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Student Living Index 2025

Students & Graduates

Student Living Index 2025

Our survey of 5,001 students looks at typical university costs and the most affordable cities.

On this page:

Key findings Open in new window

Most affordable cities Open in new window

Spending and income Open in new window

Money management Open in new window

Studying vs socialising Open in new window

Fraud and scams Open in new window

Mental health and wellbeing Open in new window

Download the Student Living Index Open in new window

Understanding student living costs in 2025

Discover the ins and outs of university life with the Student Living Index from Royal Bank of Scotland.

After a decade of student insights, our survey has asked 37,776 people about their experiences of university since 2015.

The 2025 edition shows the most affordable student cities in the UK. We also explore the expenses students commonly face, and how they budget for them.

Our survey of 5,001 UK undergraduates was conducted between 22nd April and 20th May 2025 by Savanta.

Key findings

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The cheapest regional student rent is now found in the North of England, where people pay a monthly average of £530.27.
Many students are balancing their budgets with multiple sources of income. For example, with help from side-hustles and influencer marketing.
Students typically spend £30.83 on a night out. But one in five never go to the pub.
University resources, family support and personal coping mechanisms are helping with financial stress.
Fraud attempts and scams have targeted 57% of undergraduates, rising from 30% in 2024.

Which UK city is most affordable* for students?

Lincoln, Bolton and Cardiff are now the most affordable student towns and cities. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 this year.

* Our Index aims to understand the financial situation of students by comparing their average monthly expenses (accommodation, activities, and essential items) with their average monthly income. A score of 1.0 would mean student expenses match income perfectly, while a score above 1.0 shows that expenses exceed income. It's important to note that this Index focuses on income but excludes student loans. Therefore, the Index provides a view of earned income versus expenses.

Top student living trends in 2025

Take a detailed look at how students are handling spending, budgeting, socialising and fraud in 2025.

Everyday expenses and income

Across the UK, students pay £562.67 in average rent each month. Groceries (£146.76), household bills (£124.08), and clothing, shoes and accessories (£123.30) are their next biggest monthly costs.

Eating out and takeaways (40%), alcohol (32%), and items of clothing (22%) were named as their biggest spending regrets.

Parental support (49%) and student loans (48%) are the top ways for undergraduates to cover their rent. Personal income (41%) and savings (19%) are other common methods.

When it comes to financial advice, family remains the top source, with 54% of students turning to their relatives.

TikTok is now a source of advice for 41% of students, as social media plays a growing role in society.

University living costs and income in detail

Milton Keynes has the lowest average student rent, at £490.64 a month. Newcastle Upon Tyne (£492.27) and Sheffield (£493.14) follow. The North of England is the cheapest UK region (£530.27).
Student budgets include both essential items and nice-to-haves. They now expect a typical night out to cost £28.10, with Bristol (£24.50), Birmingham (£24.90), and Canterbury (£24.90) being the most cost-effective destinations.
Undergraduates visit Tesco (25%), Aldi (18%) and Lidl (15%) the most for their grocery shopping.
More students are turning to multiple income sources to support themselves financially. Parents and families come out on top. Personal savings and paid term-time work follow. But influencer marketing and side-hustles are growing in popularity.

Money management

One in three (33%) students are confident about money management. However, financial difficulties and pressures have encouraged a third to consider dropping out. Meanwhile, 53% say they run out of money before their term finishes.

Gap years remain a popular option before university, with 29% of students going on one. Around half (46%) saved money towards their studies while on their gap year.

Half of university goers are trying to budget by cutting down on their nights out.

Money management in detail

Over a quarter (28%) of students now carefully keep track of their monthly spending. But 4% have felt pressure to overspend due to a fear of missing out.
Meals (31%), online shopping (34%) and heating (25%) are key targets for spending cuts as students aim to manage their costs.
Many students struggle to talk openly about their financial situation. More than half (59%) would rather avoid discussing money worries with peers.
Monthly savings are typically higher among students who have taken a gap year – £269 compared to £216 among those who haven’t.
Monthly savings are also higher (£302.20) among those who feel confident about managing their money. Students lacking financial confidence average £70.

Studying vs socialising

As you might expect, university goers spend the most time on their academic studies, with 82.5 hours going towards campus work each month. Another 71.5 hours go towards home-based studying.

Studying is followed by going out with friends (69.6 hours) and home entertainment (63.6) in the list of top activities.

Some 20% of students say they never go to pubs or drink with friends. Nearly a quarter (24%) never visit nightclubs.

Undergraduates spend the most each month on socialising with their friends (£105.70) and dining out (£97.30).

Studying vs socialising in detail

Time spent on academic work is down on previous years, dropping from nearly 120 hours in 2023.
Students generally visit attractions like the cinema, escape rooms and bowling alleys occasionally instead of regularly.
Average pint and takeaway prices have jumped since our first Student Living Index a decade ago. They’re now 39% and 180% higher than in 2015, respectively.

Source information: Statistics for the cost of a pint of beer, takeaway and coffee are based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Fraud and scams

Fraud and scam attempts have risen since our last annual survey. Over the past year, more than half (57%) of students have had to contend with these threats. In 2024, this figure was only 30%.

Bank scams are the most common risk for students this time around, climbing to 25% from just 9%. And students typically lose £287.60 when they fall victim to fraud and scam activities.

Fraud and scams in detail

Investment and tax rebate scams are the second-largest threat this year. Some 13% of UK undergraduates flagged these.
There was an 8 percentage point jump in tax rebate scams posing as HM Revenue and Customs.
On a more positive note, delivery service scams have fallen year on year. They’re down from 24% to 10%.

Mental health and wellbeing

Stress remains a challenge for many students in 2025. Some 22% say they experience high stress levels when managing their money at university.

Studying is also a source of stress for 31%, although 35% enjoy working on their degree.

One third (33%) of students reported some support from their university when tackling financial stress and management.

Mental health and wellbeing in detail

Students mainly manage financial stress with exercise and sports (38%), meditation (25%), and self-help books (20%).
When it comes to rising costs, practical budgeting resources (34%) and access to financial support (33%) are the top sources of university assistance.
Almost a third (31%) of undergraduates have been given counselling by their university.

Read our full Student Living Index

Get the full Student Living Index for more information on day-to-day expenses - and how things have changed since 2015.

It offer plenty of useful insights, whether you're preparing for university life or already there.

Download the full Student Living Index Open in new window

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