Located on Scotland’s east coast, Aberdeen is a charming city, home to two universities which each rank among the best in the UK. It’s known for having a low cost of living, making it attractive to students looking to save a few pennies while gaining a top education. Read on to find out more.
Updated: 10 Jan 2025
Located on Scotland’s east coast, Aberdeen is a charming city, home to two universities which each rank among the best in the UK. It’s known for having a low cost of living, making it attractive to students looking to save a few pennies while gaining a top education. Read on to find out more.
With a population of around 225,000, Aberdeen is the third largest city in Scotland. It’s a distinctive city known for its rugged coastline, history of shipbuilding, and the production of granite which has earned it the title of ‘The Granite City’.
Students flock to live here due to the low cost of living, and the fact that Aberdeen is often voted one of the safest places to live in the UK. There’s a lot to discover, so we’ve broken down some of the key aspects of university life in Aberdeen and how to live here on a student budget.
Fancy finding out more about the two unis in Aberdeen? Check out our profiles on the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.
In Scotland, tuition fees and university expenses will be a reasonable portion of your annual budget. However, the amount you’ll pay varies quite considerably based on your home fee status. If you’re from England, Wales, or Northern Ireland then you’ll be charged at the standard government rate of £9,250 per year, the same as if you were studying in these places.
There are student loans available to cover these fees, as well as additional maintenance loans worth up to £9,710 annually to cover living costs. These are very common loans for students to take, and you’ll only start paying them back once you’ve graduated and have started earning a certain amount of money.
However, if you’re a Scottish resident or have lived in Scotland for three years before going to uni, then your tuition fees will only cost £1,820 per year. It’s also likely that these costs will be covered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
It’s a good idea to check out the funding opportunities available through your uni. Scholarships are offered for both domestic and international students, and at all levels of study. Check your eligibility and find out which schemes you can apply to.
Need to know more about funding for university? Read our guide to student finance!
Aberdeen has a population of around 30,000 students which means there is a strong demand for student housing in the area. You’ll most likely spend your first year living in university-owned halls of residence accommodation.
Halls of residence are typically located close to campus and offer an extremely convenient and cost-effective package that includes all utilities bills and internet. Contract lengths usually last for the duration of your uni year, which means you won’t be paying for accommodation if you spend the summer months elsewhere.
Robert Gordon University has four sites for student accommodation across the city. Prices for a single room with shared bathroom start at around £198 per week, and increase to £184 per week for the most expensive ensuite options. At the University of Aberdeen, prices range between £103 and £178, and there are options for quiet and alcohol-free residences. In each case, rooms are organised within self-catered apartments with a shared kitchen and living space.
Once you start to rent from the local housing market, you’ll begin to see why Aberdeen has such a good reputation for cost-effectiveness. A studio flat in the city centre costs as little as £641 per month on average, which is about half the price of somewhere similar in Edinburgh.
Similarly, a three-bedroom apartment averages just £1,138 per month which is less than £380 per person. You can then expect to pay around £95 on top of this for utility bills.
As a city of more than 200,000 residents, Aberdeen has plenty of supermarket options including the likes of Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, and the budget-friendly options Aldi and Lidl.
Average prices for commonly bought items:
Milk (1L): £1.61
Bread Loaf: £1.24
Rice (1kg): £2.26
Eggs (12): £2.88
Cheese (1kg): £6.36
Chicken fillets (1kg): £7.79
Apples (1kg): £1.88
Potatoes (1kg): £0.67
Top tip: Get a loyalty card to your local store and rack up those points! You’ll be able to cash them in at a later date, as well as getting access to the best discounts and deals.
Aberdeen has a decent selection of places to eat, ranging from elegant restaurants to local cafes, seafood spots, fast-food joints and a mix of international cuisines. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around £15 on average. A pint of beer is priced around £4.00, making it easy to go out for a few drinks without breaking the bank. This supports a lively and traditional pub scene, which includes Aberdeen’s oldest pub, Ma Cameron’s, at over 300 years old.
Aberdeen also has plenty of options for clubbing and late-night bars, and with 30,000 students in the city, there are lots of weekly student nights which can often include discounted entry and drinks deals. Keep an eye out for these, and you can save some cash while partying long into the night.
Getting around in Aberdeen is straightforward as there’s a great network of buses and trains. A one-way ticket costs around £3.50, which is slightly more than most places in Scotland. You can get a monthly bus pass for £76, which helps to save money if you’re using the bus most days. Make sure to use your student status, as there are often special student passes available.
Better still, consider cycling to uni. Once you’ve bought the bike, it costs nothing at all and you’ll benefit from daily exercise and a lower environmental impact.
A train ticket from Aberdeen to Edinburgh or Glasgow can cost less than £15 if you plan ahead, so even though it seems a long way from its neighbouring cities, it’s convenient and affordable to visit them.
Aberdeen has a lot to shout about, and if you choose to study here then you’ll have loads of activities to enjoy. From its sandy beaches to its industrial shipbuilding heritage, there is a wealth of natural and cultural attractions to explore. If you want to experience the best of Scottish sights, then allocate a monthly budget for day trips and experiences.
You’ll also spend a lot of time studying, and your course may require specialist equipment, extra reading materials or just printing and photocopying credits. Keep a little fund available for these things, and you’ll always be ready.
Interesting in studying in Aberdeen? Check out courses at the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University!