Apart from being the cultural, financial and commercial heart of West Yorkshire, Leeds is a popular destination among international students seeking higher education.
Every year more than 45,000 students (of which over 8000 are overseas) enrol in the five universities in Leeds:
1. The University of Leeds
2. Leeds Beckett University
3. Leeds Trinity University
4. Leeds Arts University
5. Leeds College of Music
Famous for its charming sceneries, exciting nightlife and cheap entertainment opportunities, Leeds is also an affordable living option compared to other cities of the UK.
So, if you are planning to pursue your degree in Leeds, it is important to get a clear idea about the essential costs you have to bear every week. It will help you prepare a budget and efficiently manage your finances while living in the UK.
The key aspects that cover the cost of living for an international students are:
· Student Accommodation in Leeds
· Living Cost (Food, electricity bills, etc)
· Internet and Phone bills
· Tuition Fees
· Travel Expenses
· Entertainment Cost
Do you wish to know the average expenditure for each criterion? Then keep reading:
Accommodation:
No wonder one of the most important items in your budget is accommodation. As we all know, living in North England is much cheaper than in the South. Thus, Leeds accommodations are more reasonably priced as compared to cities in the south of the UK.
If you are planning to live in a Leeds university student accommodation in close vicinity of the university, your weekly expenses would be around £150-£300, including the utility cost. As you move away from the college, the rent amount will reduce considerably.
Yet, with PBSA you can also save a lot by availing yourself of onsite services like daily meals, laundry, gym, cleaning services, gaming and internet at no extra cost.
The living cost in private renting is around £90 per week. But, if you share the apartment, you can further cut down on the rent and food bills.
You can check the all-inclusive student accommodation in Leeds and pick the best-suited deal from millions of available properties. Ocxee website offers a hassle-free browsing option to furnish budget-friendly rooms in Leeds that precisely match your personality and choices.
Basic Living Cost:
No one can live without food, electricity, clothes, toiletries and other daily essentials. All these come with a price. The living expenses in Leeds depends on the type of life you lead.
For example, if you buy groceries from a nearby store and cook your food, the expenses will be between £20-£50 per week. But the expense for a night’s dinner with friends at a lavish restaurant will cost around £11.
Internet and Phone Bills:
Whether you browse the internet for your coursework, attend conference calls, upload photos on social media or binge watch Netflix on weekends, smooth internet connectivity is a current mandate in everyone’s life. In Leeds, the cost of an internet package is approximately £4.50 per week, much cheaper than the national average of £5.36.
Furthermore, for students living abroad, homesickness becomes a part of their life. These tough times become easy if you stay connected with your friends and family back home with a global SIM Card.
While the average phone bill of other cities is about £8.44, in Leeds it’s less with an estimated cost of about £7.72 per week.
Tuition Fees:
The average tuition fees for an undergraduate course in the Leeds universities is between £10,000-£30,000, which is much less as compared to other cities in the UK. Moreover, there are different types of scholarships available for international students. You can check them out and the eligibility norms before applying for them.
Travel and Commuting:
Leeds has a huge network of transport facilities that run between 5 am to 11 pm across the city. You can avail these conveyances to move in and around the city. For students who have to travel every day, there are monthly bus and train passes, which makes your journeys cheaper and more convenient.
If you have a smartphone, you can conveniently book a bus ticket using the West Yorkshire bus app that cost about £2.00 per ticket while a normal booking costs about £1.60 for short and £2.50 for long-distance.
Entertainment and Leisure:
All work and no play can make your life monotonous and unhealthy. So, Leeds has it all. Theatres, restaurants, nightclubs, café, coffee shops, tourist attractions, weekend destinations, everything you can think of.
If we consider an individual’s entertainment cost living in Leeds, it’s like this-
The Ticket for a single person in a theatre, for an international release, costs about £8.50.
A pint of beer will cost around £4 while wine’s price is £7.
The cost of one night-out for students in Leeds will be around £16.56, quite less than the national average of £17.99. You can also get the NUS discount cards to avail subsidies at leisure outlets in Leeds.
Conclusion:
For an overseas student with limited financial aid, planning your savings is very important. Unlike most cities in the UK, Leeds offers a budget-friendly yet comfortable lifestyle for students.
