Student Finance Centre

Cost of living in Portsmouth

It's important to think about your living costs. These costs will always vary from student to student but we have provided estimates below to give you some idea of what you need to plan for. You can also take a look at our budget planner to give you a more detailed breakdown of your income and expenditure as a student. Where costs are given as weekly amounts, we have used an academic year of 39 weeks. If you plan on staying in Portsmouth during the summer you will need to budget for this too.

Essential costs

Things you will have to pay for include rent, food, bills and study costs.

  • Rent

    Rent in Halls of Residence varies between around £77 - £122 a week (2012/13 rates) although this is usually paid termly. What you get for your money varies as well, all halls include utilities such as water, gas and electricity, but some also include some catering. For more detailed information about accommodation in Portsmouth visit our housing department's website.

      • If you are in self catered accommodation share the cost of food with your flatmates and try to cook meals together.
      • If you're catered make the most of the meals you are paying for; so get up in time for breakfast!
      • Pay your Hall fees at the start of each term so you can work out what you have left to budget with.
      • The University offers a free inter-site bus service so you can travel around campus well into the night.
      • You may want to become a Residents' Assistant in your second year. You'll live in Halls and receive a small salary for supporting Freshers.
      • You will have a basic contents insurance cover included in your Hall fees however you may want to top up your cover if you intend to bring expensive items.
      • Make the most of free internal calls to any University telephone extension. That means you can chat to the Money Doctors for free on extension 3014!
      • You will also have free broadband access from your room in Halls.

  • Private accommodation

    If you live in private rented accommodation then average rent for a room in a shared student house is between £75 - £80. In addition you will have to budget at least £15 - £20 a week for utility bills.

      • Think about your accommodation early. Most private landlords will require one month's rent as a deposit, and often money for the summer months (even if you are not living there). Try and save over the summer as you won't receive your student loan until after you have registered at Uni.
      • Read your tenancy agreement carefully to see what your rent will actually cover. Are bills included? How much rent will you have to pay over the summer months?
      • Have separate tenancy agreements for each member of the household, this way you will not be liable for someone else's rent.

  • Household bills

    Don't forget that you will need to budget for utility and water bills as well as your rent. Try to set aside £15-£20 per week per housemate for these. This will vary depending on usage. Try to use appliances economically to help your budget, and the environment.

      • If you're a full-time student and you only live with other full-time students you should be exempt from Council Tax. If you live within the PO1 – PO6 postcode area you will need to contact Portsmouth City Council on 023 9283 4556 and provide them with your name, student number and address. If you live in a different council area then you will need to obtain a Council Tax Exemption Certificate from Academic Registry and send this to your local council.
      • Take meter readings when you move in and give them to the respective utility companies, asking them to set you up a new account. This should ensure that you aren't liable for bills left by previous tenants.
      • Always share the responsibility for bills. Ideally everyone should have their name on one bill. No-one wants to chase their friends for money at the end of the year, but if you each have a bill to take care of, it might be easier.
      • Why not pay bills by Direct Debit as you may be entitled to a discount for this? Remember, you'll need to make sure that you have enough money in your account. Why not put reminders in your diary so you'll know when the bills are coming out?
      • To help you to keep track of your shared household bills and manage a healthy budget visit www.ioweyou.co.uk, an online calculator for expenses sharing.
      • You may find it easier to budget with a pay-as-you-go-phone because you know what you're spending up front. You can ask your family to send you vouchers so you can stay in touch. If you are on a contract phone check the terms and conditions thoroughly.
      • Make sure you're not paying too much for broadband, and don't sign up for services at Freshers Fayre without checking the terms and conditions. Visit www.cable.co.uk for a comparison of the best broadband and home phone deals available to students.

  • Contents insurance

    Halls of residence costs include a basic level of insurance cover but you may want to extend this if you bring valuable items, such as laptops or games consoles. Private accommodation will not offer any cover within the rent, so insurance is important. Check whether your belongings are covered under your parents' policy, as more and more insurers do offer this now. If not, a basic contents policy will cost around £2 a week.

  • TV licence

    A colour TV licence costs £145.50 and you must have your own TV license if you live in halls of residence and have your own TV or watch live television through a laptop or computer. You are not covered by any communal licenses. For up to date costs visit the TV Licence website.

    If you live in a shared house you only need one license for the whole property, unless you all rent individual rooms with separate locks on each bedroom door, in which case anyone with a TV needs their own license.

  • Food and housekeeping

    Most students spend an average of £35-£40 a week on a big grocery shop, including household essentials like toothpaste and washing up liquid. This works out a lot cheaper than daily trips to the corner shop, which can soon add up and eat into your budget.

      • Visit the bargain sections in the supermarket to see what has been reduced for consumption that day, you might be able to get cheap ingredients for tonight's dinner!
      • Buy and cook food together with housemates as this can work out much cheaper than buying and cooking for one. If you can afford it, buy larger packs of things, which are usually cheaper in the long run for example, washing powder and multi-packs of juice. When you cook you can make more than you'll need and freeze extra portions for later.
      • Consider buying the store's own brands rather than buying more expensive well-known brands. Some stores offer an economy range with fairly plain packaging. This can make quite a big difference to your total bill.
      • If you do decide to food shop together you could consider shopping online. Check how much the delivery charge is because it could be cheaper than you think and may save you a lot of time and effort. If you and your housemates do your online shopping together you could split the delivery charge.
      • Don't blow your budget on expensive luxury treats. Eating nothing but baked beans later in the term will get pretty dull.
      • Economise further by using local markets. There is a City Centre Market on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays in Commercial Road.
      • Make a shopping list and stick to it to really help you to avoid impulse buys. Shop weekly at a supermarket, rather than paying inflated prices at local corner shops.
      • Shop for food on a full stomach as you're much less likely to buy things you don't need, just because you're feeling hungry.
      • Ask shops is they offer any student discounts. Showing your NUS card gets you 10% off in loads of stores. Shops may not always advertise the discount so it's always worth asking.
      • A useful website to help budgeting for food and finding student friendly recipes is www.studentnosh.com. It's got everything from learning how to boil an egg to finding inspirational vegetarian recipe ideas.
      • Make the most of supermarket loyalty cards. These are good if you always use the same store, and various supermarkets offer different deals.
      • Take your lunch to university rather than buying food from expensive outlets every day. Think about it, spending just £3 per day on lunch will cost £21 per week, that's £819 per academic year!

  • Books and course materials

    The average cost for an academic year is £400.This cost will vary depending on the course studied. Some courses (for example, art and design courses) may require additional materials, equipment and/or uniforms. Some other courses may involve field trips. It is advisable to contact your academic department to enquire about any additional course costs that can be expected. Further information about extra costs for specific courses in 2012-13 can be can be found here (.pdf).

      • The university provides over 450 student PC's and Apple Macs in open access areas for you to use, so try to make the most of these rather than buying an expensive laptop.
      • Check out the Students' Union, local shops and your departmental notice board and auction websites for bargain books. If buying through the web, check for delivery charges.
      • You can also rent text books from the online textbook rental service, Acadreamia.
      • Carry your NUS card with you so that you can take advantage of discounts. Lots of shops offer a 10-15% discount to students.
      • Don't buy all the books on the reading list. Talk to your tutors and find out what the key texts are. Look for second hand copies, or better still, use the library.
      • If you're in Halls, broadband access is included in your rent. Use it for research and accessing the library.
      • Does the library have the book electronically? Lots of books are available online, this can be great if you only need to read a chapter.
      • The University offers cheaper printing for draft copies, which is fine for most things. Good copies are only needed for assessed work.
      • The University gives some free credit on photocopying and printing at the beginning of the year, make sure you use this wisely.
      • Only print what is necessary and if possible take hand-written notes instead.
      • You may be able to share the cost of text books with friends on the same course and then study together.

  • Travel

    The university offer a free inter-site bus service for staff and students between Langstone student village and the main city centre buildings. Portsmouth is a flat city, and all the areas where students' live are within walking or cycling distance from the town centre.

    You will need to budget though for trips home, and occasional taxis to make sure you get home safely from nights out. The average student spends about £10 a week on travel.

      • If you use public transport, consider getting a monthly ticket or a season ticket. This will be cheaper than buying daily tickets.
      • Ask yourself if you really need to bring your car to University. It could create a big dent in your budget and you will have a nightmare trying to find parking in Portsmouth!
      • Cycling is the cheaper option, but do bring lights, a helmet and a strong lock.
      • If you travel by coach, you can buy a National Express NX2 Discount Coachcard, which will entitle you to up to a 30% discount.
      • If possible, travel off peak as it is cheaper and less crowded. Try to avoid rush hour traffic, as five minutes in a queue with the engine running uses the same amount of fuel as driving one mile.
      • Try to book your travel tickets in advance. If you know you're going home for the holidays you may be able to get cheaper fares by booking in advance.
      • Walk to lectures, it is definitely the cheapest form of transport and a great way to keep fit!
      • If you travel by rail, you can buy a 16-25 Railcard and you'll receive a third off the fare.

  • Freshers' week

    Don't get carried away during Freshers' week as you may be tempted to join lots of clubs and societies. Be selective and try to only sign up to the ones you know you're going to attend regularly. You can still join even after Freshers week if you decide to.

  • Part-time job

    Get a part-time job. There are loads of opportunities in Portsmouth: it's a great way to boost your budget and to meet some new people. Try to work no more than 15 hours per week to ensure you have time to study and have a life! Purple Door Careers and Recruitment in Guildhall Walk is a great place to find out about vacancies for students.

  • Student discounts

    Make full use of student discounts and offers. Use your NUS card when you go into shops, ask if they offer a discount to students, many do but don't always advertise it.

  • Student bank accounts

    Get yourself a Higher Education student bank account. Do your homework and shop around to find the best deals for you. Don't be overly impressed by opening freebies such as cash and vouchers or gadgets. Read the small print and look out for hidden costs like unauthorised overdraft and interest fees. The websites www.moneysupermarket.com and www.moneyfacts.co.uk both have details and comparisons of various student bank accounts.

      • An interest free overdraft facility can act as a buffer if you get into difficulty. Check on how much is on offer and what charges apply if you go over the limit (rates vary from bank to bank). Banks are generally happy to offer this service but make sure you don't exceed your limit!
      • Speak to your bank if you think you are going to become overdrawn, they may be able to increase your overdraft or give you a temporary extension. This could save you a lot of money on fees and high interest rates.
      • Ensure you're sent monthly statements or go green and access them through the internet. Regularly checking your statements will help you to track your budget and financial situation.
      • You may have already signed up to a credit card or store card, mobile phone contract etc. These costs will have to be paid, they won't just go away now you're a student.
      • If you are already finding debt repayments difficult don't think another credit card will solve the problem. You will only end up with more debt. Seek advice on this from the Money Doctors
      • Don't be fooled by store card offers. Some store cards have an interest rate in excess of 30% APR. You might be offered a 10% discount on a pair of £50 jeans; at first this means the jeans cost £45 but with a typical interest of 29.9%, those jeans will actually cost you £58.46! If you are late making a payment you can face costly fines and a bad credit rating too. Not such a bargain.
      • Don't be afraid to visit us. We can help you to make sense of what you owe in a one-to-one, confidential debt counselling session. We can advise you how to contact your creditors and how to set up easy to manage payment plans. If you don't want to come into the Student Finance Centre you can email student.finance@port.ac.uk with your financial concerns.
      • Try not to visit the cash point daily, those withdrawals soon add up. Just £10 a day equals £3,560 for the year!