Students in halls

We recognise the ongoing financial pressures on students and their families as inflation remains high in the UK. Our Student Financial Support team are there to provide advice and assistance.

How much does it cost to live in London as a student?

Living expenses at university will vary considerably according to your personal circumstances and lifestyle.

Below is a rough guide to what you might expect to spend to live in reasonable comfort in London. We have considered key costs such as accommodation, food and travel. Tuition fees and study materials are not included here, but you will want to factor these into your own budget.

Basic prices for things like food, personal costs, bills and insurance are similar wherever you study. Costs related to accommodation and travel are more specific to London and Imperial.

Likely costs for living in London – 2024-25
Cost Weekly Monthly 9 months 12 months
 Accommodation College-run  £215  £930  £8,373  N/A
Private sector  £243  £1,054  £9,486  £12,648
Food  £80  £348  £3,134  £4,179
Travel (zone 1-2)  £26  £115  £1,031  £1,374
Personal and leisure  £57  £247  £2,227  £2,969
Totals  £379 to £407
 £1,640 to £1,764
 £14,764 to £15,878
 £21,171
Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Summary of the table's contents

To view a breakdown of the range of student spending, please visit our cost of living percentile breakdown page.

Additional costs

Visa and travel costs

If you need a Tier 4 student visa, you will need sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and living costs for your first year of study.

The estimates above do not include the cost of flights or insurance.

Don't forget that if you are planning to arrange initial short-term accommodation when you arrive in London, you will need to budget for this expense as well.

Start up costs

As a new student, you may have additional start-up costs in your first year.

This may include things like accommodation deposits and flights. International students may need up to £1,500 for costs like these.

In College-run accommodation, each room is already equipped with a bed, study desk, chair, wardrobe, shelving, desk lamp, curtains, chest of drawers, notice board, bookshelf/case.

Other essentials you may need to buy include items such as bedding, crockery, cutlery and even some essential electrical items.

Field trips/study visits

Some of our courses involve compulsory attendance on one or more field trips or visits. 

Wherever possible an estimate of the costs involved will be given to you at the time an offer of admission is made.

If you are sponsored, you will need to make your financial sponsor aware of any such additional costs.

Some courses involve non-compulsory conference costs, which will be communicated by the Departments. Students can apply for funding to cover these costs from their Department or the Imperial College Trust Fund.