Cheapest UK Cities for Student Accommodation

Worried about student rent draining your loan? You’re not alone — accommodation can eat up a good chunk of your available cash.
To help you budget smarter, we’ve crunched the numbers on the average cost of student accommodation in every UK university city. Explore our comprehensive list of the cheapest places to live as a student — and see where you could save thousands over the course of your degree.
Updated: 30th April 2025
Cheapest UK Cities for Student Accommodation League Table#

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Bradford
“Bradford is a culturally rich city known for its historical landmarks and vibrant arts scene. The city offers diverse dining options, beautiful parks, and excellent public transport. Its strong community spirit and affordable living make it an attractive place for students and families.”
Universities in this location: University of Bradford
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£78 | £100 | N/A | £140 |

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Carlisle
"I came here from a more rural setting so it's perfect as a city for me. Plenty of shops and some nice walks close to the city. It's not the best for student night life but there's enough for some good night's out."
Universities in this location: University of Cumbria
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£103 | £134 | N/A | N/A |

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Carmarthen
“It is an amazing place to be,it is full of life there is easy access to buses and trains. There are a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars. It has a lovely, warm and welcoming environment”
Universities in this location: University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD)
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
N/A | £107 | N/A | N/A |

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Aberystwyth
"Plenty of places to eat out and a huge range of pubs if a pint is your thing to wind down."
Universities in this location: Aberystwyth University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£112 | £141 | £175 | £192 |

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Huddersfield
“Huddersfield has lots of shops and lots of restaurants and takeaways. Bus station and train station allow for easy travel to different towns or cities.”
Universities in this location: University of Huddersfield
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£146 | £115 | N/A | £169 |

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Preston
"Very affordable one of the best places to live in the UK. easy access to everything. wonderful experience. I am going to miss it when I live."
Universities in this location: University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£125 | £115 | £133 | £157 |

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Stoke-on-Trent
“Ok, Let’s talk Stoke. Not the first place you think of for Uni, but a MASSIVE underdog. Ye the nightlife isn’t up to much, but the LRV compensates for that (on campus night club) with lots of events and themed nights. You wouldn’t go the town centre for a night out, but transport links are awesome and on the Uni Campus, a short journey in each direction and you are in a big city…."
Universities in this location: Staffordshire University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£115 | £133 | N/A | £185 |

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Wrexham
“Really nice city, perfect for the student life. the locals are really welcoming”
Universities in this location: Wrexham University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
N/A | £125 | N/A | N/A |
Paisley
Universities in this location: University of the West of Scotland
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£98 | £135 | £166 | N/A |

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Sunderland
"I'm relatively new and I think Sunderland is much better than what people deem it to be - ignore the negative reviews!"
Universities in this location: University of Sunderland
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£110 | £125 | £166 | £168 |
Stafford
“Cost for living in stafford is good, especially for students and there were plenty of restaurants in the area!”
Universities in this location: Staffordshire University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
N/A | £133 | N/A | £180 |

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Bolton
"Bolton is a nice place to stay, it’s city centre has the university and lots of places to shop, eat and relax. It’s also close to Manchester."
Universities in this location: University of Bolton
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£159 | £140 | N/A | £125 |
Cheltenham
“Cheltenham is a beautiful and historic city that has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike. I was struck by the picturesque architecture, the abundance of green spaces, and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere.”
Universities in this location: University of Gloucestershire
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
N/A | £140 | N/A | N/A |

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Middlesbrough
"It's a small city but well-equipped. It's also safer to go out at night and it's easy to get around by public transport."
Universities in this location: Teesside University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£100 | £135 | £182 | £150 |

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Wolverhampton
“Amazing city, not crowded like most cities are, most takeaways and cafes are in walking distance, same as the train, bus and metro station”
Universities in this location: University of Wolverhampton
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£142 | £107 | £210 | £180 |

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Newport (Shropshire)
“There are both pros and cons. Its a little quiet to hangout at night. However, the peace makes it a perfect place to focus in study”
Universities in this location: Harper Adams University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£166 | £142 | N/A | N/A |

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Aberdeen
"Aberdeen is a really great student city, it isn’t too big and daunting or too small and claustrophobic. It has beautiful architecture and really nice surroundings if you want to get out of the city for a break as well as an amazing beach!"
Universities in this location: University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University (RGU)
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£107 | £147 | £239 | £209 |

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Buckingham
"The campus is located in a picturesque area and the university has recently build some new buildings...Social life is not going to be as great as other universities located in big cities. But I think student unions tried their best. With smaller student population, you could make really really good friends and meet many people."
Universities in this location: University of Buckingham
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£155 | N/A | N/A | N/A |

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Keele
"Very pleasant place to live with lots of nice and friendly people. Plenty of places to go on nights out that are also very safe."
Universities in this location: Keele University
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
£148 | £140 | £187 | £173 |

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Luton
“Luton is a small city and with a wide range of communities. The best part of it is that it has a close airport and it’s well connected to London and other cities”
Universities in this location: University of Bedfordshire
Avg: Shared Flat Shared Bathroom | Avg: Shared Flat with Ensuite | Avg: Apartment | Avg: Studio |
N/A | £146 | £215 | £155 |
Rank | City/Town | Average Accommodation Cost Per Week |
21 | Sheffield | £155 |
22 | Plymouth | £158 |
23 | Ipswich | £160 |
24 | Northampton | £163 |
25 | Bangor | £165 |
26 | Colchester | £165 |
27 | Ormskirk | £165 |
28 | Hereford | £166 |
29 | Leicester | £166 |
30 | Coventry | £174 |
31 | Dundee | £175 |
32 | Writtle | £176 |
33 | Gloucester | £177 |
34 | Hull | £177 |
35 | High Wycombe | £178 |
36 | Loughborough | £178 |
37 | Chester | £182 |
38 | Derby | £183 |
39 | Lancaster | £185 |
40 | Canterbury | £190 |
41 | Gillingham | £191 |
42 | Norwich | £191 |
43 | Stirling | £194 |
44 | Winchester | £198 |
45 | Hatfield | £200 |
46 | Newcastle upon Tyne | £200 |
47 | Nottingham | £200 |
48 | Reading | £200 |
49 | Swansea | £202 |
50 | Chichester | £205 |
51 | Bournemouth | £205 |
52 | Cardiff | £206 |
53 | York | £206 |
54 | Durham | £208 |
55 | Burnley | £208 |
56 | Oxford | £209 |
57 | Belfast | £210 |
58 | Lincoln | £212 |
59 | Portsmouth | £216 |
60 | Liverpool | £218 |
61 | Exeter | £220 |
62 | Falmouth | £220 |
63 | Bath | £221 |
64 | Birmingham | £227 |
65 | Cambridge | £237 |
66 | Sidcup | £245 |
67 | St Andrews | £249 |
68 | Edinburgh | £250 |
69 | Leeds | £261 |
70 | Manchester | £265 |
71 | Glasgow | £268 |
72 | Southampton | £270 |
73 | Brighton | £290 |
74 | Guildford | £299 |
75 | Bristol | £335 |
76 | West London | £347 |
77 | South West London | £366 |
78 | Central London | £399 |
79 | South East London | £408 |
80 | North London | £423 |
81 | East London | £493 |
How we calculate average student accommodation prices#
Our city-wide average isn’t just a simple mean of room categories — it’s more accurate than that.
To calculate the overall average price for student accommodation in each city, we look at every room type listed (including studios, en-suites, shared flats, and apartments). We total the base prices of all these individual room types, then divide by the total number of room types to get the average.
This method reflects the real mix of accommodation available — for example, if a city has a large number of different kinds of studios (which are usually more expensive), that will naturally raise the overall average. We don’t just take an average of the category prices (like “Shared Flat” or “Studio”) because that wouldn’t account for how many room types exist in each category. For example, averaging four category prices assumes there are the same number of rooms in each — and that’s rarely the case.
Right now, this is the most accurate way to reflect real-world costs for students. In the future, we plan to weight averages by the number of rooms per category (once we have full data on room volumes) for an even more detailed view.
Are you trying to decide which university city to study in? You can find out which cities are rated highly by students in our Best Student Cities List below: