UK Living Costs and Finances: International Students

How much does living in Swansea really cost?

Although the cost of living in Swansea is more than 20% cheaper than London, and is very good value for the UK, it may still be considerably more expensive than your home country.

Recently we have seen many students arriving who have unrealistic expectations of living costs. Many believe that if they can get to the UK, then part-time work and/or the University will provide enough income to support them. For the majority of students, this is simply not true - especially for students with families. This means students are getting into financial difficulty and, sometimes, having to leave the UK before completing their studies. We do not want this to happen to anyone.

It is important that you properly know and understand about UK finances before you choose to come to the UK. If you have a family you should know that you can find them suitable and affordable housing, as well as arrive in proper time for the start of the School term, before you travel. Failure to do so can be extremely stressful for you and especially any children who may be travelling with you.

IMPORTANT: Remember - the cost of living is affected by inflation. The UK has seen significant price rises for food, rent and utility bills (gas and electric etc.). While inflation is reducing, it remains above the UK target of 2%.

The UK Government requires all international students coming to the UK under University Student Route immigration sponsorship, to have all the money for their fees plus significant living costs in place before travelling to the UK. You must sign an affidavit stating the proof of funds used in your visa application is solely for that purpose. Using money that does not belong to you, or that you have secured as a short-term loan, is deception - you could face a 10-year immigration ban if caught. You are being asked to show you have this money to make sure you can settle and study in the UK safely - which is the primary reason students should be coming to the UK.

Example: currently a 12-month Masters student, would need £9,207 living costs (plus all their study fees) and each dependant needs £6,120. All applicants would also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge plus the visa fee (at point of application) totalling £1,068 each. If our example Masters student had a spouse and 2 children, they would need to have £31,839 in place before coming to the UK.

Please note - Immigration Health Surcharge costs will increase on 6th February 2024. Please see the below linked guide for details on new costs from this date.

For detailed information about how much money you need for your visa, head to our Finances for Student Visa Applications. Additionally, if you are intending to bring any dependants, please see the information for Families in our Immigration for Dependants and Families- International Students sections.

Important information about UK Cost of Living and Inflation

The UK, as with many countries, is currently affected by unusually high inflation rates. UK Government Data for October 2023 shows inflation is currently at around 4.6%. This effectively means the cost of living is increasing by around this amount each year. This does impact different goods and services differently, so for example, on a per-month basis:

	Average Cost - October 2022	Inflation Rate	Average Cost - October 2023	Change
Food	£175.00	+10.1%	£192.68	+£17.68
Clothing	£55.00	+6.2%	£58.41	+£3.41
Household Goods	£55.00	+3.1%	£56.71	+£1.71
Housing	£650.00	+1.9%	£662.35	+£12.35
Transport	£45.00	+0.5%	£45.23	+£0.23
TOTAL	£980		£1015.38	+£35.38

This is based on the CPIH rate – you can find details here - Consumer price inflation, UK - Office for National Statistics

You should also be aware that UK energy costs have been extremely volatile. Gas prices increased by 129.4% and electricity prices increased by 66.7% between January 2022 and January 2023 (Source – ONS). When looking at accommodation, it is really important to know if this is included in the rental cost, and if not, to find out an approximate energy cost for the property so that you can plan for this.

When thinking about your finances, remember that your monthly cost of living at the start of your course will likely be lower than it will be by the time you complete – we recommend you think about how you will manage this in advance and adjust your expectations accordingly.

Summary of living costs

Summary of Living Costs Excluding Rent:

Below is a summary of approximate living costs in Swansea excluding rent. This uses data sourced from Numbeo (January 2024). Numbeo uses crowd-sourced data from users entering prices paid for goods and services. These are estimated, approximate costs and you should be aware that prices can change rapidly for many reasons - for example due to increased demand or supply shortages.

Family of four estimated monthly costs are £2,445.30 without rent (using the Numbeo estimator).
A single person estimated monthly costs are £710.90 without rent
Average Monthly Net Salary (Full Time Role After Tax) £1,662.00 (please note that students can only work restricted hours - refer to our Working During your Studies information)

Numbeo allows you to view information in GBP or will convert it to most other currencies. This may help you understand and budget more effectively (e.g. select NGN for Nigerian Naira, INR for Indian Rupees, etc). You can also compare costs between your home town or city and Swansea.

Approximate Rental Costs:

The rents below have been adjusted based on local market information, so it more accurately represents what you might expect to pay. The information is correct as of December 2023. Rental accommodation for families and non-students is in high demand, so the prices for these have increased significantly.

Family Accommodation - Per Month (flat or house):
- City Centre 2 Bedroom £700.00 - 1100.00
- City Centre 3 Bedroom £950.00 - 1600.00
- Outside City Centre 2 Bedroom (suburban area) - £650.00 - 850.00
- Outside City Centre 3 Bedroom (suburban area) - £850.00 - 1300.00

University Family Accommodation - Beck House - Per Week:
- 1 / 2 / 3-Bedroom flats - £214.00 - £258.00 (per student per week)
- You must apply for this by the end of June
- It is not guaranteed
- It is in extremely high demand and you should not rely on this being available

Single Student Accommodation - Per Week
- Private City Centre Student Accommodation Provider (e.g. Seren / true Student) - £160.00 - £222.00
- University Accommodation
  - Singleton Campus - £142.00 - £198.00
  - Beck House - £130.00 - £164.00
  - Bay Campus - £135.00 (shared room) - £222.00

We recommend you use our International Student Accommodation Site which can help you identify which type of property is suitable for you, which location would suit your needs and how much a property that suits all your requirements costs.

List of specific costs

Below is a list of approximate costs to help you estimate how much money you will need to live in Swansea. This is based on data from crowd-sourced website Numbeo (Updated January 9th 2024 - please be aware of the impact of inflation and the significant rise of Cost of Living in the UK. For most-up-to-date information please check the Numbeo website).

This list shows the most commonly reported price along with an estimated price range

Restaurants Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant £11.50 (£9.00-25.00)
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course £42.50 (£30.00-100.00)
Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Combo Meal) £6.75 (£6.00-8.00)
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre draught) £3.92 (£2.00-5.50)
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) £4.50 (£3.40-5.00)
Cappuccino (regular) £2.94 (£2.00-4.00)
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle) £1.62 (£1.10-3.00)
Water (0.33 litre bottle) £0.85 (£0.60-2.50)

Markets
Milk (regular), (1 litre) £0.95 (£0.69-1.50)
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) £1.07 (£0.80-1.50)
Rice (white), (1 kg) £1.10 (£0.45-2.60)
Eggs (regular) (12) £2.48 (£2.00-3.00)
Local Cheese (1 kg) £5.31 (£2.80-6.63)
Chicken Fillets (1 kg) £6.80 (£3.50-9.00)
Beef Round (1 kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) £9.00 (£7.99-11.00)
Apples (1 kg) £2.75 (£1.50-3.85)
Banana (1 kg) £0.76 (£0.50-1.00)
Oranges (1 kg) £1.66 (£0.75-2.00)
Tomato (1 kg) £2.75 (£2.75-2.75)
Potato (1 kg) £0.75 (£0.50-1.50)
Onion (1 kg) £0.70 (£0.50-1.50)
Lettuce (1 head) £0.53 (£0.45-3.00)
Water (1.5 litre bottle) £0.72 (£0.23-2.00)
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) £7.00 (£2.99-8.50)
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre bottle) £1.76 (£1.00-3.00)
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) £1.50 (£0.99-3.50)
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) £13.20 (£12.25-25.00)

Transportation
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) £4.10 (£2.50-4.60)
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) £72.00 (£43.48-84.00)
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) £2.20 (£1.80-2.40)
Taxi 1 km (Normal Tariff) £1.24 (£1.09-1.24)
Taxi 1 hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) £12.60 (£12.60-14.40)
Gasoline (1 litre) £1.54 (£1.45-1.84)

Utilities (Monthly)
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water) for 85m2 Flat £294.38 (£270.00-318.75)
Mobile Service (e.g. SIM Only) Monthly Plan - Calls & 10 GB+ Data £11.25 (£11.00-12.50)
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) £30.14 (£25.00-35.00)

Sports And Leisure
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult £29.66 (£19.00-50.00)
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat £7.00 (£5.00-10.50)

Childcare
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day for one month £1,100.00 (£1,100.00-1,100.00)

Clothing And Shoes
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M) £20.00 (£15.00-50.00)
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) £95.00 (£95.00-95.00)
1 Pair of Men's Leather Business Shoes £65.00 (£60.00-70.00)
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) £53.75 (£19.99 – 80.00)

Emergencies & Unforeseen Issues - Contingency Funds

While we hope this doesn't happen, we must advise you to consider what you might do should you be affected by an unforeseen issue or emergency while studying in Swansea, and if you will have the financial resources to manage these. It is an inevitable fact that many International Students are required to make emergency trips to their home countries each year – usually at very short notice. Making travel arrangements, such as flights or international trains / coaches at the last minute usually means you would be charged significantly more than when booking in advance.

In addition, If you are relying on part-time employment to help with your living costs, consider what would happen if you were unable to work, for example due to illness or if you are faced with significant academic requirements.

We recommend you make every effort to have a contingency fund in place - money set aside from your day-to-day budget which can be used to help you handle any circumstances which might affect you during your studies. At difficult times, added money stresses can be deeply distressing.

Responsibilities of students coming to the UK with family

If you are bringing dependants to the UK, it is your responsibility to ensure the following:

1. You have enough money to support your family in the UK
2. You source and finance suitable family accommodation in the UK (it may be necessary for your family members to travel to the UK after you)
3. Your accommodation is a maximum of 50 miles from the University campus
4. You apply for school places on time and adhere to UK school admissions and attendance processes
5. You have read all the University support resources provided for you in relation to the above. The University can offer you advice and guidance but you must make your own arrangements:

UK Living Costs and Finances: International Students
International Students' Information Guide
Families- International Students
Immigration for Dependants