Cost of living in Eastern England

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Eastern England is home to around 6 million people, bordering London in the west and extending out eastward to the North Sea coast. It is the flattest and driest region in the UK with warm, balmy temperatures (for the UK, at least), perfect for farmland, long pebbled beaches and calm waters. The region is home to ten major universities, offering a diversity of student experiences. If you're considering applying to study here and want to know how much it might cost, then you've come to the right place.

Fees and funding in Eastern England

The cost of tuition in Eastern England will probably be fairly consistent, regardless of which uni you plan to attend. Government guidelines cap tuition fees at £9,250 and this is the fee that many institutions charge.

While this may sound like a lot, most undergraduate students cover their fees by taking out a tuition fee loan from Student Finance. You'll only need to start making payments once you’re fully employed and earning more than £27,295 annually, which gives you a lot of financial freedom upon graduation.

A maintenance loan is also available, worth up to a maximum of £9,710 per year and calculated depending on your household income. It’s paid in several instalments throughout the year, and can be used to help offset the cost of rent, groceries, travel and other university-related expenses.

It’s worth checking out your chosen university’s fees and funding page for additional funding opportunities. Typically they will offer a programme of merit-based scholarships and means-tested bursaries which you can apply for as you submit your application. Your uni can also help you to apply to external funding schemes through government or private initiatives, and these can become a great way to subsidise your costs while boosting your resumé.

Student accommodation in Eastern England

University-owned accommodation is by far the most popular housing option for first-year undergraduate students in Eastern England. Your uni will most likely operate a selection of halls of residence buildings, which typically comprise several hundred single bedrooms organised into shared self-catered flats of between 2-7 students with communal kitchen and living space facilities.

Pricing varies but generally ranges between £100 - £190 per week, and conveniently includes your utilities, internet and insurance bills. The University of Essex has nine halls of residence, located close to campus, and priced between £110 - £190 for a single room. Studio flats are also available in some locations, and priced between £205 - £245. Similarly, Anglia Ruskin has a huge choice of rooms, in several halls of residence, with rental fees varying between £114 and £227 per week.

Renting an apartment from the local housing market can vary quite dramatically in terms of pricing across Eastern England, so be sure to know what to expect. Cambridge is the most expensive city, with studio and three-bedroom apartments in the city centre costing £1,250 and £2,200 on average. In contrast, renting the same accommodation in Bedford costs only £650 and £1000 respectively.

Cost of groceries in Eastern England

Of all the uni towns surveyed in Eastern England, Colchester has the most affordable average prices for grocery shopping. While this is a good indicator, the actual price will vary in each city. With everything from big-name supermarket chains to outdoor markets, wholesale outlets and boutique organic vendors, you can pay as much or as little as you want for your weekly shop. If you’re looking to save some cash, keep an eye out for low-cost supermarkets like Costcutter, Aldi and Lidl.

Common grocery items in Colchester cost:

Milk (1L): £1.09
Bread Loaf: £1.00
Rice (1kg): £0.84
Eggs (12): £1.64
Cheese (1kg): £5.28
Chicken fillets (1kg): £4.87
Apples (1kg): £1.83
Potatoes (1kg): £0.72

Make sure to pick up a loyalty card for your favourite supermarket. You can earn points and gain access to special deals and offers.

Going out in Eastern England

An evening on the town in Eastern England can easily be planned on a student budget. An inexpensive meal in Cambridge, Norwich, Colchester, or Bedford will cost around £15 - £16, and pint of beer is around £5, with the exception of Colchester which has an average price of only £3.67. A dinner date for two at a mid-range restaurant in most places starts around £50, and can be as much as £70 in Norwich, where you’ll find some of the best restaurants in the region.

Each uni town has its characteristic evening entertainment programmes. Cambridge is world-class for comedy, Norwich has superb live music performances, Colchester has a strong late-night party scene, and most places are well geared up to offer student discounted tickets and drinks deals. Taxis are significantly cheaper than in nearby London, with Cambridge offering the best value at only £1.09 per km.

Transport in Eastern England

Eastern England is well serviced by public transport networks such as bus and rail. Average one-way fares sit around £2.50 - £3 for a single journey, and monthly passes are usually around £60 - £70. Our top tip is to purchase a student Railcard for only £30 per year. This will give you a further 1/3 discount on all domestic rail tickets, and the cost of membership can often pay for itself within the first few weeks.

Many of Eastern England’s cities are conveniently set up for cycling. The region is extremely flat, making biking easy and pleasant. Once you've bought a bike, you pay nothing to get around town while gaining free exercise and travelling in a more environmentally sustainable way. Eastern England has some beautiful areas of countryside too, and cycling is one of the best ways to experience them.

Other student expenses in Eastern England

You may find that your course requires extra materials, books or expenses such as printing, scanning and photocopying. When the end of term is approaching, you won’t want to be stretched for these resources, so plan ahead and allocate some budget to be prepared.

Similarly, you may decide to join one of the many clubs and societies at your uni, which although free to join, might organise a trip or event which you’ll be keen to attend. The same goes for local performances, art exhibitions, sports matches or simply going to see a film at the cinema, so make sure to keep some spare cash around for spontaneous entertainment. Norwich has the cheapest cinema ticket in the region at only £8.

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Cost of living in Eastern England

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