Cost of Living

Navigating living costs can feel overwhelming, especially if it's your first time managing a budget. At Edinburgh Napier, we understand these challenges and are here to support you.

This page covers advice on accommodation, household costs, travel and more. You can also find financial support to help with your student journey.

Learn more

Living in Edinburgh

Discover our vibrant, cosmopolitan city. Edinburgh is the perfect place to experience student life or build your career. It's big enough to have everything you need, yet small enough to feel like home.

Living in Edinburgh

Discover our vibrant, cosmopolitan city. Edinburgh is the perfect place to experience student life or build your career. It's big enough to have everything you need, yet small enough to feel like home.

Undergraduate fees and funding

Find out what undergraduate options are available to support your tuition and living expenses, including scholarships, bursaries and advice.

Undergraduate fees and funding

Find out what undergraduate options are available to support your tuition and living expenses, including scholarships, bursaries and advice.

Postgraduate fees and funding

Discover how much it will cost to study a postgraduate course with us and explore the support options we provide for UK and international students.

Postgraduate fees and funding

Discover how much it will cost to study a postgraduate course with us and explore the support options we provide for UK and international students.

Living cost breakdown

The average living cost for students in the UK is £1,078 a month (National Student Money Survey, 2023). Prices may vary depending on what agreement is made for private accommodation. For more information on how to manage these aspects, visit Which? Money Saving Tips and UCAS Financial Advice.

Monthly budget planner

This may be the first time you’ve had to finance and budget for accommodation, so we've provided a guide to highlight the key areas for you to be aware of below.

Rent	£490-920	39-week tenancy: £490 (twin), £770.58 (en-suite), £854.34 (studio). 50-week tenancy: £830.29 (en-suite), £919.09 (studio), £908.20 (2-bed, 1 bathroom).
Food	£150-300	These prices can vary depending on where you shop. Visit Which? for more information.
Gas/Electricity	£0-200	Gas and electricity is included within the monthly rental cost at all Edinburgh Napier Student Accommodation sites. For private accommodation, you may have to pay for one or both. We advise checking these costs with your landlord before moving.
Internet	£0-40	Edinburgh Napier Student Accommodation supplies WiFi via Optify at no additional cost. For private accommodation, these prices will vary depending on the organisation you choose.
Landline/Mobile	£25-65	Mobile costs vary depending on the contract and company you choose. Make sure to consider these costs carefully with the rest of your budget.
Travel Costs	£0-100	Travel costs can vary greatly depending on your mode of transportation, how frequently you use it and how far you need to travel. Check our travel costs tab for more information on how to save.
Contents Insurance	£0-20	Edinburgh Napier Student Accommodation provides basic cover via Endsleigh at no additional cost. For private accommodation, this cost will vary depending on your provider and what items you wish to cover.
Social/Hobbies	£80-200	It is important to plan for social activities ahead of time and make sure to account for more than you will need.
Council Tax	£111-386	Council tax is covered within the rental cost at all Edinburgh Napier Student Accommodation sites. For private accommodation, this will vary depending on your property's council tax band. You can find the total costs for Edinburgh's council tax bands here.
TV License	£159 (Yearly)	You will need a TV license to consume live television. You can find out more about the terms and conditions as well as the different payment methods on the TV license website.

Where to find accommodation

We understand that finding a place to live in a new city can be a challenge, but there are many options for accommodation in Edinburgh. For example, you can rent a flat from a private landlord with help from our accommodation office, who you can contact here to get advice on where to begin your search.

Due to the ongoing housing and cost of living crisis, private accommodation is more difficult to find and may be more expensive than usual. Please take this into consideration when looking for accommodation within the private sector and start your search as soon as possible.

Alternatively, our Edinburgh Napier accommodation is affordable, modern and supported by a dedicated team of university staff. You can learn more about costs, locations, tenancy agreements, FAQs and advice by clicking here to access our accommodation pages.

Edinburgh Napier Accommodation

Our city centre accommodation offers a fun and friendly community where support and safety come first. Click here to learn more.

Group of students sitting on a bench outside our student accommodation at Bainfield

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Travel costs

Travel costs in the UK can often vary due to factors such as time, distance and the type of ticket options available. We recommend that you factor regular travel costs into your monthly budget with a buffer for any spontaneous trips you may need to take. Below, we have listed some popular discount options to consider if you're travelling frequently to campus, work or for social events.

Bus & Tram	All of Scotland offers free bus travel for under 22s with a Young Scot card. If you are over the age of 22, you can still take advantage of the Ridacard scheme in Edinburgh, which offers a student discount and can be purchased weekly, monthly, annually or with direct debit. Ridacards work on all Lothian transport, including the Edinburgh tram service.
Train	As of 2024, National Railcards are available from £30 per year or £70 for 3 years to get 1/3 off all UK and ScotRail travel. They offer a 16-25 Railcard and 26-30 Railcard, which can be purchased digitally on your phone or posted as a physical card.
Additional discounts	Good journey helps you plan car-free travel directions across the UK and rewards you with discounts at a variety of locations.

Further advice

ENSA offers free support services across all campuses as an independent, impartial and confidential service for Edinburgh Napier University students. Our team of professional advisers can provide one-to-one advice to students, face-to-face, over the phone (0131 229 8791), Microsoft Teams or via e-mail. You can find out more here.

Along with free travel, The Young Scot card has access to thousands of discounts at different retailers and venues across Scotland. Additionally, the card features more discounts across Europe as it also works as a European Youth Card.

Visit Scotland offers information on free attractions, destinations and events throughout the country. They also offer travel passes and memberships to help you save money.

Find your course

Each course has it's own set of tuition fees and flexible learning options. Explore our listings and find the course that’s right for you.

Chat to our students

Want to get some inside knowledge? Our students are waiting to answer your questions personally.

Need support? Contact our advisers on 0333 900 6040 or use our online enquiry form.