How much should I bring for the first month?

Plan for accommodation deposit and first rent, plus roughly one month of living costs and setup items. Many students find the first month costs close to double a normal month.

Can part-time work cover my living costs?

Part-time work helps but rarely covers full living costs during term time, because your working hours are limited by your visa conditions.

Is London worth the extra cost?

It depends on your sector. Finance, law and some creative industries concentrate in London; engineering, health and tech hiring is strong across many other cities at a much lower cost base.

Cost of studying and living in the UK for Indian students

The answer in 60 seconds

Budget in three buckets: tuition, monthly living costs for your city, and one-off costs (visa, IHS, flights, deposit, setup).
London runs materially higher than most other UK cities, mostly through rent and transport.
The Home Office maintenance rate is a visa minimum, not a realistic budget — most students spend more.

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Key figures

Typical master's tuition

£15,000 – £32,000 per year (course dependent)

Home Office maintenance — London

£1,483 per month

Home Office maintenance — outside London

£1,136 per month

One-off visa + IHS (1-year master's)

Roughly £1,300 + dependants

Figures last checked 22 August 2026. Fees and thresholds change — confirm on GOV.UK before you pay anything.

Tuition

International tuition varies far more by subject than by ranking. Lab-based science, engineering and business courses sit at the top of the range; humanities and social sciences sit lower.

Always check whether the fee quoted is per year or for the whole course, and whether it includes bench fees or field trips.

Living costs by city

Rent is the single biggest variable. Shared private housing is usually cheaper than university halls after the first year, but halls remove the guarantor problem for new arrivals.

See our city guides for a cost-of-living breakdown for each major student city.

One-off costs students forget

These land in the first six weeks and are the most common reason students feel short of money in their first term.

Flight and excess baggage.
Accommodation deposit and advance rent.
Bedding, kitchen basics, winter clothing.
TB test, biometrics travel, document courier.
Course materials and a laptop upgrade.

Common mistakes

Budgeting with the visa maintenance minimum instead of real rent in your city.
Ignoring the first-month double payment of deposit plus advance rent.
Forgetting IHS is paid in full upfront for the whole visa length.
Not planning for rupee-to-pound movement across the year.

FAQs

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