How to Prepare for Life After University 💡
Cost of living in Birmingham for university students
Weighing up a move to Birmingham for your studies? As one of the nation’s major university hubs, there’s good reason to make the UK’s ‘Second City’ your new home – but how much does it cost to live there comfortably?
Below, we’ve compiled the latest cost of living data, covering rent, food shops, going out and more. We’ve also compared Birmingham’s living costs to the UK’s other top student cities, so you can decide on the best study destination for your budget.
TL;DR: Birmingham offers great value for a major UK city – it's significantly cheaper than London and more affordable than Manchester, with a typical student budget ranging from £1,000–£1,400 per month depending on lifestyle and accommodation.
Expense | Monthly cost |
Accommodation | £600–£1,100 |
Utilities | £60–£95 |
Groceries | £100–£160 |
Transport | £30–£50 |
Leisure | £100–£250 |
Total | £890–£1,655 |
Student living expenses in Birmingham 💰
Let's break down what you'll actually be spending your student loan on. Spoiler alert: it's not just pot noodles and nights out (though there'll be plenty of both!)
Accommodation 🏠
Housing is going to be your biggest expense, but the good news is Birmingham offers lots of options at different price points.
All five major universities in Birmingham have their own halls of residence, varying in price and amenities. This type of accommodation is popular among first-year students – though you also have the option to rent privately if you want a bit more independence.
Shared housing from private landlords tends to be the cheapest option, though rental costs typically don’t include bills, while purpose-built student accommodation comes with premium amenities and bills factored into the cost, making budgeting way easier.
Accommodation type | Monthly cost | Amenities |
University halls | £600–£1,000
| Ensuite or shared facilities, typically bills included, on-campus location |
Shared student housing | £600–£1,000 | Shared kitchen and bathroom, usually bills not included |
Purpose-built student accommodation | £700–£1,100 | Ensuite room, modern facilities such as gym or cinema, bills included |
Location massively affects price too. Selly Oak – home to the University of Birmingham – is the city’s biggest student hub and has lots of shared student housing a few miles south of the city centre.
Purpose-built accommodation is generally found in the city centre, where you’re right in the heart of the action and have everything you need within walking distance, helping you save on trains and taxis into the city.
Want to learn more about living in purpose-built student accommodation? Yugo has three private halls of residence in Birmingham – check them out below and explore premium facilities like our on-site gyms, study spaces and games rooms!
Birmingham
Bentley House
🔥 Hurry! Over 78% Sold Out!
Bentley House is our student accommodation in Birmingham that puts you in the centre of everything you could need.
Aston University campus is just over the road, Birmingham City University (BCU) is a 16-minute walk, and University College Birmingham is a 20-minute walk, plus easy transport links to University of Birmingham. All 534 rooms come fully furnished, so you can move right in.
Birmingham
Crown Place
Bookings now open 🎉!
Welcome to Crown Place, opening in January 2026, your brand-new home in Birmingham! Located just steps from the city centre, you’ll be right in the heart of everything Birmingham has to offer.
Birmingham
Haüs
Coming soon 👀
Welcome to Haüs, brand new luxury student accommodation opening in September 2026, perfectly located in Edgbaston. Artfully curated and beautifully furnished, Haus offers a harmonious blend of style and comfort, designed to create a refined student living environment where you can feel truly at home.
Bills 🧾
Bills are another big expense – but typically, you’ll only have to worry about these if you’re renting from a private landlord. We’ve broken these down into energy, water, internet and your mobile contract, but you may want to add a TV license for a monthly cost of £14.54 per household if you plan on watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer.
Thankfully, full-time students don’t have to pay council tax, and if you're studying at the University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University or University College Birmingham, your university will inform the council of your exemption automatically. Otherwise, you’ll need to complete an online application.
Utility | Monthly cost |
Energy | £40–£60 |
Water | £5–£15 |
Internet | £5–£10 |
Mobile | £10–£20 |
Total | £60–£95 |
Most universities and purpose-built providers like Yugo factor these bills and other essentials like contents insurance into the price of rent, saving you the headache of shopping around for deals and those awkward conversations about heating during winter.
If you do opt for shared student housing, setting up a joint bank account with your flatmates or using an expense-splitting app like Splitwise will help manage your costs and ensure everyone pays their fair share.
Food 🛒
The food shop is where you can really be smart with your money, and Birmingham has lots of budget-friendly supermarkets that will help you save on groceries and other household essentials – leaving you with enough cash for the occasional guilt-free takeaway!
Shopping style | Weekly cost | Monthly cost |
Budget-conscious | £25–£35 | £100–£140 |
Average spending | £35–£45 | £140–£180 |
Regular takeaways | £45+ | £160+ |
You’ll find the likes of Lidl and Aldi just outside the city centre and in student hubs like Selly Oak, while mid-range options like Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local are handy for restocking individual items between bigger shops.
Transport 🚉
Getting around Birmingham is pretty straightforward, especially if you’re living in the city centre where you can reach most places on foot. For students in Selly Oak, there are direct trains to Birmingham New Street costing a few pounds per trip and you can also take the bus.
Transport option | Cost |
16-25 Railcard | £35/year (save 1/3 on train fares) |
Student bus pass (National Express West Midlands) | £53/month or £212/term |
Train ticket (short trip) | £2.50–£5 |
Single bus ticket | £3 |
Day bus ticket | £5.20 |
Uber/taxi (short trip) | £5–£10 |
If you plan on using the train regularly, especially for weekend trips to other cities, a railcard will help you save a lot of money. And if you’re living in an area like Digbeth or Edgbaston where you’re more reliant on the bus, a bus pass is also worth the investment.
Leisure 💃
University isn't all lectures and libraries – you need to actually enjoy yourself too! There's a huge wealth of things for students to do in Birmingham – from nights out on Broad Street to indie shopping in Digbeth – so you won’t have any trouble filling your free time.
Leisure activity | Typical cost |
Night out (entry + drinks) | £30–£50 |
Cinema ticket | £5–£10 |
Gym membership | £20–£30/month |
Subscription services | £10–£20/month |
Eating out | £8–£15 per meal |
Shopping | £20–£50/month |
Whatever you choose to get up to, there are lots of great student discounts to take advantage of. Many high-street retailers offer discounts through UNiDAYS and Student Beans, while Broad Street nightclubs run student events during the week with cheap drink deals.
Birmingham cost of living vs. other cities ⚖️
So how does Birmingham stack up against the UK’s other major cities? Well, it sits comfortably in the middle, boasting a lower cost of living than London, Edinburgh and Bristol while being slightly pricier than some of the big cities up north.
City | Average monthly cost* |
London | £1,300–£1,700 |
Edinburgh | £1,300–£1,700 |
Bristol | £1,100–£1,500 |
Manchester | £1,100–£1,500 |
Birmingham | £1,000–£1,400 |
Liverpool | £900–£1,300 |
Leeds | £900–£1,300 |
Newcastle | £900–£1,300 |
Nottingham | £900–£1,300 |
*Cost of living figures rounded to the nearest £400, provided for general guidance only.
Considering Birmingham’s big city energy, colourful cultural scene and large choice of universities, we can’t think of many student cities in the UK that offer better value for money.
Making the move to the West Midlands? Yugo offers a range of luxury student accommodation in Birmingham with premium facilities, great locations and a social vibe – take a look inside our residences below!
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