CostToStudy.com • 2026 Student Cost Estimate
UK Study Cost Calculator 2026: London vs Non-London Budget
The Student visa maintenance figure stops after nine months, while rent, tuition and daily spending may continue across a full year. Model London and non-London costs separately, then compare the result with available funding.
Figures are planning estimates. Confirm programme fees, visa requirements and housing terms with the relevant official provider before making payments.
UK Student Budget Calculator
Choose a city, housing route and tuition route, then press Calculate Estimate. Results are planning estimates, not visa, legal or financial advice.
Estimated Monthly Living Cost
£0
Rent, food, transport, health surcharge allowance, phone and personal spending.
Estimated Annual Cost
£0
Tuition plus 12 months of estimated living cost.
Budget Gap
£0
Estimated shortfall after available budget and confirmed support.
Affordability Score
Score: 0/100
Planning Estimate
London vs Non-London Monthly Living Estimate
The chart compares typical monthly planning ranges for a single student before tuition.
Fallback: London requires the highest monthly allowance, while many large non-London student cities cluster closer to £1,150–£1,350 per month.
The Visa Maintenance Figure Stops After Nine Months
For the standard financial-evidence route, the living-cost reference is £1,529 per month for study in London and £1,171 per month for study outside London, with no more than nine months counted. The course-fee evidence is based on the amount shown on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and exemptions apply to some applicants. [S1]
| Study Location | Official Monthly Reference | Maximum Visa Period | Nine-Month Amount | Months 10–12 at the Same Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,529 | 9 months | £13,761 | £4,587 |
| Outside London | £1,171 | 9 months | £10,539 | £3,513 |
A twelve-month extension using the same monthly references produces £18,348 for London and £14,052 outside London. Those totals are arithmetic planning comparisons, not extra visa requirements. They show why a student with a twelve-month tenancy should not treat the nine-month evidence amount as a full annual spending plan.
Application Costs Arrive Before the Monthly Budget
Tuition evidence, the visa application fee, the health surcharge and accommodation payments can fall due before regular monthly spending begins.
Course-Fee Evidence
Amount Shown on the CAS
The Student visa financial calculation can include outstanding course fees for the first academic year, up to nine months. [S1]
Student Visa Application
£558
The listed Student visa application fee applies when applying from outside or inside the UK. [S2]
Student Health Surcharge Rate
£776 per Year
The amount charged is calculated from the visa period rather than the academic-year budget alone. [S3]
Accommodation Start Payment
Provider-Specific
A hall prepayment, holding deposit, tenancy deposit or first rent payment may be required before move-in. The amount and deadline depend on the housing route.
UK City Budget Comparison
Search the table or load more cities to compare London, high-cost university cities, large student cities and lower-cost regional options. Monthly totals exclude tuition.
| City or Profile | Cost Zone | Monthly Living Estimate | Housing Pressure | Best-Fit Student Profile | Estimate Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Highest | £1,500–£1,900 | Very High | Students with strong housing budget or confirmed support | Official + Market Estimate |
| Oxford | High | £1,350–£1,650 | High | Students planning early accommodation search | Market Estimate |
| Cambridge | High | £1,340–£1,620 | High | Students with college or university housing access | Market Estimate |
| Brighton | High | £1,300–£1,600 | High | Students who can share housing outside the centre | Market Estimate |
| Bristol | Upper Mid | £1,220–£1,500 | High | Students comparing shared flat and hall options | Market Estimate |
| Edinburgh | Upper Mid | £1,200–£1,480 | High | Students needing early rent planning | Market Estimate |
| Manchester | Mid | £1,100–£1,350 | Medium | Students seeking a large city with wider housing choice | Market Estimate |
| Birmingham | Mid | £1,070–£1,320 | Medium | Students balancing city access and rent control | Market Estimate |
| Glasgow | Mid | £1,050–£1,300 | Medium | Students comparing Scottish city budgets | Market Estimate |
| Leeds | Mid | £1,020–£1,260 | Medium | Students looking for a large student city | Market Estimate |
| Nottingham | Lower Mid | £980–£1,230 | Medium | Students prioritising shared housing value | Market Estimate |
| Cardiff | Lower Mid | £940–£1,200 | Medium | Students comparing Wales with English city costs | Market Estimate |
| Belfast | Lower | £900–£1,150 | Medium | Students seeking a lower monthly baseline | Market Estimate |
| Bath | Upper Mid | £1,250–£1,530 | High | Students needing rent buffer | Market Estimate |
| York | Upper Mid | £1,150–£1,420 | Medium High | Students using university accommodation | Market Estimate |
| Reading | High | £1,280–£1,580 | High | Students budgeting for South East rent pressure | Market Estimate |
| Southampton | Mid | £1,080–£1,340 | Medium | Students choosing shared private housing | Market Estimate |
| Exeter | Upper Mid | £1,130–£1,420 | Medium High | Students needing housing search buffer | Market Estimate |
| Liverpool | Lower Mid | £980–£1,230 | Medium | Students seeking large-city value | Market Estimate |
| Newcastle | Lower Mid | £940–£1,200 | Medium | Students focused on lower rent and transport costs | Market Estimate |
| Sheffield | Lower Mid | £950–£1,200 | Medium | Students comparing lower-cost English cities | Market Estimate |
| Leicester | Lower Mid | £940–£1,180 | Medium | Students with a controlled monthly budget | Market Estimate |
| Coventry | Mid | £1,000–£1,260 | Medium | Students comparing campus and city housing | Market Estimate |
| Durham | Lower Mid | £960–£1,230 | Medium | Students with college accommodation access | Market Estimate |
| Aberdeen | Mid | £1,020–£1,280 | Medium | Students comparing Scottish city options | Market Estimate |
| Dundee | Lower | £900–£1,150 | Medium Low | Students seeking a lower Scottish city budget | Market Estimate |
| Swansea | Lower | £880–£1,140 | Medium Low | Students comparing lower-cost Wales options | Market Estimate |
| Lancaster | Lower | £900–£1,160 | Medium Low | Students using campus-based accommodation | Market Estimate |
| Norwich | Lower Mid | £980–£1,240 | Medium | Students balancing city size and rent | Market Estimate |
| Plymouth | Lower | £880–£1,130 | Medium Low | Students with a lower rent target | Market Estimate |
| Hull | Lower | £850–£1,100 | Low | Students needing the lowest planning baseline | Market Estimate |
Private Renting in England Has a Separate Move-In Sequence
For covered tenancies in England, a holding deposit can be capped at one week’s rent, the tenancy deposit is normally capped at five weeks’ rent when annual rent is below £50,000, and a landlord can request no more than one month’s rent in advance after the tenancy agreement has been signed. Different rules and tenancy systems apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [S4]
| Payment | England Limit or Timing | Budget Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Holding Deposit | Up to one week’s rent | May be needed to reserve the property before the tenancy begins. |
| Rent in Advance | Up to one month after signing | Can fall due before move-in and before regular monthly cash flow starts. |
| Tenancy Deposit | Up to five weeks when annual rent is below £50,000 | Usually sits outside the recurring monthly rent budget. |
| Higher-Rent Deposit | Up to six weeks for annual rent from £50,000 to below £100,000 | May affect expensive London or private-property routes. |
The holding deposit, tenancy deposit and first rent are different payments. Treating them as one reusable monthly-rent amount understates the cash needed during the housing search.
A Hall Offer Does Not Fix the Room Price
University accommodation policies differ by institution. At UCL, the 2026–27 accommodation guarantee for eligible first-year full-time undergraduates covers an offer of a place, not a chosen location, room type, contract length or budget. UCL also requires an offer to be accepted with a prepayment within the stated deadline. This is a London institution example rather than a UK-wide housing rule. [S5]
Place Guarantee
Not a Room Guarantee
A housing offer may not match the preferred building, room type, contract length or price band.
Acceptance Window
Can Be Short
A student may need accessible funds before the general maintenance budget is available.
Prepayment
Separate Start Cost
The amount should be placed in the arrival budget rather than counted again as ordinary monthly spending.
Students comparing campus zones, hall contracts and private rooms within the capital can use a London-specific student budget to test rent and transport together.
Tuition Follows the CAS and the Student’s Fee Status
The visa calculation uses the outstanding course-fee amount recorded on the CAS rather than a national tuition average. [S1] The final university charge can change by programme, study level and fee classification.
UCL, for example, distinguishes UK, Overseas and Islands fee status, publishes course-specific overseas fees and bills accommodation separately from tuition. Its published figures describe UCL courses and should not be applied to every UK institution. [S6]
| Budget Item | Where the Amount Comes From | How to Treat It |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Course Fee | CAS and university account | Use the programme-specific amount rather than a general UK average. |
| Accommodation | Hall agreement or tenancy contract | Keep it separate from tuition even when the university provides the room. |
| Tuition Deposit | University payment policy | Check whether it is credited toward the final fee balance. |
| Calculator Tuition Route | Planning category | Use it to test affordability, then compare the result with the actual fee notice. |
Calculation Method
The calculator uses pounds sterling and combines the selected city adjustment, housing route, lifestyle multiplier and tuition route with configured allowances for food, transport, health-related costs, phone use, personal spending and arrival setup. Its annual result uses twelve months of modeled living costs, while UK Student visa maintenance evidence is limited to nine months.
City-table figures and calculator inputs are planning estimates. Government figures are separated from institution examples and housing-market assumptions so a visa reference is not presented as a guaranteed annual budget.
Official Sources
- [S1] GOV.UK — Student Visa: Money You Need Applies to: London and outside-London maintenance figures, the nine-month limit, CAS course-fee evidence, exemptions and the fund-holding period. Checked: July 17, 2026.
- [S2] GOV.UK — Student Visa Applies to: the listed Student visa application fee and the requirement to pay the healthcare surcharge when applicable. Checked: July 17, 2026.
- [S3] GOV.UK — Pay for UK Healthcare as Part of Your Immigration Application Applies to: the student immigration health surcharge rate and calculation by visa length. Checked: July 17, 2026.
- [S4] GOV.UK — Tenant Fees Act 2019: Guidance for Tenants Applies to: holding-deposit, tenancy-deposit and advance-rent limits for covered tenancies in England. Checked: July 17, 2026.
- [S5] University College London — Accommodation Frequently Asked Questions Applies to: the 2026–27 accommodation-offer conditions, room limitations, acceptance deadlines and prepayment example. Checked: July 17, 2026.
- [S6] University College London — Funding Your Studies Applies to: UCL fee-status categories, course-specific overseas tuition and the separation of accommodation from tuition. Checked: July 17, 2026.