Leicester has two universities, the University of Leicester and De Montfort University (DMU), and more than 42,000 students between them. That is a large student population for a city of its size, and it keeps rents and everyday prices lower than in most other big UK student cities.
This guide breaks down what a student actually spends each month. The figures come from real 2025 accommodation booking data and current Numbeo market pricing for Leicester, not generic UK averages.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Leicester?
A student in PBSA (private hall) accommodation with utilities and a gym included should budget around £959 a month. Without those extras bundled in, budget closer to £1,073 a month.
| Category | Monthly Cost | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | £615 | Weighted average, UniAcco 2025 booking data |
| Utilities | £0 (worth ~£89 elsewhere) | Bundled into rent at most halls and PBSA |
| Groceries | £52 | Lean, staple-focused shop |
| Eating out | £94 | About 2 meals out a week |
| Transport | £48 | Leicester Buses annual student ticket, spread monthly |
| Mobile | £12 | SIM-only plan |
| Personal care | £18 | Toiletries and essentials |
| Entertainment | £33 | 2 cinema trips and 3 pints |
| Gym | £0 (worth ~£24 elsewhere) | Bundled at most PBSA |
| Miscellaneous buffer (10%) | £87 | Unplanned costs |
| Total | ≈ £959/month |
Without bundled utilities and gym, budget closer to £1,073 a month. Over a 9-month term-time year, that is roughly £8,635 to £9,658. Over a full 12 months, it is £11,514 to £12,878.
Why Leicester Is One of the UK’s More Affordable Student Cities
Real 2025 booking data puts Leicester’s weighted-average student rent at £142 a week (£615 a month). That is the single biggest reason a Leicester budget stays low. Rent makes up about 64% of the monthly total, so a cheap room does most of the work.
Day-to-day prices are modest as well. An inexpensive restaurant meal costs around £16.50, a fast-food combo around £7, a cinema ticket £9 and a pint of draught beer £5. A three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant is around £50.
| Leicester | |
|---|---|
| Weighted avg. student rent | £142/week (£615/mo) |
| Inexpensive restaurant meal | £16.50 |
| Fast-food combo | £7.00 |
| Monthly gym membership | ~£24 |
| Getting around | ~£48/mo on an annual student bus ticket |
What Student Accommodation Costs in Leicester?
UniAcco 2025 booking data across Leicester, based on 1,019 bookings:
| Room Type | Weekly Rent | Monthly Rent | Share of Bookings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensuite | £137 | £594 | ~48% |
| Non-ensuite | £100 | £433 | ~16% |
| Studio | £169 | £732 | ~33% |
| All room types (weighted average) | £142 | £615 | 100% |
The remaining 3% or so is made up of shared rooms and multi-bed flats, which are too few in number to quote reliably. The gap between a non-ensuite room and a studio is about £300 a month, so the room type you choose changes the budget more than any other single decision.
Best areas for students in Leicester
Leicester’s two universities sit on opposite sides of the city centre. DMU is right in the centre, and the University of Leicester is a short distance south of it, so the right area depends on which campus you are heading to.
City centre. Most of the newer PBSA is here. It is a 5-minute walk to DMU, and about a 20-minute bus ride to the University of Leicester. Shops, nightlife and part-time jobs are all on the doorstep, though some streets are noisy at night.
Clarendon Park. The area next to the University of Leicester, about a 12-minute walk away. It has Victorian terraced streets, independent cafes and shops, and a strong student social scene. It tends to cost more than Highfields.
Highfields. Close to the centre and one of the better-value areas in the city. It is about a 15-minute bus ride to the University of Leicester and 20 minutes to DMU. Belgrave Road runs nearby and is well known for its South Asian food.
Bede Park. A modern riverside development a few minutes from DMU, popular with DMU students who want a calmer base.
Oadby. A separate town on the southern edge of the city, about 25 minutes by bus from the University of Leicester. It is quiet and family-oriented, and mostly suits postgraduates.
Stoneygate and Knighton. Stoneygate is Leicester’s most expensive residential area, with large Victorian and Edwardian houses. Knighton is a residential suburb where rents are generally lower. Both rely on the bus for getting to campus.
Utility Bills: What’s Included vs What You’ll Pay Separately
If you live in halls or purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), your utilities are already in the rent, so there is nothing extra to set up. If you rent a flat or house with friends, you will usually set up and pay for these yourself. Here is what to expect in Leicester, per person, in a three-person share.
Typical Utility Costs per Person
| Utility | What it covers | Typical cost per person, per month |
| Electricity, heating, water and waste | Lights, appliances, heating, water and bin collection | about £78 |
| Broadband | Home wifi at 60 Mbps or faster | about £11 |
| Bills total | about £89 | |
| Mobile phone | SIM-only plan, already counted separately in the budget | about £12 |
| TV licence | Only needed if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer on a TV | £15 (£180 a year), usually split between housemates |
| Council tax | Nothing to pay if everyone in the house is a full-time student | £0 |
Here is where those numbers come from. Numbeo estimates £235 a month for electricity, heating, water and waste for a typical flat, and £33 for broadband. Split three ways, that gives the £78 and £11 above.
A few things worth knowing:
- Energy. Suppliers’ prices are capped by Ofgem. From October 2026 the typical household pays £1,723 a year for gas and electricity, which is up £60 on the previous cap. A shared student house with several people at home during the day can use more than that.
- Water. Leicester is served by Severn Trent Water, whose average household bill is about £639 a year from April 2026, or roughly £53 a month. In a rented house it is often included in your bills or rent, so ask your landlord before you sign.
- TV licence. It costs £180 a year from April 2026. You only need your own if you watch live TV or iPlayer on a television. If you only use a phone, tablet or laptop, your home licence may cover you.
- Winter. Heating bills are higher from October to March, so do not set your budget on a summer bill.
A few habits keep the bills simple. Ask whether the tenancy is “all bills included” before you compare rents. Take a photo of the meter readings on the day you move in. Agree on a single monthly payment between housemates, so one person is not chasing everyone at the end of the month.
Council tax
Council tax works the same way across the UK. It is worth understanding the rules instead of assuming you are automatically exempt.
A household where every resident is a full-time student does not pay council tax. If you live with one housemate who is not a student, the property gets a 25% discount, and the non-student is responsible for paying the bill. If two or more residents are not students, the discount no longer applies. One more point: if you are a named tenant on a joint tenancy agreement, the council may still ask you to pay, even if you are personally exempt.
Check who will be listed on the tenancy before signing a joint agreement with a non-student. University halls and purpose-built student accommodation are normally registered as exempt, so these rules generally do not apply to them.
Food Costs: Groceries and Eating Out
A basic grocery basket of milk, bread, eggs, rice, chicken, cheese, beef, fresh fruit, vegetables and bottled water costs about £52 a month.
| Item | Monthly Quantity | Unit Price | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | 6L | £1.27/L | £7.62 |
| White bread | 4 loaves (500g) | £1.19/loaf | £4.76 |
| Eggs | 2 dozen | £3.00/dozen | £6.00 |
| White rice | 2kg | £1.66/kg | £3.32 |
| Chicken fillets | 1.5kg | £6.57/kg | £9.86 |
| Local cheese | 0.25kg | £7.45/kg | £1.86 |
| Beef | 0.25kg | £10.97/kg | £2.74 |
| Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) | ~2kg mixed | ~£1.77/kg avg | £3.54 |
| Vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, onions) | ~4kg mixed | ~£1.67/kg avg | £6.68 |
| Bottled water | ~8L | ~£0.74/L | £5.92 |
| Total | £52.30 |
Eating out is where most of the food budget goes. An inexpensive restaurant meal costs around £16.50 and a fast-food combo about £7. Eating out or ordering in twice a week comes to roughly £94 a month. Cooking at home most nights and keeping restaurant meals for the weekend is the easiest way to bring that figure down.
Getting Around: Transport Costs
Leicester is compact, and many students walk to campus, especially in the city centre and Clarendon Park. For everything else, the bus is the main way around.
From 1 August 2026, Leicester Buses introduced new student tickets that work across the participating operators, replacing the old single-operator student tickets. There are two options:
- Four-week Flexi student ticket: £68
- Annual Flexi student ticket: £575
Spread across 12 months, the annual ticket works out to about £48 a month, which is the figure used in this budget. The four-week ticket costs around £74 a month if you buy it continuously, so it suits students who only need a bus pass for part of the year. Check the eligibility rules at leicesterbuses.co.uk before you buy.
Mobile, Personal Care, Entertainment & Gym
Mobile: A monthly SIM-only plan costs around £12.
Home wifi: Broadband at 60 Mbps or more costs around £33 a month if you pay for it separately. Most halls include it.
Personal care: Toiletries and everyday essentials come to roughly £18 a month for a modest, realistic routine.
Entertainment: A cinema ticket costs about £9 and a pint of draught beer about £5. Two cinema trips and three pints a month comes to roughly £33.
Gym: A standalone gym membership averages around £24 a month. Most PBSA properties include gym access in the rent.
Tuition, Scholarships and Part-Time Work
Home undergraduate tuition at the University of Leicester is £9,790 for 2026/27. International undergraduate fees at the university range from £22,200 to £26,550 a year depending on the course, with Medicine charged at a higher rate.
DMU offers international undergraduates its Global Access Scholarship, worth £2,000 for each year of study for eligible students who pay their deposit before the deadline. Both universities run their own scholarship and bursary schemes, and eligibility and amounts change each year, so check the official funding pages for the latest information.
For part-time work, the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour from April 2026. That is around £1,017 a month before tax for a typical part-time student schedule.
Where You Can Realistically Save Money
- Buy the annual bus ticket. At about £48 a month it works out cheaper than the four-week ticket if you will use the bus all year.
- Choose the room type with care. A non-ensuite room costs around £300 a month less than a studio, which is the largest saving available to most students.
- Live close to campus. In the city centre or Clarendon Park you can walk to lectures and may not need a bus ticket at all.
- Keep bundled accommodation. Utilities and gym would add roughly £114 a month if you paid for them separately.
- Cook most meals. The groceries budget is £52 a month. Eating out twice a week is £94, so shifting a few meals home makes a visible difference.
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