstBus is again the bus service company in Glasgow with student discount passes available daily, weekly, monthly, and annually.
Monthly is around 60 and annually you pay 400-500 GBP depending if it is a city or network base pass.
The cost of living in the UK per month has gone considerably up due to inflation. And, therefore it becomes important for international students to learn about the latest groceries and food prices to know their monthly spending.
|
Groceries |
Prices |
Groceries |
Prices |
|
Fresh Milk |
GBP 1/L |
Oranges |
GBP 2.4-3 |
|
Butter |
GBP 6-8 |
Grapes |
GBP 1.5 |
|
Eggs |
GBP 1.5 10 pieces |
Pineapple |
GBP 1.8 |
|
Cheese |
GBP 3-7 depending on the type of cheese |
Bananas |
BP 0.5 |
|
Potato |
GBP 0.5-1 |
Pasta |
GBP 2-3 |
|
Tomato |
GBP 2-3 |
Cereals |
GBP 1.5-3.4 |
|
Carrot |
GBP 0.5 |
Rice |
GBP 2-8 |
|
Apples |
GBP 0.7-1.5 |
Olive Oil |
GBP 2.5- 4 |
|
Sunflower Oil |
GBP 0.80-1.50 |
Now that we have covered the average monthly grocery expense, there is a living expense in the UK which covers your council tax, TV licence, mobile, utility bills like your water, gas, and electricity bills, leisure, socialising, and Healthcare surcharge.
We try to list down a rough estimate of these figures so students wanting to move to the United Kingdom can make an informed move to the country of their dreams.
Council Tax: It is dependent on the county and accommodation type and area. A typical range starts from GBP 40 in the United Kingdom.
TV Licence: GBP 159 per year or else you can pay it weekly or monthly basis.
Mobile Phones: GBP 15-20 which will include your unlimited International calls
Utility Bills- Electricity, gas, and water bills are dependent on your choice of accommodation. If it is an old property with old radiators and piping the bills are set to be on a higher side, whereas newly built properties will have it on the lower end.
Sports centres and socialising can cost anywhere from GBP 20-150 depending on the choice of your outing.
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The National Health Cover charge (NHS) provides free healthcare to all residents of the United Kingdom. So, if you are an international student you will receive the same healthcare benefits as British citizens.
Although, you just need to pay a healthcare surcharge at the same time you apply for a student visa UK.
International students need to pay GBP 470 annually as their healthcare surcharge along with their annual visa renewal charge. Students with a course duration of six months or less pay a healthcare surcharge of GBP 235.
We hope this blog helped you get insights into the average cost of living in the UK. For any other information regarding universities, please feel free to contact our guidance counsellors.
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The cost of living in the UK is hugely dependent on the location of your university. However, GBP 12,000 is the average cost of living in the UK for a student, calculated by various channels including a rough estimate made by the government of the UK.
Yes, you can apply for PR after finishing undergraduate or postgraduate studies in the UK. The requirement to get a PR in the UK is through a full-time job requirement and good moral conduct. There are a few steps to follow in order to obtain permanent residency in the UK.
A student can work 20 hours per week while studying in the UK.
To apply for a student visa to the UK, it costs about GBP 457 on standard service.
The energy and utility bills in the UK are primarily dependent on the student's type of accommodation, and city of residence. On average, it can range from GBP 40-100 per month.
