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Budgeting for your living and day-to-day expenses while you are studying will vary according to your personal needs and wants.
"Average living costs" can be difficult to predict, as every student will have different priorities and lifestyle choices. However, for a rough idea, there are some estimations below for an undergraduate in UCL halls and any student renting privately in London.
All costs other than rent and travel are guided by Save the Student's annual National Student Money Survey for 2019.
Undergraduate student in UCL halls
| Per week | Per 39-week academic year | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rent | £201 | £7,839 |
| Student bus pass | £15 | £585 |
| Food | £30 | £1,170 |
| Course materials | £4 | £156 |
| Mobile phone | £4 | £156 |
| Going out | £12 | £468 |
| Clothes, health, other | £14 | £546 |
| Total | £280 | £10,920 |
Undergraduate student in privately rented accommodation
| Per week | Per 52-week contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rent | £170 | £8,840 |
| Household bills | £8 | £416 |
| Student bus pass | £15 | £780 |
| Food | £30 | £1,560 |
| Course materials | £4 | £208 |
| Mobile phone | £4 | £208 |
| Going out | £12 | £624 |
| Clothes, health, other | £14 | £728 |
| Total | £257 | £13,364 |
Travelling from outside the UK
If you're travelling from outside the UK to study at UCL, you may have limits on what you can bring with you and should allow for some additional costs on arrival.
Programmes with additional costs
Students on certain degree programmes will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fee; for example, for specialist equipment, artists' materials, books or costs related to carrying out fieldwork. Students on Architecture or Fine Art programmes will need to purchase different materials depending on the nature of their work; students on Earth Sciences or Archaeology programmes will need to buy some specialist tools and may need weather-proof gear. For students on programmes with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel or a contribution to the department to cover costs.
If possible additional costs concern you, please do not hesitate to contact the department in which you are interested for more details.