Graduate living costs
- How much will it cost to live in Oxford in 2012/13?
- How do these costs break down?
- What other costs might I need to budget for?
- How does the University calculate these living costs?
- How much will living costs increase each year?
- What if I am a student with dependants?
How much will it cost to live in Oxford in 2012/13?
This breakdown shows costs for the main elements that all Oxford graduate students are expected to pay for during the 2012/13 academic year. When you complete your college financial guarantee form, you will have to prove how you intend to pay for these costs.
| Minimum spend per: | 9 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation |
£4,425 | £5,900 |
| Utility bills |
£750 |
£1,000 |
| Food |
£2,625 |
£3,500 |
| General living costs (clothes, books, insurance, networking/socialising etc) |
£1,875 |
£2,500 |
| TOTAL | £9,675 |
£12,900 |
How do these costs break down?
Accommodation
Graduates can live in college, in off-site college- or University-owned accommodation or in private accommodation. The cost above is for a reasonable sized single room in a shared house that is rented privately, and is based on current market rates in Oxford.
Living in college
Colleges offer accommodation of a high standard and is subsidized for students, so the cost you pay is not the actual cost of the room.
When you live in college accommodation you only pay rent during term-time unless you make special arrangements to stay during the vacation. Because terms are only eight weeks long, the overall cost of college accommodation is cheaper than renting privately, when you would normally have to pay for 52 weeks.
Colleges will usually be able to offer you accommodation for your first year and may be able to offer accommodation in subsequent years. Rents vary so you should check the website of those colleges you are interested in.
Living outside college
Some colleges have accommodation off-site, which can be halls of residences, blocks of flats or individual flats/houses. This accommodation can be situated in a different part of Oxford to your college. As each college's accommodation varies, we recommend checking the website of those colleges you are interested in.
The University's Accommodation Office also offers some graduate housing for single people and for couples and families, although demand is always very high.
You can also rent a room, flat or house privately and it is common for graduate students to live in shared accommodation. Your share of the rent will typically include your own bedroom and use of a shared bathroom, living room and kitchen. The Oxford University Student Union's Living Out Guide is an excellent guide to renting and finding a house, and living out in general.
Utility bills
If you live in private accommodation you will also need to budget for utility bills, as these will not be included in your rent. We estimate that you will need to pay around £83 a month on the following:
- Gas, electricity and water
- Telephone, internet and mobile
One bill you won't have to pay as a student is council tax (a property-based tax payable on most houses/flats). Oxford City Council's website has more information.
Food
The cost above is based on a monthly spend of around £290, and is based on eating most of your three meals a day in college, where food is subsidised. Most college provide three meals a day, seven days a week in the dining hall, and have a variety of ways of charging for food.
There are a number of medium-sized supermarkets and smaller groceries in central Oxford that sell a range of foods for those who are self-catering. You can also shop online with some of the major UK supermarkets. See the Living & Shopping section of local website Daily Info for more details.
What other costs might I need to budget for?
The costs listed above are living expenses that we expect all graduate students, regardless of age, course or nationality, to budget for. The rates are for individual students; read the section below if you will be at Oxford with dependants.
However, you should also consider whether there are other costs you need to budget for. These could include:
- Set-up costs - do you need a laptop, a UK mobile phone sim card, a bike, warm clothes?
- Travel to and from Oxford - these costs will vary depending on where you are travelling to/from, but remember that travelling in holiday periods can get very expensive
- Fieldwork costs - will you need to travel and study elsewhere for a period of fieldwork as part of your course? Will you need equipment or access to special services to do so?
- Childcare services - For more information and advice, see Childcare Services for Students.
- International students - Try using the UNAID International Student Calculator for advice on planning and managing your money, though note that some of their costs are lower than the cost of living in Oxford.
How does the University calculate these living costs?
Every year the University's Domestic Bursars Committee collates living cost estimates for undergraduate and graduate students at the University based on information from previous years, current market rates and information from current students. This is reviewed by representatives of the Domestic Bursars Committee, Student Financial Support, the Graduate Funding team, and Oxford University Student Union (OUSU), who all endorse the minimum recommended rates.
How much will living costs increase each year?
Living costs will increase each year based on general inflation rates in the UK and other factors local to Oxford (for example, the rate that colleges are able to subsidise accommodation). In general, we recommend that you budget for a 5% increase in living costs for each year of your course. The 2012/13 rate is 5% higher than the 2011/12 rate, reflecting the current economic climate. University tuition fees and college fees generally increase by a higher inflationary percentage each year and you should budget for at least a 5% increase each year.
What if I am a student with dependants?
The core costs we quote in the table above are for a single graduate student. If you are planning to bring family members or other dependants to Oxford, you will need to budget for additional costs and your college will need to be satisfied that you have sufficient funds to support them. If you require a visa, you will need to show that you have a certain amount of funds to support your dependants - in addition to £800 per month for Tier 4 visa applicants, you will have to have £450 for your partner and each child (amounts as of May 2012). Please see our Visas for your family page and the UKBA's guidance document for further details.
Additional costs may include:
- Higher accommodation charges - the rate we quote is for a single room in a shared property, which may not be appropriate for students with partners and/or children. The Daily Info website's rental listings give some idea of what you can expect to pay.
- Food and general living costs for your dependants - the rate in the table is for one person.
- Childcare - until children are of school age (the term after they turn 4 in Oxfordshire) they can attend a state school at no cost. However, from the term after they are 3 until they go to school, children are eligible for free early learning that pays for the equivalent of 12.5 hours per week (rising to 15 hours from 2010) of childcare. This is offered to all children, regardless of nationality. Childcare in Oxford is expensive and there is extremely high demand for a place at one of the University's subsidised nurseries. Expect to wait at least a year for a place and pay (with subsidy) between £650-£800 per month per child. This includes food and nappies whilst your child is at nursery. For more information and application forms, see Childcare Services for Students. Some UK government and limited University support is available for (mainly British) student parents.
The Oxfordshire Family Information Service will help you learn about other forms of childcare available in Oxford. - If your partner is planning to work to help fund themselves whilst you study, please ensure that they have the right to do so (i.e. that their UK visa permits it). Unless your partner has made arrangements in advance, it may take them some time to find a job in Oxford, and you will need to budget for this period. The local Daily Info website advertises a number of short-term, part-time and casual jobs, as does Gumtree.
- If you are living with non-students you may need to pay council tax. Direct.gov provides some general information on this, and Oxford City Council gives further information specifically for Oxford residents.