On a budget? Here are the most cost-effective cities in the UK

04 Sep 2018

2018 has been a great year so far, hasn’t it?

In the UK, it’s been a year of prolonged heat waves, incredible summer festivals and the release of the NatWest Student Living Index 2018!

Studying elsewhere? The 2018 NatWest Student Living Index has all the essential information about your future term-time home.

Click here to view the full Student Living Index: https://t.co/X5pTLFdhSM pic.twitter.com/zTkAMHV71I

— NatWest (@NatWest_Help) August 31, 2018

How will this help me?

If you want a study adventure in the UK but need to keep living costs low, this index will point you in the direction of the best budget-friendly cities.

As NatWest explains, “For the fifth year in a row, we’ve published data to help you understand what it’s really like to be a student at university in the UK. We’ve asked 3,419 students across 35 popular university cities how much they spend on essentials like food, rent and bills, and how they juggle their time across studying, part-time work and socialising.”

What are the key results from the index?

If you don’t have time to scroll through the whole thing, here we’ve highlighted the main results for you to analyse.

Listed below are the top 10 most affordable cities according to the NatWest survey…

Hull
Cardiff
Leicester
Brighton
Portsmouth
Aberystwyth
Sheffield
Canterbury
Oxford
Plymouth

Are you moving away to start university this September?

Make sure you have a look at the 2018 NatWest Student Living Index to find out the best way to budget for living in your new uni town.https://t.co/X5pTLFdhSM pic.twitter.com/490tAYU2a0

— NatWest (@NatWest_Help) September 3, 2018

Are there any interesting facts drawn from the index?

There are indeed! And the friendly folk over at NatWest have outlined a few key figures for prospective students to consider.

Students in Hull have the third-highest monthly income at £1,316.60 and get to enjoy the fourth-lowest cost or rent at £388.75. Add this to low living costs of £375.50 and Hull takes the title of best value-for-money.
Students in Leicester are most careful with their spending, as nearly a third told the survey that they budget carefully (32.41%).
Over half of students in the survey (52%) rate the stress of managing their money at university a 6 or above on a scale of 0–10, with 10 being the most stressed.
Students in Manchester appear to be the most fashion-conscious, followed by London – spending on average £45.70 and £42.20 per month respectively on clothes, shoes and accessories. In contrast, Southampton students spend just £17.50.

What’s also intriguing about this survey is that 14% of students told NatWest they aren’t supported at all by their university when it comes to financial matters. There are still many students out there who suffer from financial stress during their university experience in the UK.

Should universities be doing more to assist students with financial woes? Source: Giphy

Despite the fact that some UK universities are neglecting their students’ financial problems, Study International isn’t.

So, if you’re concerned about matters relating to student finance, graduate careers and more, check out our Help & Advice section for more valuable insights!