Living costs

The budget required to cover the costs of living in the UK can vary a great deal according to the kind of activities you take part in, and therefore will vary from student to student. Social costs are also something which can vary a great deal from as little as £10 per week to a national average of £30 or even higher depending on your lifestyle. Your largest cost however is likely to be your accommodation.

Below is an approximate guide to the minimum amount you should expect for living expenses whilst studying at Reading (based on being at Reading for a full academic year):

• Accommodation in halls of residence: £300 - £650 per month, dependent on hall and catering options (cost includes all bills and internet)
• Private accommodation: £300 - £500 per month
• Bills (Electric/Gas/Water): £30 -£50 per month (included in the charge for halls of residence)
• Food/Housekeeping: £150-£200 per month (included in the charge for catered halls of residence)
• TV License (mandatory if you own a TV): currently £145.50 per year. Further information is available from the TV Licence website.  

You also need to budget for the following items:

• Travel /transport
• Books /stationery
• Leisure /sport activities
• Mobile phone
• Clothing
• Socialising and Entertainment

You will also need to set aside some money at the beginning of the year to provide you with things to set you up for the year ahead such as bedding, cooking utensils, laptop etc.

It is estimated that students will require £800 - 900 per month for living expenses (c.£10,000 per year).

More information can be found about planning your budget under Living Costs section of the International Student pages (mainly aimed at degree-seeking students, but the information there could be extremely useful to you).