# Living costs

**Source**: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-funding/fees-costs/living-costs
**Parent**: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/download-guide

View a breakdown of the average costs you can expect to pay while living in Edinburgh and studying at the University.

We estimate that you might spend £1,023 to £2,043 per month if you are a single student. The amount you spend largely depends on the type of accommodation you choose.

This estimate covers the costs of:

- accommodation
- food
- utility bills (for example, gas and electricity)
- travel within Edinburgh
- health and wellbeing costs including: 
  - basic personal care costs, hygiene products, clothing and private counselling
  - health and fitness costs, such as gym or club memberships
  - entertainment costs, such as event tickets and entertainment subscriptions

## Financial requirements for international students

If you are applying for a student visa, you will need to show evidence that you have enough money to cover your living costs while you are studying in the UK.

[Financial requirements you need to meet for student visas](https://registryservices.ed.ac.uk/immigration/applying-for-visa/student-visa/requirements/financial-requirements)

## Breakdown of costs

The tables below provide a breakdown of living costs.

These costs are a guide rather than a complete list of everything you need to consider. For example, if you are moving into student accommodation, you may also need to factor in costs for things like kitchen utensils or bedding if these are not included in your accommodation costs.

What to note about the breakdown of living costs: 

- all data included in these tables was provided in April 2025
- this guide does not include teaching costs such as books, IT equipment and field trip expenses, which will vary depending on your programme
- cost of living rates may change in line with inflation (this means in response to the Consumer Price Index or the Retail Price Index)

### University accommodation

The range of costs for our accommodation covers both self-catered and catered options.

**Catered accommodation** costs between £479 and £1,020 per month. These costs include two meals per day in the restaurant at the John McIntyre Conference Centre (JMCC).

**Self-catered accommodation** costs between £383 and £1,249 per month.

Our student accommodation options include utilities, such as gas, electricity and WiFi.

[University of Edinburgh student accommodation](https://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/)

If you want to stay in Edinburgh over the summer, you will need to look for alternative accommodation between the academic years. 

#### Catered University accommodation

| **Costs** | **Per month** | **Per 39-week academic year** | **Per 52-week year** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Catered University accommodation  (includes two meals per day)** | £479 to £1,020 | £5,855 to £11,986 | Full-year leases are not available for University accommodation |
| **Additional food** | £150 | £1,462.50 |  |
| **Mobile phone** | £40 | £390 |  |
| **Health and wellbeing** | £300 | £2,925 |  |
| **Travel (minimum)** | £54 | £526.50 |  |
| **Total** | **£1,023 to £1,564** | **£11,159 to £17,290** |  |

#### Self-catered University accommodation

| Costs | Per month | Per 39-week academic year | Per 52-week year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Self-catered University accommodation | £383 to £1,249 | £3,272 to £11,039 | Full-year leases are not available for University accommodation |
| Food for self-catered accommodation | £400 | £3,900 |  |
| Mobile phone | £40 | £390 |  |
| Health and wellbeing | £300 | £2,925 |  |
| Travel (minimum) | £54 | £526.50 |  |
| Total | **£1,177 to £2,043** | **£11,013.50 to £18,780.50** |  |

### Private student accommodation

These figures give you an idea of the cost of student accommodation managed by a private company, external to the University. Private rental accommodation can cost up to £1,500 per month.

If you are renting private student accommodation, utilities costs are often charged in addition to your monthly rent.

| **Costs** | **Per month** | **Per 39-week academic year** | **Per 52-week year** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Private student accommodation (minimum)** | £750 | £7,312.50 | £9,750 |
| **Food** | £400 | £3,900 | £5,200 |
| **Utilities: gas** | £80 | £780 | £1,040 |
| **Utilities: electricity** | £80 | £780 | £1,040 |
| **Utilities: WiFi** | £40 | £390 | £520 |
| **Utilities: mobile phone** | £40 | £390 | £520 |
| **Health and wellbeing** | £300 | £2,925 | £3,900 |
| **Travel (minimum)** | £54 | £526.50 | £702 |
| **Total** | **£1,744** | **£17,004** | **£22,672** |

### Travel costs

The estimated costs in the tables are based on Lothian Buses travel with a Student Ridacard purchased in advance.

[Lothian Buses tickets and fares](https://www.lothianbuses.com/fares-and-tickets/)

In Scotland free bus travel is available to anyone who is under the age of 22 and has lived in Scotland for at least six months. You need to get an entitlement card before you travel.

[Young Scot free bus travel for young people](https://young.scot/get-informed/young-persons-free-bus-travel/)

## Help with managing your living costs

[Help with living costs and creating a budget](https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/finance/cost-of-living-help)

[Scholarships, student funding and financial support](https://registryservices.ed.ac.uk/student-funding)

[Find part-time work while you are studying](https://careers.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduates/discover-what-s-out-there/find-jobs-while-student)

[Student stories: what our students spend over the course of a week](https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/studentstories/tag/cost-of-living/)

This article was published on
2025-05-02