Leeds is a big town with a small cost of living. A hotspot for culture, history and shopping, it is a superb place to spend time while studying. Read our guide to the cost of living in Leeds so you can make the most out of your time in this vibrant and multicultural northern city.
Updated: 09 Jan 2025
While Leeds isn’t as well-known as other large cities like Manchester and Birmingham, it offers a fantastic quality of living at a comparatively affordable cost. There are over 790,000 residents making up a truly cosmopolitan population, and with three major universities locally, it’s easy to see why Leeds has become such a student favourite in recent years.
Your undergraduate tuition fee is very likely to be set at £9,250 in line with current government guidelines (this will be rising to £9,535 from the 2025/26 academic year), and can be paid for by taking out a tuition fee loan through Student Finance. The loans cover all annual tuition fees for the duration of your study, and won’t need to be paid back until you’re earning more than the yearly threshold for your plan. For new students, this is £25,000, but the threshold amount will differ depending on your plan.
What’s more, there are maintenance loans available which are based on your household income and are designed to help with the cost of living expenses such as accommodation, transport, and groceries. These can be worth up to around £10,000 per year for Leeds students (this will be rising to up to £10,544 from the 2025/26 academic year).
Scholarships and bursaries can make a huge difference to living costs. They're typically grants offered for either merit-based or need-based criteria, and can be discounts for course fees, or cash stipends to be spent on university living costs. Leeds Beckett University has a range of scholarships available to both domestic and international students, and the University of Leeds also offers an impressive programme of funding opportunities.
Leeds has several large unis and a big student population, creating a demand for low-cost housing which you can take advantage of during your time here. Most unis have their own halls of residence, which are a fantastic way to spend your first year in the city, and make friends from outside your course.
The University of Leeds has more than twenty housing locations, offering a huge variety of places to stay at various price points. Weekly prices range from £114 to £248 and this covers a wide array of single, double and studio rooms, self-catered and catered options, shared facilities and en-suite bedrooms, and much more. Check out your university’s accommodation page or call its on-site accommodation department for more information.
Renting in Leeds is generally inexpensive compared to places like London whether you choose to live in a studio flat or in a shared apartment. Renting your own one-bed apartment in the city centre will cost around £975 a month, whereas renting a room in a shared house is around £575 a month. If you look further out of the centre you’ll find much cheaper options. Utility bills cost around £70 per person each month, so don’t forget to budget for this too.
Leeds is a large city with a diverse range of shopping outlets and supermarkets. Located within the city centre are Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, Sainsburys, Lidl, Aldi, and many more smaller independent vendors and weekly food markets.
Commonly bought grocery items are priced accordingly:
Milk (1L): £1.17
Bread loaf: £1.38
Rice (1kg): £2.25
Eggs (12): £3.04
Cheese (1kg): £7.77
Chicken fillets (1kg): £6.01
Apples (1kg): £2.92
Potatoes (1kg): £1.17
There are various discount-finding food apps where you can grab a bargain and help to minimise food waste, such as ‘Too Good To Go’, a food and grocery service which was first launched in Leeds and has since expanded across the world.
There are a huge range of student nights and music events in Leeds, and all for a relatively low entry price. Eating out at an inexpensive restaurant will cost about £15, and picking up some fast food on the way back from a night out should run to about £7. Beer is refreshingly affordable, at an average of £4.50 for a pint.
Taking a taxi home is also very cheap, at £1.62 per km which is nearly half the cost of a London black cab, so all in all, the city makes it very easy to go out and be social, without worrying too much about eating into your weekly budget for other things.
For a city of its size, Leeds has a remarkably affordable public transport network. A one-way ticket on the bus or train costs £2, which is lower than either of its neighbour cities, Manchester and Sheffield. A student monthly pass will cost you £70, so if you think you’ll be using public transport every day then this is definitely something to look into. There are often student discount schemes for travel cards, so plan ahead and save some money.
If you’re really trying to keep costs down, then consider getting a bike. Once you’ve bought the bike and cycling gear, it’s a fast and free way of getting around, with the added benefit of daily exercise. There are plenty of bike lanes in Leeds, which are a safe means of getting from A to B, while taking care of yourself, and the environment.
Leeds has quite a few things to explore beyond university. It is a proud sporting city, with top teams in rugby, football, cricket and much more. If you fancy checking out a few matches live, there are lots of them to see, so budget accordingly. Student tickets are often available so seek these out to stretch your money that little bit further.
Depending on your course, you may need to account for the purchase of extra materials, books, or printing credits. Keep a small emergency fund aside for this, and you’ll always be prepared for hand-in day!
Excluding your tuition fees, you'll want a budget of around £950 a month studying in Leeds, depending on your accommodation situation and your lifestyle. Make sure you take into account these factors when you're setting your monthly budget.
If you’re still thinking about where to study, take a look at 11 reasons to study in Leeds. Or start looking for courses in Leeds now.