Living Costs
Manchester is recognised as one of the best student cities in the world. It’s also one of the UK’s most affordable.
Depending on your lifestyle preferences, living in Manchester doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you choose to work while you’re here. Lots of RNCM students work part-time in shops, bars and restaurants during their studies, and many increase their income by gigging at venues across the region. We also have a brilliant professional engagements team that offers our musicians lots of paid performance opportunities each year.
Accommodation will be one of your main expenses, but living in our Hall of Residence is often the perfect choice for first years. It’s located right next door to the RNCM and while costs vary depending on the type of room you choose, prices include all utility bills and wi-fi. It’s ok if this isn’t for you though, as there are lots of private flats and houses available with convenient transport links close by.
To help you to understand the costs involved, first year undergraduate Adèle Bracegirdle has provided a breakdown of an estimated 41-week academic year:
| Category | Weekly | Monthly
(4 weeks) |
Annual
(41 Weeks) |
| Accommodation | £185.00 | £740.00 | £7,585.00 |
| Groceries | £35.00 | £140.00 | £1,435.00 |
| Takeaways | £15.00 | £66.00 | £615.00 |
| Going Out | £17.25 | £69.00 | £707.25 |
| Phone Contract | – | £20.00 | £20.00 |
| Clothes | £12.00 | £48.00 | £492.00 |
| Health | £6.50 | £26.00 | £266.50 |
| Course | £6.00 | £24.00 | £246.00 |
| Instrument | – | – | £120.00 |
| Holidays | £9.00 | £36.00 | £369.00 |
| Gifts | £5.25 | £21.00 | £215.25 |
| Laundry | – | £17.32 | £355.06 |
| Travel | – | £315.00 | |
| Total | £12,741.06 |
Alongside accommodation, groceries will be high on your spending list each month. Here’s what first year undergraduate Chloe found out when she compared prices for items every student needs at three supermarkets*:
| Product | Asda (£) | Morrisons (£) | Sainsburys (£) |
| Milk (4 pints) | 1.45 | 1.45 | 1.45 |
| Eggs (medium 6 pack) | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
| Mature Cheddar Cheese (per Kg) | 7.50 | 8.00 | 7.50 |
| Salted Butter (250g) | 1.69 | 1.99 | 1.69 |
| White Bread (800g) | 0.70 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Cornflakes (500g) | 0.85 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Orange juice (1L) | 1.15 | 1.15 | 0.95 |
| Instant coffee (200g) | 2.25 | 3 | 2.25 |
| Teabags (240 pack) | 3.20 | 3.15 | 3.20 |
| Vegetable Oil (1L) | 1.85 | 1.85 | 1.85 |
| 1 Packet of Wafer Thin Ham (400g) | 2.75 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| 2 Chicken Breasts | 3 | 2.59 | 2.29 |
| 500g Minced Beef (5% fat) | 3.75 | 3.49 | 3.49 |
| 2 Salmon fillets | 4.80 | 4.49 | 4.50 |
| 6 Braeburn Apples | 1.39 | 1.70 | 1.70 |
| 5 Bananas | 1.19 | 0.99 | 0.78 |
| 1kg Carrots | 0.65 | 0.60 | 0.60 |
| Pack of 3 brown onions | 1 | 1.35 | 1.10 |
| Maris Piper potatoes | 0.68 per kg | 0.825 per kg | 0.68 per kg |
| Chesnut Mushrooms (250g) | 1.00 | 1.10 | Not sold |
| Pasta (500g) | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Long Grain Rice (1kg) | 1.50 | 1.59 | 1.35 |
| Tomato Soup (400g) | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.67 |
| Baked beans (large tin) | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.43 |
| Mayonnaise (500ml) | 1.20 | 1.25 | 1.20 |
| Tomato Ketchup | 0.139 per 100ml | 0.207 per 100ml | 0.15 per 100ml |
| Multipack crisps (6 pack) | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.15 |
| Toothpaste (100ml) | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| Orange squash double concentrate (1.5L) | 1.10 | 1.29 | 3.00 |
| Lemonade (2L) | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.70 |
*comparisons were made using the supermarket’s own branded products.
The costs outlined above are intended as a guide for individual students. Depending on who you live with, you may need to factor in additional expenses too.
