How to Prepare for Life After University 💡
Cost of living in Bournemouth: full budget breakdown for students
Thinking about studying in Bournemouth? Or maybe you’ve already settled on a move to the south coast for university? Either way, getting to know how much it costs to live in Bournemouth as a student will go a long way to planning your stay.
In this guide, we’ll provide a full breakdown of Bournemouth’s cost of living, taking you through the different accommodation options, essential transport costs and other day-to-day expenses so you can budget accordingly.
TL;DR: Bournemouth offers brilliant value for students – especially compared to other destinations in the South of England. Most students spend £900–£1,300 per month, though this may vary based on accommodation and lifestyle.
Expense | Monthly cost |
Accommodation | £500–£1,100 |
Bills | £55–£100 |
Food | £100–£160 |
Transport | £30–£50 |
Leisure | £100–£250 |
Total | £785–£1,660 |
Student living expenses in Bournemouth 💰
Creating a realistic student budget starts with understanding where your money will go. While everyone’s spending habits differ, there are five core costs you’ll need to plan for:
- Accommodation – Your main expense, with costs varying considerably depending on the type of accommodation and the location.
- Bills – These are your regular fixed expenses, although some may already be included in your rent depending on your accommodation set-up.
- Food – Covering weekly food shopping, along with day-to-day necessities like toiletries, household items and cleaning supplies.
- Travel – Transport costs you’ll incur commuting to the main university campuses in Talbot Village, plus other trips around town.
- Leisure – The money you set aside for entertainment, from concerts and cinema trips to shopping and nights out.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these core categories, starting with accommodation...
Accommodation 🏠
There are lots of options when it comes to student accommodation in Bournemouth, with monthly costs anywhere from £500–£1,100 depending on location and amenities.
University halls range from £600–£1,000 per month and are particularly popular with first-years – they typically have shared facilities and are right on campus, which is great for finding your feet.
Accommodation type | Monthly cost | Amenities |
University halls | £600–£1,000
| Ensuite or shared facilities, typically bills included, on-campus location |
Shared student housing | £500–£900 | 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 |
Private rentals from landlords in student hubs like Winton and Charminster typically cost £500–£900 a month, though you’ll usually need to pay for bills separately which can add a fair bit to your outgoings.
Purpose-built student accommodation may have a higher upfront cost at around £700–£1,100 per month, but it comes with everything included. Bills are covered and you get access to premium facilities like gyms, study spaces and cinema rooms, saving you serious money elsewhere.
Bournemouth
Bailey Point
Calling all Bournemouth Uni students: Bailey Point is just for you. And it’s only a three-minute walk from the Lansdowne Campus and 14 minutes from Talbot on the bus - so getting to lectures is quick and convenient!
Bournemouth
Belaton House
Belaton House is ideally located in Lansdowne, right in the lively northeastern part of Bournemouth’s town centre. The accommodation features premium, purpose-built facilities for student life, with close links to local universities.
Bournemouth
Rothesay House
Welcome to Rothesay House, your brand new home in the heart of Bournemouth. Just a short ride or walk from all the major campuses, getting to university is simple. You get the freedom of your own stylish studio, complete with a private en-suite and fully equipped kitchen. Space to cook, study, chill, repeat…all on your own terms.
Bills 🧾
If you’re living in university halls or PBSA where bills are included, good news: you can skip this section entirely. For those in traditional student housing, you’ll generally need to budget £55–£100 per month to cover utilities.
If you have to arrange your own energy and broadband deals, you can often find cheaper options using a comparison tool like Uswitch. Opting for a SIM-only mobile contract over a monthly plan is another way to save on bills.
Utility | Monthly cost |
Energy | £30–£50 |
Water | £5–£15 |
Internet | £5–£10 |
Mobile | £15–£25 |
Total | £55–£100 |
Thankfully, as a full-time student, you don’t need to worry about paying council tax. You do however need to apply for the exemption through the BCP council website, providing a certificate from your university confirming your student status.
Also, if you plan on watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer, you’ll need to purchase a TV license. This costs £14.54 per household each month, but it’s completely optional and many students prefer to use streaming services instead.
Food 🛒
Food costs in Bournemouth are pretty reasonable, ranging anywhere from £100–£180 per month. If you’re smart about where you shop and actually cook at home, you’ll be looking at the lower end of the scale.
There are plenty of budget supermarkets to pick from, with three Aldi stores in Boscombe, Springbourne and Wallisdown, as well as two Lidl stores in Victoria Park and Lansdowne near the train station.
Shopping style | Weekly cost | Monthly cost |
Budget-conscious | £25–£35 | £100–£140 |
Average spending | £35–£45 | £140–£180 |
Regular takeaways | £45+ | £180+ |
The big money drain is takeaways and eating out – if you're regularly ordering Deliveroo or grabbing meal deals, you'll quickly hit £180+ monthly. If you can get into the habit of meal prepping for the week ahead, you’ll save massively and still enjoy decent food.
So while you don’t want to be too strict with your spending, if you can balance the occasional meal out with regular home cooking, your bank balance will seriously thank you.
Transport 🚉
One of the best things about Bournemouth is that it's so compact. Most places can be reached on foot – particularly if you’re living in an area like Winton that sits between Bournemouth’s two universities and town centre – so you’ll end up saving a lot of money on transport.
If you’re living closer to the town centre and commuting to campus in Talbot Village, you’ll likely be using the UNIBUS service which offers discounted rates to students at Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth.
Transport option | Cost |
Single bus ticket | £2.30–£3.00 (£2 on UNIBUS services) |
Day bus ticket | £4.70–£5.50 (£3.70 on UNIBUS services) |
UNIBUS annual pass | £308 |
Train ticket (short trip) | £2.50–£5.00 |
16-25 Railcard | £35/year (save 1/3 on train fares) |
Uber/taxi (short trip) | £5–£10 |
Total | £30–£50 |
A single ticket costs just £2, which is super reasonable. However, if you’re likely to be using the bus regularly, it may be worth investing in an annual pass for £308 to unlock unlimited travel across the route.
You’ve also got the town’s main train station in Lansdowne for longer-distance journeys, with the 16-25 Railcard another great way to save if you plan on taking lots of weekend trips away via train.
Leisure 💃
Bournemouth's nightlife scene is absolutely brilliant for students, and it doesn't have to destroy your budget. A typical night out costs £30–£50, with drinks at the main student nights (Fishies at Cameo on Wednesdays and Lollipop at The Old Fire Station on Fridays) priced at £3–£5.
There are many other fun things to do in Bournemouth on the cheap, too. Saver seats at the ODEON Bournemouth BH2 cinema cost around £10 and there are plenty of great outdoor spaces like the gardens and beachfront that you can of course enjoy for free.
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 | £10–£20 per meal |
Shopping | £30–£50/month |
Total | £100–£250 |
Restaurants are similarly priced to the rest of the UK, as are gym memberships at spots like PureGym and The Gym Group – though you can save on the latter if you sign up to the SportBU gym and get your workouts in on campus instead.
Add in optional (but often essential) subscription services like Spotify, Netflix and Amazon Prime, and you’re likely to spend anywhere between £100–£250 per month on leisure and entertainment.
Bournemouth cost of living vs. other cities ⚖️
Averaging at around £900–£1,300 per month, Bournemouth sits comfortably in the middle-to-lower range of UK student cities for cost of living, which is brilliant news for your budget.
You're getting seaside living, two great universities and a proper student atmosphere for significantly less than the likes of London, Edinburgh and Bristol.
City | Average monthly cost* |
Bournemouth | £900–£1,300 |
London | £1,400–£1,800 |
Edinburgh | £1,300–£1,700 |
Bristol | £1,300–£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.
It’s also slightly cheaper than Manchester and Birmingham, with costs closely comparable to Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham.
So while Bournemouth is a fair bit smaller than these other cities, it’s worth remembering it’s on the south coast (one of the more expensive parts of the UK) and that actually for many students, the town’s size is all part of the charm.
Bournemouth: great value for students 💎
Stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, excellent teaching and a true student community. Bournemouth offers all this and more at a very reasonable cost, making it incredibly hard to beat when it comes to value for money.
Are your sights set on the south coast? Yugo offers a range of student accommodation in Bournemouth, with options at different price points like our Belaton House, Bailey Point and Rothesay House residences.
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