A Student Guide: Cost of Living in Coventry

Coventry is gaining status as a renowned educational destination among both local and international students. The city’s top-ranked universities, colleges, and higher education institutions as well as its numerous options for student accommodation, its affordability, and its busy student life make it even more attractive to students from different corners of the globe.

 So, if you are considering Coventry as a study abroad destination, maybe as an alternative to bigger cities like London or Manchester, let us walk you through the cost of living in Coventry as a student, so you can better prepare for the journey ahead! 

Life Expenses in Coventry

Coventry living expenses usually average around £1,100 per month. This should be just about enough to cover your basic living expenses, from food and groceries to student accommodation rent and transportation fees for your daily commute. This, however, does not factor in the tuition fees or any study supplies you might require along the way. 

So, if you’re headed off to Coventry to start your study abroad journey, let us break down the Coventry living expenses together!

Tuition Fees

Coventry is home to a number of top-ranked universities and world-renowned learning institutions whose high-quality education attracts both local and international students. These institutions include Coventry University, Coventry College, the University of Warwick, and Henley College Coventry. 

The average tuition fees in the city start at around £15,000 for international students with undergraduate degrees being cheaper than postgraduate degrees, and medical courses and degrees being relatively more expensive than others. 

Extra Study Expenses

Unfortunately, study expenses don’t just end at tuition fees, additional costs are often required for you to have the full university experience. Textbooks, learning devices, software, and stationery are also items to be accounted for when budgeting for university. These might fall slightly on the pricier side of things. Generally, extra study expenses would fall around £40-£50 every other month.

Transportation and Travel

Getting around the city is quite easy as there are many convenient public transportation options in Coventry, including many bus routes. 

The average bus ticket costs around £2.30, while a monthly pass would cost around £50, without factoring in the student discount. You can also walk from one place to another in the city, cycle, hail a cab, or rent a car. 

Student Accommodation Rent

Coventry has plenty of options for student accommodation near the city’s renowned universities and learning institutions. The amount you pay on rent in Coventry depends on several factors, including the type of accommodation, PBSA (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation) or private let, the location, the duration of stay, the type of room, and the offered amenities. 

The average rent you are expected to pay on a weekly basis for a single room in Coventry student accommodation is around £100. Other room types like studios or en-suite rooms might cost a bit more, it also depends on the provider and how close the accommodation is to your university campus. 

Food and Eating Out

Eating out in Coventry falls slightly on the expensive side of things. An average meal at a fast food restaurant is expected to cost around £9, while a dinner outside for two in a restaurant falls around £50, and the regular lunch meal costs an estimated £12. Grabbing a coffee, say a cappuccino, costs around £3-£4, while a soda costs about £2, and a beer falls around £4-£5.

Grocery Shopping

If you live in self-catered student accommodation, you have to factor groceries into your Coventry living expenses. Grocery shopping is often expensive, so you’ll need to set aside an estimate of £45-£50 to cover your groceries, depending on your needs. 

This amount is enough to buy cheese, milk, eggs, bread, your choice of rice or pasta, your choice of steak or chicken, vegetables and fruits of your choosing, toilet paper, toothpaste, and hair shampoo. 

Entertainment and Fun

There are plenty of ways in which you can have fun and enjoy yourself in the city of Coventry. The vibrant and busy city life in Coventry affects the average cost of living there and might make a small dent in your budget. 

There are several things you can get up to in Coventry, whether it’s paid tourist attractions, museums, art galleries, city tours, interactive group games, concerts, performances, or movies. We suggest you set aside an average of £40 for your entertainment and leisure activities. 

Ways to Save Money as A Student in Coventry

Since the cost of living in Coventry as a student is not exactly on the cheap side of things, you need to learn ways to save money there. 

Being clever and spending your money in a smart way will not only save money, but also leave you with a surplus to treat yourself with. There are plenty of ways to live happily in Coventry while remaining on a kind budget, let’s explore some of them together! 

Make A Monthly Plan

Planning your finances and spendings a month ahead and setting some kind of budget to follow during said month is a great start to saving money. Taking the average cost of living in Coventry that we’ve already established and broken down into account, you should invest in a planner and start setting a healthy budget for yourself to follow throughout the month. 

A good budget accounts for everything you’re expected to need throughout the month while leaving you with an emergency fund and a surplus to reward yourself with if all goes according to plan! 

Be Travel Savvy

Smart travel is a great way to save money in the city of Coventry. You can do that by either investing in a monthly pass for the bus, which will save you around £10 a month or by going green! Going green means you can cycle to and from university or walk there. 

This saves money, keeps you in shape, and is also environmentally friendly; a triple win! 

Reap The Discounts

A great perk of being a student in Coventry is making use of all the student discounts that your university card gives you access to. You can check with your university where your card can work, what discounts it grants you, and how you can use it to the fullest.

 University cards usually come in handy for grocery discounts, restaurants discount, shopping discounts, free entry to some tourist attractions and museums, and discounts on university supplies.

Cook Your Own Food

A lot of money is usually spent on eating out or getting takeout, especially with the busy schedule of an international student. We know that asking you to cook your own food is a bit of a hassle, but the money it saves you makes it worth it! You can even cook for the whole week or month in advance. 

Meal prep is usually a favourable method in these cases; you cook microwaveable/reheatable meals for a certain period of time and store them in the fridge and then heat them up when necessary. This keeps you healthy as well as saves you money.

Get A Job

This is yet another thing that you might be too busy for, but the benefits do make it worth it. Getting a job, while beneficial in the obvious way of providing you with the necessary funds to cover your basic living expenses, also helps boost your CV and sets you apart from other candidates. 

There are several student jobs you could apply for to help you cover your daily expenses, including on-campus ones like a tutor or a librarian, or off-campus ones like a barista or a server. 

Shop Smart

Shopping in a smart way gets you the products you need and also saves you money. A chunk of the living expenses in Coventry goes towards shopping, whether it’s for groceries, clothes, books, or university supplies. 

Shopping smart can be in the form of getting groceries in bulk, going to stores where they offer student discounts, shopping during holidays or times of sale, or buying secondhand items from nearby thrift stores. 

Find Free Entertainment

A part of the student budget in Coventry is spent on entertaining yourselves. However, this can be done with little to no money. Coventry has plenty of ways in which you can entertain yourself on a budget, free entertainment is available in some of the tourist attractions that allow free entry, especially for students.

 There are also numerous parks and open spaces where you can spend time with your friends and enjoy a picnic, a stroll, or some games without having to pay a dime. 

The cost of living in Coventry might be steep and have plenty of layers to it, whether it is rent, transportation, food, or entertainment. Worry not, though, we’ve got you covered! Use this as a guide to maintaining a healthy spending budget as a student in Coventry and try to implement the ways that keep your spending limit in Coventry to a minimum while allowing you to live a good-quality life!