The cost of tuition in Manchester varies from university to university. Tuition fees cover your registration, supervision, examinations, and graduation costs, in addition to your studies themselves.
Manchester is home to several well-regarded universities, including The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Salford. Tuition fees can vary significantly depending on the institution, your chosen course, and whether you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
For home students, undergraduate tuition fees typically cost £9,535 per year for a full-time course. This increase follows the government’s fee adjustments in November 2024.
If you're an international student, you can expect tuition fees to start at around £20,000 per year for the 2025/26 academic year.
At the University of Manchester, for instance, international student tuition fees are estimated at £22,500 for a full academic year in 2025/26.
However, depending on your course and level of study, this figure can rise significantly. For example, postgraduate research programmes like PhDs, MPhils, or Masters by Research can cost upwards of £30,000-40,000 per year.
Accommodation will likely be your largest expense after your course fees. It’s important to research your options to find affordable student accommodation that doesn’t compromise on safety or comfort.
Student accommodation options typically include:
University Halls of Residence – Often convenient and close to campus, university halls are ideal for first-year students and may include utilities in the cost.
Off-campus Student Accommodation – Purpose-built student accommodation like Sanctuary Students provides a safe, secure environment with inclusive bills and dedicated support services.
Private Accommodation – Renting a room in a shared house or flat can sometimes be more flexible, but you’ll need to manage bills and contracts yourself.
Purpose-built student accommodation often provides an excellent balance of value, safety, and convenience. Sanctuary Students offers modern, all-inclusive student accommodation in Manchester at Denmark Road and Grafton Street, ideal for students seeking great value and comfort.
If you’re wondering how much student accommodation costs in Manchester, prices can vary significantly. Expect to pay anywhere from £135 per week for basic student accommodation up to £355 per week for higher-end options. This excludes costs for food, drink, travel, entertainment, and study materials.
For first-year undergraduates, The University of Manchester estimates on-campus accommodation costs for 2024/25 at around £170 per week, or £6,985 per year (41 weeks).
Sanctuary Students offers competitively priced, all-inclusive student accommodation in Manchester starting from just £201.50 per week with no hidden extras. This price includes household bills such as heating, electricity, water, Wi-Fi, and even FREE contents insurance. Choosing all-inclusive accommodation means you can budget more easily and avoid unexpected expenses.
Sanctuary Students' properties are located in prime student areas near the university, providing a secure, community-focused environment that offers excellent value for money.
To reduce your student accommodation costs, consider the following:
Research thoroughly: Explore purpose-built student accommodation with all-inclusive rent, which can save you money on additional household bills.
Consider shared accommodation: Sharing your living space with housemates can reduce your overall costs.
Choose your location wisely: Prime city-centre locations may have higher rents, but student accommodation near campus can save you money on commuting.
Household bills can significantly add to your cost of living in Manchester. Bills typically include electricity, gas, water, internet, TV services, and insurance.
Students are exempt from paying council tax, which is a significant saving. However, once you move out of university halls, you may become partly liable for additional expenses.
We estimate that household bills can cost around £120 per month, but this figure can rise depending on the services you use. By staying with Sanctuary Students, your rent is fully inclusive, meaning no extra bills to worry about. This includes gas, electricity, water, internet/Wi-Fi, cleaning of communal areas, security services, CCTV, building maintenance, and contents insurance.
Manchester has a well-connected transport network, and travel costs will vary depending on how often you use public transport.
Our buildings are in the heart of the city, close to campus and everything that’s going on, so you may not need to spend much on travel.
However, if you explore the city often, consider a student travel card for savings:
The Stagecoach UniRider or First Bus student tickets offer discounted travel rates.
Transport for Greater Manchester provides student passes for buses, trams, and trains across the city.
For occasional use, the cheapest option may be to pay as you go.
Expect to budget around £50 per month for public transport if you use it regularly. Walking or cycling is also a great option in Manchester's accessible city centre, which can help you save further.
Mobile phone and internet are two smaller outgoings that add to the cost of living in Manchester for students.
Mobile phone costs are fairly consistent across the UK, with contracts typically ranging between £20-£60 per month depending on your provider and plan. If you can, opt for a SIM-only contract to save money, but keep in mind that phone contracts can vary significantly based on your data allowance, network provider, and special offers.
Internet costs can vary but are often included in university halls or purpose-built student accommodation. At Sanctuary Students, your rent includes free broadband, offering super-fast 250 Mb/s Wi-Fi, so you can study and stream movies to your heart's content. If you go for an HMO or rent a flat with friends, budget at least £30 per month for a standard internet connection.
Your social life is an essential part of university life. Manchester is rich with entertainment options, from student-friendly pubs to cultural attractions.
Leisure and entertainment costs will vary massively depending on what you plan to do for fun while away at university.
You could have a great time while not spending a lot of money. You could also have a great time while spending a lot of money.
This is where budgeting can come into its own. Setting up an entertainment fund where you have a good idea of how much you can spend per week or per month.
The University of Manchester estimates that you should budget around £60 per week for leisure, entertainment, books, phone bills, laundry, and other study costs. However, we think this is very conservative, and a more realistic estimate would be £100-£150 per week.
That said, there are numerous free or low-cost events throughout the year, including live music, festivals, and art exhibitions. Libraries, museums, and parks are great options for free leisure activities, making Manchester student life diverse and affordable.
Study costs include books, stationery and all those little things you need to complete your course.
While core textbooks may be costly at the start of the year, ongoing study supplies are often less demanding. Once you have your course books for the year, the rest should pretty much just be pens, paper and post-it notes!
Consider exploring second-hand bookshops or online resources to save money. Some universities also offer book exchange schemes where students can swap books from previous years.
Expect to spend around £40-50 per month on general study costs. Specialist equipment for certain subjects may increase this amount though, and this doesn't factor in the cost of a laptop or computer.
Food will be another significant outgoing during your student years. Even a basic diet of pasta and sauce isn’t as cheap as it used to be, so you’ll need to budget carefully!
We strongly recommend learning to cook a few simple, affordable meals for yourself before you leave home. It will save you an incredible amount of money while ensuring you have everything you need to make it through your course.
We estimate that food shopping will cost around £50-60 per week, excluding dining out and takeaway meals. Shopping smart at discount supermarkets and taking advantage of special offers can further reduce costs. Bulk buying and meal prepping are also great strategies for keeping food costs low.
Gym membership may or may not be important to you depending on how you plan to spend your time.
For some, it’s essential. For others, not so much.
The University of Manchester provides access to three sports facilities: Armitage Sports Centre & Wellbeing Rooms, Manchester Aquatics Centre, and Sugden Sports Centre.
There are also several other gyms in the area. Student gym memberships typically cost from £120 per year for each, depending on the venue and membership type you choose.
Laundry costs are one of those outgoings often overlooked when you’re planning your university stay.
It isn’t expensive but can add up over the year, depending on how you plan to keep your clothes clean.
University halls will have on-site laundry facilities, which means you’ll just need to budget for detergent. Once you're out of halls, costs can vary.
Many purpose-built student accommodations also offer laundry facilities on-site to make things easier for students, but you may also need to factor in a little extra for water and electricity.
If you stay with Sanctuary Students, you’ll have access to a laundry room with an average wash costing from £3.
The cost of living in Manchester for students is lower than in many other university cities while offering so much more.
Studying at one of the city universities means getting a great education in a fantastic city.
Staying with Sanctuary Students while studying at one of the city universities means having a fantastic place to live, with no bills, while getting a great education.
You don’t need a degree in economics to know that makes good sense!
Accommodation prices accurate as of March 2025.