Student accommodation by City
How do I find accommodation in my city?
Select your city below to see our guides to the best halls, letting agencies, and PBSA providers. Each guide includes prices, locations, student reviews, and honest recommendations.
How much does student housing cost by city?
Accommodation costs vary dramatically across the UK. London averages £200–£350/week, while cities like Coventry, Swansea, and Aberdeen can be as low as £85–£110/week. Our city pages have local pricing.
What types of accommodation are covered?
University halls, private halls (PBSA), and private renting through letting agencies. Each city page links to all the options available locally so you can compare everything in one place.
Which is the cheapest city for students?
Cities in the North, Midlands, Wales, and Scotland tend to be cheapest. Coventry, Swansea, Aberdeen, Sheffield, and Newcastle consistently offer the lowest student rents. See the cost comparison table below.
Find student accommodation in your city
Every UK university city has its own housing market, its own student areas, and its own quirks. A house-hunting strategy that works in Nottingham won't necessarily work in Edinburgh. The cost of a room in Manchester is very different from the cost of a room in London.
This page brings together all of our city-level accommodation guides in one place. For each city, you'll find links to our best halls guides, letting agency reviews, and any PBSA providers operating locally — along with average costs and the key things students need to know.
London
London
The UK's most expensive student city by a significant margin. Areas vary hugely in price — Zone 3–4 is much cheaper than Zones 1–2. Budget carefully and start looking early.
South & South East
Brighton
Vibrant seaside city with a creative student scene. Housing is competitive and pricier than most non-London cities.
Oxford
Oxford University uses a college system with accommodation included. Brookes students use halls and private renting. Expensive city overall.
Southampton
Good value for a southern city. Portswood is the main student area. Halls search here needs to start early — popular options fill fast.
Reading
Campus university with a strong community feel. Halls are spread across the Whiteknights campus and city locations.
Portsmouth
Coastal city with affordable student living. Southsea is the most popular student area.
Winchester
Small, historic cathedral city with a compact student community and good quality accommodation.
South West
Bristol
Competitive housing market. Bristol Uni uses a village system for halls. Stoke Bishop, Clifton, and Redland are key student areas.
Bath
Beautiful but expensive for its size. Oldfield Park is the main student area. Limited housing stock means starting early matters.
Midlands
Birmingham
Great value for a major city. Selly Oak is the classic UoB student area. City centre living works well for Aston and BCU students.
Nottingham
Lenton and Beeston are the main student areas for UoN. NTU students tend to live closer to the city centre. Market moves fast — start looking early.
Coventry
One of the cheapest student cities in England. Warwick's campus is just outside the city; Coventry Uni is city-centre based.
Leicester
Affordable and underrated. Clarendon Park and Oadby are popular student areas. Good value for money across the board.
Loughborough
Campus university with a strong community. Most first-years live on campus. The town is small and student-friendly.
North West
Manchester
Huge student population, vibrant city. Fallowfield is the iconic student area for UoM. Hulme and Rusholme are popular too. The market moves fast.
Liverpool
Affordable, social, and student-friendly. Smithdown Road and Kensington are the main student areas. Great nightlife and city culture.
Yorkshire & North East
Leeds
Headingley, Hyde Park, and Burley are the classic student areas. Houses go fast — Headingley can be gone by December. Great student city overall.
Sheffield
Consistently rated one of the cheapest and friendliest student cities. Crookesmoor, Broomhill, and Crookes are the key student areas.
Newcastle
Affordable, social, brilliant nightlife. Jesmond and Heaton are the main student areas. One of the best value student cities in England.
Scotland
Edinburgh
Beautiful but competitive market. Newington, Marchmont, and Bruntsfield are popular student areas. The market moves slower than English cities — more time to search but less turnover.
Aberdeen
One of the cheapest university cities in the UK. Old Aberdeen is the main student area. Great quality of life for the price.
Wales
Cardiff
Cathays is the main student area — cheap, social, and walkable to campus. Brilliant value for a capital city.
Swansea
Affordable coastal city. Brynmill and Uplands are popular near Singleton campus. Bay campus students look towards Sketty and Killay.
Student accommodation costs by city
A quick comparison of average weekly accommodation costs across UK university cities. Use this to get a sense of where your budget goes furthest.
| City | Halls (from) | Private rent pp (from) | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £200/week | £180/week | Most expensive |
| Oxford | £143/week | £130/week | Very high |
| Brighton | £140/week | £120/week | High |
| Bristol | £140/week | £110/week | High |
| Bath | £140/week | £110/week | High |
| Edinburgh | £130/week | £100/week | Above average |
| Reading | £130/week | £100/week | Above average |
| Leeds | £126/week | £85/week | Average |
| Manchester | £125/week | £90/week | Average |
| Southampton | £120/week | £90/week | Average |
| Liverpool | £115/week | £80/week | Below average |
| Nottingham | £115/week | £80/week | Below average |
| Cardiff | £110/week | £80/week | Below average |
| Sheffield | £110/week | £80/week | Below average |
| Portsmouth | £110/week | £85/week | Below average |
| Newcastle | £105/week | £75/week | Cheap |
| Leicester | £105/week | £75/week | Cheap |
| Birmingham | £104/week | £80/week | Cheap |
| Aberdeen | £100/week | £70/week | Cheap |
| Loughborough | £100/week | £75/week | Cheap |
| Swansea | £95/week | £80/week | Cheapest |
| Coventry | £85/week | £80/week | Cheapest |
Prices are starting estimates based on 2025/26 published rates. Actual costs vary by specific hall, room type, and private rental location within each city. London figures represent Zone 2–3 averages.