Dundee is a vibrant modern city with two great universities, a friendly local community and a wide range of contemporary culture to discover. If you’re thinking about studying here and want to know a little more about the city’s surprisingly low cost of living, then read on. We share some of our favourite tips and tricks to living affordably in Dundee.
Situated at the mouth of the River Tay, on Scotland’s east coast, Dundee is a thriving and vibrant city offering a fantastic quality of life which can be easily experienced on a student budget. Historically, the city is known for ‘jute, jam, and journalism’ which represents the three major industries on which modern Dundee has been built.
Today, it’s home to many parks, gardens and green spaces, and some of the finest heritage attractions around. Add to this its refreshingly low cost of living, and it's easy to see why Dundee has become such a student favourite in recent years.
The cost of tuition at either of Dundee’s two universities will depend on your Home fee status. If you’ve lived in Scotland for a minimum of three years before your undergraduate course begins, then the amount you pay for tuition fees will be capped at £1,820 per year. Even better, the majority of the time, this fee will be covered by Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and won’t require repayment. That’s a huge weight off your mind (and wallet!) and helps to reduce your university costs significantly.
If you’re coming from England or the rest of the UK, your fees will be charged in line with government guidelines at a rate of £9,250 per year. Most students choose to take out a loan from Student Finance which pays the fees directly to your uni at the start of term and doesn’t require repayment until you’re earning over the threshold for your repayment plan. Means-tested maintenance loans are also available to help out with your rent, groceries, transport and other living expenses, and are worth up to £9,710 per year.
You can also look for funding opportunities through your uni. The University of Dundee has 20 scholarship and bursary schemes available to undergraduate students, and Abertay University also has a large programme of financial aid schemes, including the Abertay International Scholarship which is worth £3,000 per year, up to four years. Check out your chosen uni’s fees and funding page to see if there’s anything that you’re eligible for.
With two unis and a student population of around 20,000 Dundee has plenty of student housing options which are both safe, comfortable, and affordable.
Living in uni-owned halls of residence is a great way to start your time in Dundee, due to their convenience, relatively low cost, and obvious social advantages.
The University of Dundee has more than 1,600 rooms across five housing locations with weekly prices ranging from £150 - £185. These rooms are typically self-catered and are arranged into flats of several students with shared kitchen and living spaces. Abertay University offers a wide range of single room options ranging in price from £120 - £190 per week, as well as entire studio apartments priced between £240 - £285 per week. At both unis, rent includes all bills including energy and internet, and contract lengths are the same as your term dates, which is also very convenient.
After your first year, you’ll probably be renting privately. On average, a one-bedroom apartment in the city costs £750 per month, or you could rent a three-bedroom apartment for around £1100 per month, which works out to just over £350 each per month. When you’re renting privately, you’ll probably have to budget for your utility bills as these are often not included in your rent. If you’re sharing a flat or house, your utility bills will be cheaper as you’ll be splitting them between more people. In a shared house, you could expect to pay around £60-£75 per month for your gas, electricity, water and internet, but this may change seasonally and depending on how many people you share with.
As a city of more than 145,000 people, there’s a diverse range of supermarkets and low-cost grocery stores which means that you can get all the ingredients you need while sticking to a reasonable student budget.
Average prices for common grocery items are:
Milk (1L): £1.29
Bread Loaf: £1.18
Rice (1kg): £1.44
Eggs (12): £2.65
Cheese (1kg): £5.20
Chicken fillets (1kg): £6.30
Apples (1kg): £2.03
Potatoes (1kg): £1.38
Students in the UK spend an average of £40 per week on grocery shopping, so by using this as a guide, you’ll be able to keep your spending within budget. Pick up a loyalty card to your favourite supermarket and make your money stretch even further.
Dundee offers a lot in the way of evening entertainment, and you’ll probably want to start off with something to eat. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant will set you back £15 on average, a two-person meal at a mid-range spot should cost about £60, and grabbing some fast food on the way home from a big night out should run to around £7.
Dundee is home to a fantastic selection of traditional pubs, trendy bars, and nightclubs to keep you moving long into the night. The average cost of a pint of beer is just £4, and if you start your night at your uni’s students’ union bar then it will probably be even less. Keep an eye out for weekly student nights at venues across town, where you’ll find drinks deals and discounted entry, saving you even more pennies where it counts. Taking a taxi home costs around £1.09 per km which is cheaper than Dundee’s closest neighbour, St. Andrews, and Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh.
The best means of public transport in Dundee is its bus network. A single ticket usually costs £2.80, however by using the UniHop scheme, by Explore Dundee, you can get a student ticket on several of the city’s bus routes for just £1.60, which saves you around 40% every time you ride. Additionally, there are monthly travel passes available for only £50, which works out at under £2 per day for unlimited travel. That’s not bad at all, and certainly worthwhile if you think you’ll use the service most days.
You can also get a 16-25 railcard, which costs just £30 for a whole year, and gets you a 1/3 discount on all UK rail tickets. If you’re keen to check out some of Scotland’s other cities, or perhaps a countryside getaway, then you’ll find that this card pays for itself remarkably quickly.
Both of Dundee’s universities have a strong programme of clubs and special interest societies offered through the students’ union. These are a great way to try something new and meet new people from outside your course. Some are free to join and most are cheap to sign up to, however they may incur expenses for things like specialist equipment, events, socials, field trips or venue hire, so keep a budget aside for these extras and you’ll never miss out on the action.
Similarly, your course might require the purchase of extra books, supplies, or perhaps photocopying or printing credits, so set a bit of cash aside and you’ll always be prepared for those deadline days!
Overall, we'd recommend budgeting around £900 per month to live in Dundee, depending on your living situation and your lifestyle. If you're living in halls or living alone, you'll likely need to put aside more due to your rental costs, and if you go out a lot or have a lot of subscriptions to pay, then you'll also want to add a bit extra on. Always take your personal circumstances into account when deciding on your budget.