Top 10 most cost-effective places to study in the UK

There are many popular cities and universities in the United Kingdom where you may wish to study. We suggest you know more about studying in the UK. Out of the most popular ones, we give you a list of the 10 cheapest cities to study in the UK which will give you considerably good opportunities.

This list is based on the NatWest Student Living Index 2021. 

According to the 2021 NatWest Student Living Index, the biggest monthly spend for students is the rent. Shopping, clothes and eating out are the next top areas where students spend the most. The survey was conducted in the latter half of 2021.

Of the details given below, the Average Living Index is the average monthly living and accommodation costs divided by the average monthly income.

The rent rate, the cost of alcohol etc are based on the spending patterns of students during the time of the survey.

Cheapest Cities in the UK

1. Sheffield

• Average living index: 0.67
• Household bills (monthly): £32.9
• Groceries (monthly): £91.2
• Takeaways (monthly): £25.6
• Alcohol (monthly): £26.1
• Going out (monthly): £27.8

Where to study?

•  The University of Sheffield

2. Liverpool

• Average living index: 0.96
• Household bills (monthly): £18.0
• Groceries (monthly): £88.5
• Takeaways (monthly): £23.2
• Alcohol (monthly): £38.5
• Going out (monthly): £31.1

Where to study?

• University of Liverpool
• Liverpool John Moores University

3. Newcastle

• Average living index: 0.83
• Household bills (monthly): £21.6
• Groceries (monthly): £75.0
• Takeaways (monthly): £28.2
• Alcohol (monthly): £38.6
• Going out (monthly): £31.7

Where to study?

•  Newcastle University
• Northumbria University

4. Cambridge

• Average living index: 0.70
• Household bills (monthly): £15.5
• Groceries (monthly): £83.7
• Takeaways (monthly): £30.5
• Alcohol (monthly): £19.3
• Going out (monthly): £21.8

Where to study?

• The University of Cambridge
• Anglia Ruskin University
• Westminister College

5. Exeter

• Average living index:0.77
• Household bills (monthly): £38.6
• Groceries (monthly): £91.9
• Takeaways (monthly): £20.6
• Alcohol (monthly): £39.3
• Going out (monthly): £26.2

Where to study?

• Exeter University

6. York

• Average living index: 0.98
• Household bills (monthly): £13.9
• Groceries (monthly): £76.3
• Takeaways (monthly): £21.2
• Alcohol (monthly): £31.8
• Going out (monthly): £13.3

Where to study?

• York St. John University

7. Cardiff

• Average living index: 0.91
• Household bills (monthly): £31.8
• Groceries (monthly): £87.7
• Takeaways (monthly): £31.1
• Alcohol (monthly): £32.1
• Going out (monthly): £27.7

Where to study?

• Cardiff University

8. Nottingham

• Average living index: 0.77
• Household bills (monthly): £22.4
• Groceries (monthly): £65.3
• Takeaways (monthly): £21.1
• Alcohol (monthly): £32.0
• Going out (monthly): £25.5

Where to study?

• Nottingham Trent University

9. Birmingham

• Average living index: 0.76
• Household bills (monthly): £21.5
• Groceries (monthly): £61.6
• Takeaways (monthly): £32.5
• Alcohol (monthly): £16.5
• Going out (monthly): £23.9

Where to study?

•  Birmingham City University

10.   Glasgow

• Average living index: 0.72
• Household bills (monthly): £22.8
• Groceries (monthly): £66.9
• Takeaways (monthly): £22.0
• Alcohol (monthly): £33.0
• Going out (monthly): £24.3

Where to study?

• The University of Glasgow
• The University of Strathclyde

There might be some additional expenditure that should be taken into account; it’s completely up to you and your family how you want to plan that. So here we are with the list of some of the 10 most cost-effective cities in the UK. We hope this will help you choose wisely the most cost-effective city for you to study in the UK. You should plan ahead of time so that everything falls in place. Good luck!

Editor's note: This article was originally published in December 2016. Our content writer Roshna Mohan has edited it to include up-to-date information and made it comprehensive.