Durham is a student-friendly cathedral city in North East England, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Typically, living costs in the north of England are much lower than in the south of the country. That being said, Durham is one of the more expensive northern cities.
In general, its cost of living is slightly less than the national average and compared to the capital rent is 60% cheaper and consumer prices are 15% less on average. Keep reading to learn more about the cost of living in Durham for a student.
Fees and funding in Durham
The main fees involved in going to uni in Durham are the tuition fees that must be paid to study most university courses in the country. Tuition fees usually cost up to £9,250 per year, but you can apply for a tuition fee loan through Student Finance to help pay these costs. For most UK students, the entire cost of your tuition will be covered by this loan, and it’ll be paid directly to your university.
As a student, you’ll also have other expenses to think about, like rent, food costs and going out expenses. You can apply for a maintenance loan worth up to around £10,000 per year to help pay for these living expenses. These loans won’t need to be repaid until you’re graduated and earning over a certain threshold. This amount will differ depending on when you started uni and what repayment plan you’re on, but for most new students it’ll be £25,000.
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may also be able to apply for extra funding from your uni in the form of scholarships and bursaries. For example, Durham University’s Brian Cooper Scholarship gives funding of £13,000 per academic year to a local student in need of financial support, while the Durham Inspired North East Scholarships support applicants from the north of England and provide £4,000 a year.
Student accommodation in Durham
Durham University is made up of several colleges in which most students end up living. How much you spend on student rent depends on the type of accommodation you live in. For a standard room with a shared bathroom, rent is £174.50 per week, while for en-suite rooms the cost is £190.50. Studio rooms are more expensive and will set you back between £219 and £261.50 per week.
You’ll find catered and self-catered options as an undergraduate student at the University of Durham. Catering charges are between £2,840 and £2,940 per year on top of rent prices.
If you’d rather live in privately rented accommodation, you can expect to pay around £1,200 a month for a one-bedroom flat in the centre. Living further out of the city will be much cheaper, at around £450 a month. Another option is to rent a room in a shared house for about £900 a month in the centre, or £315 further out.
Renting privately will likely mean you’re also responsible for paying utility bills like gas, electricity, water and WiFi. If you live in a shared house, you should budget around £50 a month for these costs, but if you live alone, your bills will be higher.
For even cheaper private accommodation options, look in neighbouring towns like Gateshead and Sunderland.
Cost of groceries in Durham
Unless you’re staying in one of the catered accommodation options at uni, you’ll need to buy your own food. The city is home to all the major supermarkets, with low-cost options like Lidl and Aldi away from the centre. On average, you’ll find the following rough prices for these common goods in Durham:
- Milk (1L): £1.29
- Bread loaf: £1.18
- Rice (1kg): £1.44
- Eggs (12): £2.68
- Cheese (1kg): £6.59
- Chicken fillets (1kg): £6.00
- Apples (1kg): £2.03
- Potatoes (1kg): £0.88
Going out in Durham
As a student in Durham, you’ll be able to go out and enjoy fairly reasonably priced nights out and social experiences. College bars and other student nights will provide discounted drinks but non-student places will be more expensive, with the average price of a pint of beer costing around £4.
If eating out, the average price for a meal in an inexpensive restaurant is £14, or a cheaper option at a fast-food restaurant will be around £7.
Student cinema tickets at the Gala Theatre start at around £5 and tickets for the Durham Student Theatre are approximately £6. A game of bowling costs around £7 at Lane 7 Bowling with a valid student card, so you’ve always got options for a cheap evening’s entertainment.
Transport in Durham
Durham is connected to many of the UK’s other major towns and cities by train. To give you an idea of how much train fares to and from Durham cost, it’s around £6 each way to get to Newcastle and around £11 to Edinburgh. Trains to Liverpool start from around £21 and for London prices start at around £23.
To secure the cheapest fares, book as early as possible and buy advance single tickets where you can. Lots of students also buy a 16-25 Railcard for £30 for discounts of 1/3 of the price of rail tickets.
Durham itself is a small city, so students can get around much of it on foot and by bike. There is also a bus service in the city which students from Durham University can use for just £1.50 a day.
Other student expenses in Durham
As a student in Durham, you’ll have other expenses that you should budget for on top of the ones we’ve already mentioned. For example, you might want to budget £30 for clothing and accessories, £15 for course materials, £20 for laundry and £10 for toiletries. All of these items will contribute towards the cost of living in Durham.
As a university student in Durham, the average person should budget to spend around £1,000 a month, not including course fees. This figure can vary a lot depending on your lifestyle and accommodation choices, so be sure to take this into account when you're planning your budget.
Click here to search for courses in Durham. Or why not check out our list of reasons to study in the city?