Knowing where to invest in the lucrative world of student accommodation requires an understanding of the occupants of those buildings. Where is the most cost-effective location? How are students spending their time? What facilities could be provided to encourage further spending from students and thus greater income for investors? NatWest’s annual Student Living Index paints a picture.
Click here to see the infographic
KEY FACTS
3%
of students cite cost of living as the main motivation for choosing a university, while 5% choose a university that is close enough to home to allow them to continue to live with their parents
£19.78
the average amount students spend per week on groceries
£6.85
the average sum spent by students per week on booze. Newcastle students spend the most on alcohol at £9.32, while Birmingham students spend just £4.12
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF CITIES*
| City | Cost |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 0.84 |
| Southampton | 0.82 |
| Cambridge | 0.81 |
| Oxford | 0.77 |
| Plymouth | 0.77 |
| Sheffield | 0.76 |
| London | 0.73 |
| Bristol | 0.73 |
| Leeds | 0.7 |
| Glasgow | 0.69 |
| Reading | 0.65 |
| Brighton | 0.63 |
| Leicester | 0.63 |
| Norwich | 0.63 |
| Manchester | 0.62 |
| Dundee | 0.59 |
| Birmingham | 0.59 |
| Nottingham | 0.58 |
| Cardiff | 0.58 |
| York | 0.58 |
| Exeter | 0.57 |
| Belfast | 0.57 |
| Newcastle | 0.56 |
| Liverpool | 0.55 |
| Portsmouth | 0.53 |
| Average | 0.67 |
- Portsmouth, Hampshire, is the most cost-effective city
- Edinburgh, not London, is the most expensive city for students
- Glasgow and Reading offer the most average costs for students
*Divided by average income
TERMLY INCOME
| City | Income |
|---|---|
| Portsmouth | £1,516.98 |
| Liverpool | £1,425.01 |
| Newcastle | £1,421.36 |
| Exeter | £1,405.53 |
| Brighton | £1,378.60 |
| York | £1,357.38 |
| Dundee | £1,319.89 |
| Birmingham | £1,284.29 |
| Nottingham | £1,270.57 |
| Leicester | £1,193.92 |
| London | £1,187.76 |
| Reading | £1,181.67 |
| Belfast | £1,171.86 |
| Glasgow | £1,169.03 |
| Leeds | £1,137.10 |
| Cardiff | £1,136.52 |
| Plymouth | £1,130.56 |
| Norwich | £1,130.17 |
| Oxford | £1,129.91 |
| Manchester | £1,108.46 |
| Bristol | £1,081.54 |
| Cambridge | £1,056.71 |
| Edinburgh | £995.19 |
| Southampton | £976.43 |
| Sheffield | £934.38 |
| Average | £1,193.15 |
- The average student income totals £1,193.15 per term
- Students in Portsmouth have the highest term-time income
- Sheffield students have the lowest term-time income, at just £934.38
WEEKLY RENT
| City | Rent |
|---|---|
| Oxford | £135.38 |
| Cambridge | £131.48 |
| Brighton | £119.48 |
| Plymouth | £119.37 |
| Exeter | £117.25 |
| Southampton | £116.31 |
| Bristol | £114.28 |
| York | £113.92 |
| Edinburgh | £112.05 |
| Reading | £111.79 |
| Nottingham | £105.72 |
| Leeds | £105.37 |
| London | £105.08 |
| Birmingham | £104.62 |
| Portsmouth | £101.61 |
| Newcastle | £101.55 |
| Leicester | £100.27 |
| Liverpool | £99.35 |
| Sheffield | £96.51 |
| Dundee | £94.49 |
| Glasgow | £94.16 |
| Norwich | £91.80 |
| Cardiff | £81.47 |
| Manchester | £76.48 |
| Belfast | £73.81 |
| Average | £109.00 |
- London students pay £4 less than the weekly average national rent
- Rents in Belfast are the lowest, at £73.81 a week
- Oxbridge colleges have the highest rents, at more than £130 per week
USE OF TIME (AVERAGE HOURS PER WEEK)
30.77
Studying
8.89
Socialising
5.73
Part-time job
4.04
Hobbies and interests
