Living expenses in Lincoln

By Jiafu Chen, BEng Mechanical Engineering student from China.

For international students choosing to study overseas or local students moving to other cities, one of the most crucial considerations before deciding which university they will apply for is the cost of living in that city.

Apart from accommodation fees which are obviously essential, here is my basic weekly expenditure to live in Lincoln.

Food and beverages

I live near the University of Lincoln so do not need to pay any daily travel fees for things such as the train, bus or car. So, the main expense I have is food and drinks.

There is a range of options from where to buy food, from supermarkets such as Morrison, M&S, Tesco, Lidl or even Asian supermarkets, to street markets and local shops. The price in these places is slightly different but the quality is quite similar. As a male student, my budget on food normally ranges from £20-£30 per week (not including take-away food delivery from restaurants). With that amount of money, students can buy a wide range of food in a week, or even for longer depending on the stomach capacity of each person.

The useful tip to save money when buying food is the cut-priced time of some specific items in supermarkets and various amazing deals like buy three items together for a lower price or buy one get one free.

Laundry

Depending on the type of accommodation you live in, the fee of laundry will vary. If you rent a room in a house which includes bills you might not have to pay anything extra whenever you wash your clothes. However, if you live in a flat in the student accommodation buildings, it will cost approximately £3 for washing machine and £2 for the dryer machine each time. Therefore, students may need to spend at least £5 per week for laundry.

Other expenses

Except from the above main expenditures, there are some other activities you may enjoy one time a week. For instance, I normally grab a £4 cup of coffee once a week. In the case of other people, they might enjoy eating in restaurant or go to the cinema at the weekend.

To sum up, the basic expense of a student will range from £30-£40 per week based on my own experience. This number may be less or more depending on the living habit of each person but I hope this gives you an idea of how much you can spend.

Lincoln was named as one of the most affordable student cities in the UK by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.

Please note: This content was created prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, and some information might differ due to current laws and restrictions. Please refer to Government advice and the University of Lincoln for the latest information.