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Located on Scotland’s rugged east coast, Edinburgh is at the heart of Scottish history and culture, and it’s evolved into a thriving modern city with a lot to offer its student population. It’s a major hub for education and has produced a steady stream of scientists, engineers, philosophers, artists and poets for hundreds of years. With four major unis within the city offering a huge range of world-leading courses, you’ll have many options to choose from, and in this guide, we provide some key insights into how to save and spend your money wisely.
Fees and funding in Edinburgh
The cost of tuition in Edinburgh depends on a few key details. One of them will be your Home fee status. If you've lived in Scotland for three or more years prior to starting your undergraduate course, then you’ll be charged tuition fees at a rate of only £1,820 per year, a fee which is almost always covered by Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and does not require repayment.
If you’re from England and the rest of the UK, you'll likely be charged £9,250 per year to study at undergraduate level. This can be covered by taking out a student loan from Student Finance, which is paid automatically to your university at the start of each year. There’s also a means-tested maintenance loan available, worth up to around £10,000 per year to help out with your rent, groceries, transport and other living expenses. What’s more, both loans don’t need to be repaid until you are employed and earning over the yearly threshold.
Additional funding opportunities can also come from your university. There will be a financial support department on-campus where you can find free advice and guidance about applying for scholarships, bursaries and external funding opportunities. The University of Edinburgh has a huge range of options including academic performance awards, country-specific schemes, subject-based grants, and even a vegetarian scholarship valued at £500 per year.
Student accommodation in Edinburgh
At halls of residence in Edinburgh, you’ll usually get a single, self-catered room with either shared bathroom facilities, or perhaps an en-suite bathroom. A shared kitchen and a common room are standard, and there can be weekly cleaning services, a resident assistance team and on-site laundry facilities available.
In Edinburgh, a typical standard room in a private hall is £120 – £160 per week, an ensuite room is £160 – £190 per week, and a studio apartment is £190 – £335 per week. Check out the accommodation pages of your chosen uni to see specific details.
For those looking at private renting, Edinburgh has a host of modern houses and apartment complexes. You may be surprised at what you can afford here. A studio apartment in the city centre averages £1,285 per month, which is less than half of the London equivalent, and a three-bedroom apartment is priced around £2,290 per month, which isn’t a bad deal for central apartment in a city voted by TimeOut in 2022 as the best in the world.
Cost of groceries in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a big city with a population of around 550,000, and is very well serviced by large supermarket chains such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons. There are, of course, local markets and independent stores where prices and quality of produce will vary, and it’s a good idea to explore your local area for cost-saving options.
Edinburgh locals average spending for common items:
- Milk (1L): £1.17
- Bread Loaf: £1.38
- Rice (1kg): £1.36
- Eggs (12): £2.85
- Cheese (1kg): £8.68
- Chicken fillets (1kg): £7.22
- Apples (1kg): £2.14
- Potatoes (1kg): £1.12
The cost of groceries in Edinburgh is generally a little cheaper than its closest large city neighbour, Glasgow.
Going out in Edinburgh
With a world-famous comedy scene, plus a range of live music and theatre to discover, you’ll never be short of high-quality evening entertainment in Edinburgh. Many events have student tickets available, so keep an eye out to save some money.
Eating out in Edinburgh is generally the same cost as in Glasgow, and drinks are a little more expensive with an average pint of beer costing £5. This is still much less than cities like London where you'll struggle to find a decent pint for under £6, and taxis are around 20% cheaper than their London equivalents, so getting to and from your night out is that much more affordable.
Transport in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a range of options for getting around, including buses, trams, taxis and rental bikes. A single journey costs an average of £2 which is very cheap compared to the rest of the UK, and a monthly pass costs around £62, which might make sense if you travel every day.
As a hilly city, Edinburgh is an interesting place to ride a bike. It’s safe and offers an awful lot of free exercise with the added bonus of many slopes and inclines to enjoy. The city is a major transport hub and is well connected to Glasgow and other parts of Scotland by rail, as well as to the north of the UK.
Other student expenses in Edinburgh
Depending on your specific course, you’ll probably want to budget for extra-curricular materials such as books, equipment rental, art supplies or scanning and printing costs. Other things like gym membership or sports club fees may become part of your monthly cost of living, or one-off expenses such as clothes shopping or cinema tickets. There’s lots of information you can access through your Students’ Union to keep you in the know!
Excluding your tuition fees, we'd recommend a budget of around £900 per month in Edinburgh to cover your rent, essential expenses and socialising. This will vary depending on the accommodation options you choose and your lifestyle, so take this into account when you're budgeting.
