Colchester sits on the east coast of Essex. It’s a modern town with ancient historical roots and a great university. If you’re considering a course in Colchester, but want to know a bit more about what to expect from living here, read on to learn more about the cost of living in this remarkable town.
Updated: 16 Jan 2025
There’s only one place which can lay claim to being Britain’s first ever city, and it’s Colchester! The former capital of England has a rich Roman heritage which is visible as you walk around its historic streets.
Located in Essex, just a stone’s throw from London, Colchester is a fantastic place to live and study. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that it doesn’t cost as much to live here as people think.
Want to know more about the uni in Colchester? Check out our profile on the University of Essex.
The University of Essex is the only university in Colchester, and regardless of your course, as an undergraduate you’ll likely pay £9,250 per year in tuition fees (this will be rising to £9,535 from the 2025/26 academic year). This can seem like a lot, but fortunately there is an effective and readily available solution.
Most students take out a loan from Student Finance to cover their tuition fees. It’s paid directly to the university at the start of the year, so you don’t have to worry about transferring funds. There’s also a maintenance loan available to help support you with housing costs as well as travel, groceries and anything else you need. This loan is means-tested, and you can receive up to £9,710 per year (this will be rising to up to £10,544 from the 2025/26 academic year) for the duration of your course.
You’ll only start to repay these loans when you are securely employed and earning above a certain annual threshold. This amount differs depending on when you started uni, but as a new student it’s likely you will be on Plan 5. This means you won’t start repaying your loan until you earn at least £25,000.
The University of Essex also offers a programme of scholarships and bursaries, which you can use to help with study costs during your degree. Search on the university website to see if there’s anything which you are eligible for.
For more information on how you can pay for uni, read our guide to student finance.
Staying in halls of residence is a great way to introduce yourself to life in Colchester and the University of Essex has many to choose from. There are many advantages to staying here, as they’re highly social, super convenient and usually located close to campus.
There are nine halls of residence, each offering a selection of room types and living conditions. Prices start at £114 per week for a shared, twin en-suite room and increase to around £240 per week for a self-contained premium apartment. Bills, internet and contents insurance are included in the rental cost, and the contract lasts the duration of your academic year.
Another option is to source housing from Colchester’s rental market. You can expect to pay around £833 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in the centre of town if you prefer to live alone.
Another option is to team up with friends and get a shared apartment. The average monthly price for a three-bedroom apartment in the town centre is £1,200, which works out at around £420 per person per month. You’ll also need to factor in a monthly budget for utility bills of around £60 each month.
Grocery prices in Colchester are about average in terms of the UK, and students generally expect to spend £30 per week on their shopping.
Some average prices for common food and drinks items:
Milk (1L): £1.19
Bread Loaf: £1.01
Rice (1kg): £1.25
Eggs (12): £2.54
Cheese (1kg): £7.16
Chicken fillets (1kg): £6.53
Apples (1kg): £2.17
Potatoes (1kg): £0.94
These prices are generally lower than in nearby London, and you can save even more money by looking for low-cost outlets such as Lidl and Aldi. Picking up a loyalty card helps too, since you can accrue points and gain special access to discounts and deals.
Colchester is a great place for a night out, and has a compact but varied landscape of pubs, bars and nightclubs in the centre of town. A three course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant costs an average of £60, and the average cost of a pint is £4.00.
The University of Essex Student’s Union bar serves as a good starting point for a night on the tiles. There are a good selection of clubs playing different styles of music late into the night, and weekly student parties which offer reduced entry ticket prices and drinks deals.
A one-way bus ticket in Colchester averages around £2, and this is the primary means of public transport across town. If you think you’ll be using the bus regularly, then it’s probably worth getting a monthly travel card, which is very reasonably priced at about £58. That’s less than £2 per day for unlimited travel!
If travelling by train, you can get a student rail card to save 1/3 on all domestic train tickets, a fantastic deal which pays for itself in just a few journeys. One of the benefits of living in Colchester is the proximity to London, which is less than one hour by rail, direct to central London.
The University of Essex is a lively uni which offers loads of opportunities to try new things with like-minded individuals. It has a huge programme of clubs and societies organised through the Students’ Union, and you may decide you want to sign up and start a new interest. The clubs are usually free to join but may involve additional costs in the future such as equipment, venue rental, field trips or special equipment, so it can be useful to allocate a small fund for this.
Similarly, the town itself is full of events and attractions, museums, galleries, theatre shows and live music performances. A cinema ticket is around £6, so no matter your budget there’s always a low-cost option for an evening’s entertainment.
You’ll also need to keep in mind extra course costs depending on your subject. You might need to pay for books, materials or other equipment, so we’d recommend factoring in an extra £40 a month into your budget.