Living expenses and study costs

Living costs

Your monthly living costs in London will vary depending on your lifestyle, spending habits, which area you live in and how often you need to use public transport.

The Dean of Students office at UAL recommends that the average amount required for monthly living costs in 2023 is £1,600 a month.

Rent and accommodation costs

Your rent and accommodation costs depend on whether you live in UAL halls of residence or in private accommodation.

See details and full costs of UAL Halls of Residence

Council Tax

Each household in Great Britain has to pay Council Tax. Most students don't have to pay, but you must check the rules.

If you don't have to pay, you need to let your local council know.

Find out more about Council Tax

Transport

The cheapest way to get around London is on foot or by bike.

Check out how to hire a bike with Santander Cycles or plan a walking route with the Citymapper app.

Transport for London tells you all you need to know about public transport.

To save money on transport costs, get an 18+ Student Oyster card. This will give you 30% off travelcards and bus and tram passes (but not pay-as-you-go fares).

Add a 16-25 Railcard to your Oyster card to get a discount on off-peak, pay-as-you-go fares. This railcard is also available to full-time students who are over 25 years old.

Food

Cooking your meals at home and making a packed lunch is usually cheaper than eating out. There are lots of resources to help you cook your own meals on a budget.

Compare food prices to find the best deals. London is full of supermarkets, so you can shop around for bargains. You’ll usually find a food market in your local area, where you can pick up cheap fruit and vegetables.

Always ask if a student discount is available when eating out or ordering takeaway meals.

Other costs

As well as essential expenses like rent, you’ll also need to budget for non-essential costs such as:

• mobile phone
• clothes, haircuts, personal grooming
• going out and socialising
• hobbies
• exercise classes, gym membership
• subscription services, like Netflix, Adobe and Spotify
• holidays
• gifts.

Study costs

Get discounts

• 16-25 Railcard (formerly Young Person's Railcard) – 34% discount on off-peak rail fares when added to your 18+ Student Oyster card.
• TOTUM card (formerly NUS) and UNIDAYS discount – give you money off shops, bars, restaurants and cinemas.
• ISIC card – loads of student discounts worldwide.
• ArtFund Student Art Pass – save on entry to 100s of museums and galleries.
• Make savings on IT software for UAL students and check other free software offers online.