We recognise the ongoing financial pressures on students and their families as inflation remains high in the UK. Our Student Financial Support team are there to provide advice and assistance.
How much does it cost to live in London as a student?
Living expenses at university will vary considerably according to your personal circumstances and lifestyle.
Lower range
£303, Weekly
£1,315, Monthly
£11,834, 9 Months
Average range
£379 to £407, Weekly
£1,640 to £1,764, Monthly
£14,764 to £15,878, 9 Months
Upper range
£473, Weekly
£2,052, Monthly
£18,464, 9 Months
Below is a rough guide to what you might expect to spend to live in reasonable comfort in London. We have considered key costs such as accommodation, food and travel. Tuition fees and study materials are not included here, but you will want to factor these into your own budget.
Basic prices for things like food, personal costs, bills and insurance are similar wherever you study. Costs related to accommodation and travel are more specific to London and Imperial.
| Cost | Weekly | Monthly | 9 months | 12 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | College-run | £215 | £930 | £8,373 | N/A |
| Private sector | £243 | £1,054 | £9,486 | £12,648 | |
| Food | £80 | £348 | £3,134 | £4,179 | |
| Travel (zone 1-2) | £26 | £115 | £1,031 | £1,374 | |
| Personal and leisure | £57 | £247 | £2,227 | £2,969 | |
| Totals | £379 to £407 |
£1,640 to £1,764 |
£14,764 to £15,878 |
£21,171 | |
| Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. | |||||
To view a breakdown of the range of student spending, please visit our cost of living percentile breakdown page.
Additional costs
If you need a Tier 4 student visa, you will need sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and living costs for your first year of study.
The estimates above do not include the cost of flights or insurance.
Don't forget that if you are planning to arrange initial short-term accommodation when you arrive in London, you will need to budget for this expense as well.
As a new student, you may have additional start-up costs in your first year.
This may include things like accommodation deposits and flights. International students may need up to £1,500 for costs like these.
In College-run accommodation, each room is already equipped with a bed, study desk, chair, wardrobe, shelving, desk lamp, curtains, chest of drawers, notice board, bookshelf/case.
Other essentials you may need to buy include items such as bedding, crockery, cutlery and even some essential electrical items.
Some of our courses involve compulsory attendance on one or more field trips or visits.
Wherever possible an estimate of the costs involved will be given to you at the time an offer of admission is made.
If you are sponsored, you will need to make your financial sponsor aware of any such additional costs.
Some courses involve non-compulsory conference costs, which will be communicated by the Departments. Students can apply for funding to cover these costs from their Department or the Imperial College Trust Fund.