Cardiff student accommodation
You can find your perfect student accommodation in Cardiff through Casita, the student housing website. Through our experienced and multilingual staff, we proudly serve over 90 countries, especially the UK and the EU. First, start by selecting your budget, university, and desired length of stay and enquire about the building of your choice. Once that's done, complete your profile, and one of our accommodation experts will walk you through the booking process. At Casita, we do our best to find your exact match or the closest alternative, as your satisfaction is our priority. Casita offers various student accommodations in Cardiff; however, we mainly deal with Purposely built student accommodations, also known as PBSAs. These PBSAs are made to suit your needs as a student and often come with all-inclusive bills. PBSAs offer en-suite and non-ensuite rooms in shared apartments and studios with private kitchens or flats. We also provide private options, which include private flats and rooms. For more details about student accommodation in Cardiff, contact our accommodation experts.
About Cardiff
Cardiff, also called Caerdydd in Welsh, is the capital city of Wales and is located west of London. The city is in the county of Glamorgan on the Bristol Channel and near the river Taff. The city has roots dating back to Roman times, with the construction of a Roman fort during the first century. During the 11th century, the Normans arrived in Cardiff and built a fort on what remained of the old Roman fort, which became known as the Cardiff Castle; this castle served as the governing seat to the Norman rulers and later the regents that reigned over this county. Cardiff's location enabled it to thrive through ports and trade and became a market town. The city boomed during the Industrial Revolution due to its coal mines and became the largest coal exporter.
Today the city is an important industrial one and contains various sights to see. The city has a variety of beautiful parks, historic buildings, and museums; it also attracts thousands of students worldwide with its prestigious universities.
Best places to live in Cardiff
If you're looking for student accommodation in Cardiff that has postal codes of CF10 1AA, CF10 1AB, and CF10 1AD, among others, you should also look for a nice neighbourhood. In this section, we'll list our top picks for the best areas to live in Cardiff while listing some of our accommodation options. Even if no PBSA is found in the mentioned neighbourhood, we can offer some private options. Still, proximity to your university and budget are essential factors before moving in.
Cyncoed
Cyncoed is one of the most coveted places to live in Cardiff; it is located in the northeast of Cardiff and is near the city centre; it comes at a bit of a budget, however. This suburb is known for its beautiful scenic views, parks, and landmarks. The suburb also has a Cardiff Metropolitan University campus and on-campus student accommodation in Cardiff offered by the university.
Llandaf
This suburb is quiet and cosy, has multiple medieval landmarks, and is an old part of town. Some of its iconic buildings include the 1120-built Llandaff Cathedral and the 1266-built Bishop's palace, which used to be an ancient fortress. In addition, it also contains one of Cardiff Metropolitan University's campuses. This suburb is also known for its small antique shops.
Cardiff City Centre
Being in Cardiff's city centre has many perks, from easy access to transportation to being close to all your daily necessities. The city centre is a highly sought-after location. It is also full of landmarks such as the museum of Cardiff, the historic Cardiff market and St David's shopping centre, one of the largest shopping centres in the city.
City centre options for student accommodation in Cardiff are Bridge Street Exchange on Bridge Street and Ty Pont Haearn on Pellett street. Both of these options have en-suite and studio options. Nearby central options for student accommodation in Cardiff include Park Place, The Fitzalan, and Crown Place Cardiff.
Penylan
This suburb is known for its beautiful architecture following the Edwardian style; it also features multiple green spaces and has various trees and parks. It is near the iconic Roath Park and contains a large community centre with a library called the Pennylan Library and community centre.
Roath
Roath is a suburb near Penylan and is also near the previously mentioned Roath park; in addition, it also contains a lake giving it beautiful views. This suburb is attractive for food and nature lovers, full of greenery and charming cafes and restaurants. It also has its art festival called "made in Roath", which displays artwork pieces done by locals. Roath is also known for its antique markets and unique hangout spots.
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is a waterfront suburb with many attractions; it is trendy among students and young professionals as it has various unique places to hang out and not to mention the suburb's marina and green areas. This suburb has the Cardiff Bay wetland reserve, the old red-brick-built Pierhead with its iconic clock tower referred to as the Welsh Big Ben, and the old Coal exchange now turned into a hotel bears witness to the city's coal trading past.
Penarth
This suburb is known for its piers and its Art-deco-styled buildings. This part of town still preserves its heritage as it retains its historic town centre and hosts a variety of parks and Victorian-styled buildings. It is also near the Cosmeston Lakes and Country Park.
Newtown
Newtown is known for its diverse community and its vibrant cultural scene, with a range of art galleries, theatres, and music venues that attract visitors from across the city and beyond. Newtown is also home to several local amenities, including a range of shops, restaurants, and cafes that cater to the needs of the local community. The area is well-connected to the rest of Cardiff and beyond, with several major roads passing through or near Newtown, as well as regular bus and train services.
Costs of living in Cardiff
Cardiff is known as one of the most cost-friendly student cities in the UK.
Housing
You can get student accommodation in Cardiff in PBSAs for as low as 83 pounds per week; however, this price is subject to change and is affected by the closeness to the semester start date. There are also options starting from 126 pounds per week, such as Cambrian Point.
Grocery costs
It is estimated that grocery costs average 680 pounds per month.
Transportation costs
The primary source of transportation in Cardiff is bus transportation; the primary bus provider in Cardiff is the Cardiff Bus, which has a monthly pass that costs 49 pounds per month.
Utility Costs:
The average monthly utility costs can cost as low as £126 per month.
Transportation in Cardiff
Cardiff is a very well-connected city with various bus stops, easy access to neighbouring towns through the railway, and various options, including taxis and bike-sharing services.
Cardiff bus
As previously mentioned, Cardiff's primary mode of public transportation is the Cardiff bus. The Cardiff bus is one of the city's most reliable modes of transport and has various bundles depending on your need and age. It also offers multiple payment methods and products, such as the IFF card and mobile payment.
Bike-share
Nextbike is one of the largest bike-share providers in the UK and operates OVO bikes in Cardiff. This provider also offers a large variety of bundles to suit all of your needs.
Rail
Cardiff has a railway system with 20 stops which connects it to neighbouring cities.
Taxi
The Cardiff taxi is another mode of transportation around Cardiff if you're in a hurry; it has three starting costs 2.50 £ by day, 3.50 £ by night, and 3.50 £ all day on Sunday. The price per km ranges from 1.12 - 2.75 £ per km.
Car
Private Car
Driving around Cardiff is easy, and parking gets easy with various park-and-ride services.
Rent a Car
Cardiff has more than six car rental providers, the most notable being Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, and Thrifty Car rental.
To save on costs, we highly recommend residing near your university; feel free to contact us regarding the nearest student accommodation in Cardiff to your university.
Life in Cardiff
Cardiff is one of the top student destinations. It is a highly liveable city and an affordable city for students. Cardiff is also a city that contains lots of history and beautiful greenery as well as lakes and parks. The city's cost of living is 26% lower than its neighbouring city of Bristol and 60% cheaper than London. The city is also full of many unique suburbs which, some of, still retain their traditional charm and old buildings. The city is also cultural, with various museums, theatres, galleries, and Opera buildings. The city is full of history with castles, shopping centres, and historical parks. The city also contains Victorian, Edwardian, Classical, and Neoclassical buildings. For sports, you can visit the Millennium stadium, where various rugby matches occur; you can also watch football matches at the Cardiff city stadium. The city is also a waterfront one with a beautiful marina, not to mention the beautiful river Taff that is decorated with various bridges. The city is also well-connected, linked to nearby cities via train. Lastly, the city has some of the best universities in the country and worldwide.
Cardiff attractions
The Cardiff Castle
This castle is one of the oldest in the county and was initially built on a Roman fort, making it over 2000 years old. The Normans later inhabited this castle, which was later passed on to this county's regents.
Llandaff Cathedral
This Cathedral is one of the oldest in all of Britain, dating back to 1107 after Bishop Urban commissioned its building under the Normans. Throughout the years, multiple sections of the Cathedral were added. To this day, the Cathedral still stands and is well-preserved.
The National Museum of Cardiff
This Edwardian-styled museum has various unique and historical collections from Wales and around the world and different art pieces.
The Pierhead.
The Pierhead is one of Cardiff's landmarks and was initially the Cardiff railway company in 1897 and is known for its Gothic style, red bricks, and iconic watchtower dubbed the Big Ben of Wales.
The Cosmeston Medieval Village.
This village dated back to 1350 and was discovered in 1980. The Cosmeston medieval village still retains its medieval houses, making it worth visiting; it was later brought to life with a reenactment of daily medieval life in the village, which includes cattle care, baking, and villagers wearing the clothes of the time.
Other must-visit attractions include the St. Fagans National Museum of History, Dyffryn Gardens, and Bute Park.
Universities in Cardiff
The top three universities in Cardiff are the following.
Cardiff University:
Cardiff University was founded in 1883 and is the top-ranked university in Wales and ranks 166 worldwide, according to the QS university ranking.
Cardiff Metropolitan University:
Cardiff Metropolitan University has roots dating back to 1865; it is among the top-ranked universities in the UK and ranks 1001 worldwide, according to Times Higher Education.
The University of Wales:
Established in 1893 following a royal decree, the University of Wales offers quality education to students in Wales. It currently ranks 5590, according to Webometrics.
Feel free to check our website for more information regarding options for the nearest student accommodation in Wales to your campus.
Cities nearby
The closest cities to Cardiff are Bristol, Newport, Southampton, and Plymouth.
