UK is considered to be an expensive place to study and one has to plan the finances very well in advance so that there are no issues later on. This is a very big factor for many students while making a choice to study in the UK. To get educated overseas, one needs to calculate the tuition fee and rest of the living expenses which are equally important. As an international students the living expenses in London range between 1300 to 1400 GBP and in rest of the UK between 900-1300 GBP.
Let us know about the living expenses in detail so that you are able to plan it better.
Expenses included in the living cost:
You must enquire about these from your Student Visa Consultant as he or she will be able to guide you about that. Make sure that you hire the most capable consultant for your student visa application so that you do not have to regret it after reaching the UK.
Accommodation charges: When you go to the UK to get educated, you need a place to live according to your preferences and you must make this arrangement beforehand. The cost varies for accommodation in London and outside London. You can also have the accommodation with or without bills, for instance; if you decide to stay in student hall then it will be including the bills. It will cost you nearly 848 pounds in London and 664 pounds in rest of the UK. Apart from this, if you choose to stay in a shared private accommodation then the charges without bills for a room for single person will be around 750 GBP in London and 554 GBP outside London.
Transport cost: When you are residing in the UK, you will need to use the public transportation to travel around for various reasons, this transport cost is also a part of the living expenses. However, as a student you do have discounts, for example; full-time students get 30% off on tube and bus fare in London. The transportation cost is 103 pounds in London and 54 pounds outside London.
Utility Bills: The charges or bills for basic facilities in any house have an important share in the living expenses. This includes the bills for electricity, water, cooking gas broadband and TV license. In case you are residing in the Student’s Hall, it is included in the accommodation charges but otherwise it has to be paid separately. In London the utility charges are approximately140 GBP while in rest of the UK it is 80 GBP.
Food & Grocery expense: We all need to eat to live, therefore the major contribution in the expenditure of any household is of food. As you will be living alone in UK, you will have to buy your own food and other grocery items. It is quite expensive to dine out in UK, hence cooking yourself is the best option. To manage the budget, you can have the grocery store card made which will allow you to buy things on discounted prices. On an average the grocery cost is 155 pounds in London and 116 pounds outside London.
Phone Bill: In this modern time, no one can imagine their life without phone as it is the best mode to keep in touch with the family and friends. It is even more important when you have to live away in another country, which is why it also falls under the category of the living expenses. You also need it because many of the information and updates from the universities are provided online which you need to be aware of on time, like class schedule, exam schedule etcetera. For a mobile bill plan which is a SIM only plan the cost in UK is almost 18 pounds (same for London and rest of the UK).
What needs to be shown as living expense while applying for Student Visa to the UK?
The authorities in the UK want to be ensured that you will be able to take care of yourself while residing there and for that they ask you to present the proof of funds. These funds must be 28 days old in the account and should be enough to cover the duration of 9 months. If you are planning to live in London, you need to have at least 12006 GBP in your account, whereas if you will be living outside London, you must have a minimum of 9207 GBP.
Note: In case you have not paid your tuition fee in full then the pending amount must also be shown in the account in addition to the living cost.
To conclude, as you can see that it is not as simple as it looks, you ought to consult a competent UK Student visa consultant for assisting you in this journey so that you get the positive result only.