Cost of living in Scotland

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Scotland is an amazing country, a beautiful and ancient land with vast wilderness, untouched beaches, medieval castles, fascinating cultural attractions and a proud heritage. The nation has a rich history of literature, poetry, philosophy and art, and was instrumental in the industrial revolution, producing some of the world’s most influential engineers and inventors. Today, Scotland remains an educational powerhouse and is home to 19 universities including some of the best in the world. With such a large offering, you might expect the cost of living to be equally high, but fortunately this isn’t always the case. Our guide explains how to build a rich student experience in Scotland with a modest student budget.

Fees and funding in Scotland

Historically a centre of education and progressive thought, it’s no surprise that Scotland boasts some of the finest universities in the world. Tuition fees for an undergraduate degree vary considerably based on your home fee status so be aware of this as you make an application.

If you live in Scotland, then attending a full-time undergraduate degree at a Scottish university will cost only £1,820 per year, and what’s more you won’t even need a student loan for this. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) pays fees for all eligible students without need for you to repay.

Students from the rest of the UK pay the usual government-capped rate of £9,250 per year, and there is a variable international tuition fee for all other students including those from EU countries.

UK students typically take out a tuition fee loan from Student Finance to cover this cost, which is conveniently paid to your chosen uni at the start of each year and doesn’t need to be repaid until you’ve graduated and are earning above the threshold for your loan plan.

You can access additional funding through your uni by applying for scholarships and bursary schemes which are normally offered for both merit-based and means-tested criteria. These are a great way to subsidise the cost of study without needing to get a part-time job or take out additional loans. Awards are offered for academic achievement, sporting success or musical ability, and are typically non-repayable, so take a look at your uni’s fees and funding page to see what you might be eligible for.

Student accommodation in Scotland

Scotland’s 19 universities are distributed across a range of different locations, each with a distinct range of local housing options and rental costs. However, regardless of the city you’re in, your uni will most likely have their own halls of residence buildings located within a short walk of campus, and placement is usually guaranteed for first-year undergraduate students who apply before a particular deadline. Living in halls is a great way to meet people from outside your course and make friends, some of whom you'll likely end up sharing a house with during your second and third year.

You’ll have a range of options to choose from to suit your budget and personal preferences. There are single rooms with shared bathroom, en-suite rooms, various bed size and floorspace options, and even studio flats and family apartments in some cases. Pricing varies accordingly, but a single room in a shared apartment for 3-8 students will generally cost between £100 - £200, and includes all your utilities bills, internet and insurance. There’s usually on-site laundry facilities and a common room or social space, as well as a security team or concierge to ensure you feel safe.

Renting in Scotland can vary quite dramatically between locations, so in this guide we’ll compare between the following places; Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, and St. Andrews. Predictably rent prices are higher than average in Scotland’s historic capital, Edinburgh, where a studio apartment costs an average of £1,220 per month. Although this is the highest in Scotland, it’s still significantly less than London. Stirling has the most affordable rent prices with the average cost of a one-bedroom studio flat only £750 per month. With the exceptions of Edinburgh and St. Andrews, a three-bedroom city centre apartment in Scotland will run between £1,000 - £1,500 per month which works out at about £350 - £500 per person, per month.

Cost of groceries in Scotland

Scotland generally has a lower cost-of-living index than most places in the UK, and this is reflected in the cost of food. Of the locations we surveyed, Glasgow has the most affordable grocery rates, and some average prices for commonly bought items are:

Milk (1L): £1.25
Bread loaf: £1.27
Rice (1kg): £1.81
Eggs (12): £2.83
Cheese (1kg): £8.09
Chicken fillets (1kg): £6.87
Apples (1kg): £2.52
Potatoes (1kg): £1.09

Scotland is full of low-cost supermarket outlets such as Lidl and Aldi in addition to the regular big-name chains, and buying items in bulk is a great way to save money while also minimising the number of trips you’ll need to make to the shops.

Going out in Scotland

There’s no shortage of evening entertainment in Scotland. From Edinburgh’s comedy scene to the underground clubs of Glasgow, to the traditional pubs, eateries and world-famous whisky distilleries which populate the whole country, you’ll have plenty to explore and indulge in.

Despite its high rental costs, St. Andrews is still a very affordably priced uni town for eating out. An inexpensive restaurant will charge about £15 for a meal, and a two-person dinner date at a mid-range restaurant costs an average of £55 which is comfortably less than either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Aberdeen, Stirling, Dundee, and St Andrews each have an average pint cost of £4, with Dundee averaging just £3 for a bottle of imported beer. Aberdeen and St Andrews also have the cheapest late-night fast food, averaging just £5.99 for a midnight snack on the way home!

Transport in Scotland

Scotland is a vast and spacious region with many sparsely populated areas between its major cities. The country is well connected by rail, and you can travel the length of the county from Inverness to Glasgow in less than three and half hours, for a price of less than £15.

Locally, transport is usually by bus or overground rail, although Glasgow does have its own underground Metro line, which is the third oldest in the world. Generally, in Scotland, a one-way journey costs between £2 - £3 with Edinburgh and Stirling having the best price for this, at only £2 per ticket. Dundee has the most affordable monthly pass, priced at £47.50 which is much less than £2 per day for unlimited travel.

Wherever you study, your student status allows you to buy a student travel card, which typically gives you a further 1/3 saving on all fares. Cheaper still, you can cycle. And once you’ve bought a bike, helmet and lock, it won’t cost you a penny. Plus, it’s regular exercise and is good for the environment.

Other student expenses in Scotland

Scotland has a lot of beautiful places to visit, with open moorland and expanses of mountainous highland where in winter you can even go skiing! There are thousands of miles of rugged coastline, sandy beaches and ancient islands, which you can easily visit for a weekend getaway. Aberdeen has the cheapest average cinema ticket, at only £7.50 a seat, and prices in Scotland are generally less than £10 so whatever the weather, you’ll have something fun to see.

Closer to home, your uni will offer many clubs, societies and sports teams which you can join, and these might require the purchase of equipment, venue hire or field trips. Your course itself may also require extra reading material, books, stationery or printing and photocopying credits so budget wisely for this and you’ll always be prepared for that end-of-term deadline!