Cost of living in Coventry

Coventry is situated in the heart of the West Midlands. It’s a historic city, boasting two unis and a student population of roughly 50,000. With a vibrant student scene and a lower cost of living than its closest neighbour, Birmingham, it’s easy to see why Coventry is often named among the best student cities in the UK.

There are many things to discover in Coventry. From its medieval origins to its post-war reconstruction, the city’s alive with history, yet also offers contemporary urban living on a modest budget. We explain how to get the best value experience from your time studying here, ensuring that you can maintain a memorable and sustainable student lifestyle.

Fees and funding in Coventry

Living and studying in Coventry involves several essential expenses. One of them is your uni tuition fees which, for an undergraduate course, is usually set at £9,790 per year. One of the most convenient ways to cover this cost is to take out a tuition fee loan from Student Finance. It has multiple benefits, covering the full fee amount, and is paid directly to your university each year.

Maintenance loans are also available and can be up to £10,830 for Coventry-based students, which goes a long way to offsetting other living expenses such as rent and transport. The precise amount you will be offered is calculated based on your living situation and family income.

Each loan is available for the duration of your course and is only repayable once you reach a certain earning threshold. The amount will depend on what payment plan you enter into. For new students on Plan 5, this threshold is currently set at £25,000, though this figure may change.

Additional opportunities may also be found through your own university funding department. Both of Coventry’s universities have an impressive list of scholarship and bursary schemes, ensuring that everyone can access the funds needed to study in confidence. Coventry University has a range of options including a Sports Scholarship programme that offers either either £1,500 or £3,000 in a mixture of cash bursary and support services during the academic year. The University of Warwick also has a huge selection of financial awards and bursaries, with subject-specific grants, hardship funds and undergraduate bursaries.

Be sure to visit your chosen university’s website while making your application to see what you might be eligible for.

Student accommodation in Coventry

Coventry has a wide variety of housing options, at a student-friendly range of budgets. Whether you want to live in halls of residence with fellow students or strike out on your own and find private accommodation elsewhere in the city, there are plenty of options for you to explore.

Both unis have their own portfolio of housing locations, either on-campus or conveniently located in the surrounding area. All rooms in uni-owned halls in Coventry are self-catered rooms but there’s a selection of room sizes and types, such as single with shared facilities, single en-suite, double rooms, studio apartments and shared apartments.

The University of Warwick has 13 halls of residence with single rooms ranging from around £130 to £255 per week. Coventry University rooms start at £154 per week and you might be lucky enough to land a hall with facilities including a gym and games room.

There are also plenty of private rental options in town, if you would rather have your own place or share a property with housemates. Coventry underwent extensive rebuilding in the 1950s and 60s and students can choose from a range of building types, both historic and modern.

If you’re renting a room in a shared house, you can expect it to be far cheaper than major cities like London at around £525 per month. A studio apartment in the city centre will cost around £1,140 per month, although the further out of the centre you look the cheaper this will be. With rent being such a big factor in the cost of living, Coventry’s affordable housing is a real advantage in maintaining a modest monthly expenditure. Utilities are expected to be around £60-£70 per person per month for a three-bedroom apartment, so be sure to factor this into your housing budget.

Cost of groceries in Coventry

As a large city, Coventry’s very well serviced by big supermarket chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. If you’re willing to buy in bulk, then there are several low-cost outlets like Costcutter and B&M where you can stock up on bargains.

Average prices for some common shopping items:

• Milk (1L): £1.21

• Bread loaf: £1.25

• Rice (1kg): £1.91

• Eggs (12): £3.17

• Cheese (1kg): £9.00

• Chicken fillets (1kg): £5.32

• Apples (1kg): £2.46

• Potatoes (1kg): £1.49

The average University of Warwick student spends about £40 per week on grocery shopping.

Going out in Coventry

Coventry’s nightlife is always buzzing, with traditional pubs alongside modern restaurants, bars and late-night clubs.

Meals are generally more affordable than in nearby Birmingham, around £15 at an inexpensive restaurant. A pint of beer is on average £4.40, so it’s no surprise that students from Birmingham often make the 22-minute train journey to Coventry to enjoy an inexpensive evening out.

You’ll have many options to immerse yourself in the city’s cultural scene with world-class art galleries, museums, theatre and live music at your fingertips. A cinema ticket costs around £11, and even less with a student discount!

Transport in Coventry

Coventry boasts a network of bus and rail public transport, priced competitively at less than £3 for a single journey or £60 for a full-price monthly pass. As a student, you will be able to reduce this cost by 1/3 through the purchase of a £35 Student Railcard, which also nets you 1/3 off eligible train tickets across the UK.

The city is very well connected to other places of interest in the Midlands such as Leicester, Birmingham, Royal Leamington Spa and Stratford-Upon-Avon, and it’s less than 90 minutes to London by train, with a ticket price of under £10 if you book ahead of time.

Other student expenses in Coventry

Depending on your chosen course, there may be additional costs which are worth factoring into your monthly budget. This might include photocopying and printing, art materials, equipment rental or sports equipment, so make sure that this is considered.

Coventry has many more things to offer at a modest cost of entry, and these might become part of your general cost of living. It could be a gym pass, club membership, or season ticket. There are world-class sporting events such as football, cricket, golf and athletics, and students can often get reduced price tickets.

Overall, in Coventry, you’ll want to budget around £1,200 per month not including your tuition fees, depending on your rental costs. Figures can vary depending on your lifestyle and choice of accommodation, so be sure to factor in additional costs if you regularly splash out on socialising or shopping.