Across the 351 halls we priced in 32 UK cities, Sheffield has the lowest typical starting rent at £118 a week and London the highest at £312. Outside London, Durham is dearest at £230. A typical contract in Sheffield takes 48% of the maximum maintenance loan in England, compared with 81% in Durham.
Student halls ranked by city
Cities run from lowest to highest typical starting rent. Select a city for every hall and its source.
| Rank | City | Typical weekly rent | Typical contract total | Share of maximum loan | Lowest rent found | Halls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | £118 | £5,174 | 48% | £89 | 11 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | £133 | £6,040 | 56% | £101 | 11 |
| 3 | Swansea | £134 | £6,204 | 57% | £79 | 10 |
| 4 | Leicester | £140 | £6,020 | 56% | £74 | 12 |
| 5 | Coventry | £142 | £6,966 | 64% | £89 | 11 |
| 6 | Leeds | £147 | £6,468 | 60% | £119 | 15 |
| 7 | Derby | £152 | £6,389 | 59% | £99 | 6 |
| 8 | Cardiff | £156 | £6,149 | 57% | £143 | 11 |
| 9 | Birmingham | £160 | £7,182 | 66% | £95 | 11 |
| 10 | Newcastle | £164 | £6,799 | 63% | £117 | 10 |
| 11 | Northampton | £164 | £6,468 | 60% | £97 | 5 |
| 12 | Medway | £165 | £7,143 | 66% | £105 | 5 |
| 13 | Dundee | £170 | £7,345 | 68% | £100 | 11 |
| 14 | Southampton | £170 | £6,974 | 64% | £130 | 11 |
| 15 | Portsmouth | £173 | £6,600 | 61% | £120 | 12 |
| 16 | Winchester | £175 | £7,900 | 73% | £153 | 7 |
| 17 | Bournemouth | £176 | £7,404 | 68% | £145 | 10 |
| 18 | Glasgow | £176 | £7,361 | 68% | £129 | 12 |
| 19 | Loughborough | £177 | £7,751 | 72% | £123 | 10 |
| 20 | Liverpool | £179 | £7,098 | 66% | £101 | 11 |
| 21 | Bath | £189 | £7,274 | 67% | £87 | 14 |
| 22 | Nottingham | £189 | £8,353 | 77% | £97 | 15 |
| 23 | Brighton | £195 | £7,430 | 69% | £119 | 12 |
| 24 | Manchester | £195 | £8,098 | 75% | £122 | 11 |
| 25 | Exeter | £198 | £7,766 | 72% | £146 | 12 |
| 26 | Edinburgh | £200 | £8,890 | 82% | £128 | 9 |
| 27 | York | £200 | £8,300 | 77% | £132 | 12 |
| 28 | Oxford | £203 | £8,052 | 74% | £139 | 11 |
| 29 | Bristol | £210 | £8,531 | 79% | £117 | 17 |
| 30 | Reading | £218 | £8,960 | 83% | £166 | 11 |
| 31 | Durham | £230 | £8,807 | 81% | £169 | 12 |
| 32 | London | £312 | £12,554 | 89% | £205 | 13 |
The ten cheapest cities for halls
Median of the lowest listed weekly rent at each hall we priced.
The ten most expensive cities for halls
London is compared with a higher maximum loan of £14,135.
What the index shows
Weekly rent does not tell the whole story. Contract length changes what a year costs, so the contract total is worth comparing as well as the weekly figure.
University halls are not automatically the cheap option. Private halls had the lower typical starting rent in 14 of the 29 cities outside London where we priced both, and university halls in 15.
The maximum loan is not what most students receive, because it is means-tested. For someone on a lower amount, the same contract takes up a larger share.
How we built the index
We took the lowest standard weekly rent listed for each hall in our city guides, then used the median for each city. That shows a typical starting rent, which is lower than what many rooms cost. Contract total is that rent multiplied by the charged weeks, using the median across halls where weeks were published.
Providers publish different years, so the index mixes 2026/27 and 2027/28 prices, labelled hall by hall in each city guide. A few rents come from listing sites. Cities need at least four priced halls to appear. It covers the halls in our guides rather than every hall in a city, so treat small gaps between cities as close to level.
The maximum loan figures are the 2026/27 amounts for students in England living away from home: £10,830 outside London and £14,135 in London. Students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different support.
Using this data
Journalists, students' unions and universities are welcome to use these figures. Please credit Unifresher and link to this page. To ask about the data, use our partnership page.
of the 500 UK students in our 2026 Student Experience Survey had hit at least one housing issue. Housemates (34%), the property itself (32%) and Wi-Fi (29%) came up most.
Keep planning
FAQs
Which UK student city has the cheapest halls?
Sheffield has the lowest typical starting rent in our index, at £118 a week across the 11 halls we priced there. Aberdeen and Swansea follow at £133 and £134. These are starting rents, so the room you want may cost more.
Which UK student city has the most expensive halls?
London is highest at a typical £312 a week across the 13 halls we priced. Outside London, Durham is highest at £230, followed by Reading at £218.
Are university halls cheaper than private halls?
Not always. Private halls had the lower typical starting rent in 14 of the 29 cities outside London where we priced both types, and university halls in the other 15. It varies by city and room type, so compare the contract total as well as the weekly rent.
How often is the index updated?
We plan to update it as providers publish new prices. Each city guide shows the academic year of every price, and the date we last checked it is at the top of this page.
Sources and official resources
- Student finance for new full-time students (GOV.UK) 2026/27 maximum loan figures
Provide student accommodation?
Put your rooms in front of students choosing where to live. Talk to us about clearly labelled partner placements and campaigns.
How we built this guide: facts come from the sources listed above, checked November 2026. It is general information rather than legal or financial advice, and rules and prices change, so confirm with the provider or an adviser before you commit. How we compare student accommodation.