Finance and Funding
A few quids, as they are affectionately called here.The cost of living in Oxford is high, but can be managed with careful
financial planning. University and college fees will probably constitute the
most significant portion of your budget. The University provides estimates of
future international student tuition and college fees that you can use to guide
your financial planning. When estimating your general living costs, you will
need to think about your accommodation, food, travel and entertainment
expenses, as well as miscellaneous costs, such as stationery, photocopying,
personal items and international calls. While these costs will vary
according to individual tastes and needs, the University estimates that an
international student living in college will need at least £9,000
(£10,000 if living out) annually to cover general living expenses
(excluding travel and any significant research expenses, as well as University and college fees).
Accommodation
The cost of college accommodation varies widely by college. You might pay as little as £300 per month or as much as £600 per month (including bills), depending on your college and the type of accommodation allocated to you. When trying to choose a college, you may want to contact the College Office or even the JCR or MCR to get more information about current room rates. Most undergraduate students are only permitted to reside in their rooms during term times and, therefore, do not pay rent during the holidays. Most graduate colleges, however, require students to rent their rooms from October through to June.
The cost of ‘living out’ in Oxford is generally more expensive than living in college accommodation. Renting a room in a shared house or flat can put you back about £300-£500 per month (usually excluding bills), depending on which part of town you choose to live in. While the monthly rents may be similar to those in some college accommodation, living out means that you generally have to pay rent on a monthly basis for a full calendar year. The costs of electricity, gas, and telephone will vary by household.
You may want to read the Accommodation section of this Handbook to find out more about living in college versus living out.
Food
College food can vary in quality, but is usually cheap. Since eating out is very expensive in Oxford, cooking for yourself is an economical alternative to eating in your college's dining hall. Most college housing has kitchen facilities, and there are supermarkets, grocery stores and markets in town where you can buy food at a reasonable cost. We suggest reading the Shopping section of this Handbook to find out more.
Travel
You will need to budget for your travel to and from Oxford. You may also want to consider the cost of travelling on holiday. There are a number of cheap discount airlines with services from the UK to continental Europe. Ryan Air and EasyJet are two examples. In addition, STA Travel is a good general resource for student-discounted travel worldwide, and has a local shop on George Street, where you can simply walk in to find out more. If you are travelling for academic purposes (such as to conduct fieldwork or to attend a conference), you should also check with your college or department about any available travel grants.
Travel costs within Oxford, if you live in the city centre, should not be high. You can walk or cycle to most places. Oxford's bus routes are well-serviced and are an economical alternative to taxis.
You may also want to read the Transport and Travel section of this Handbook to find out more about how to get around Oxford and Britain.
Entertainment
Drinks in college bars are typically cheaper than in the pub. Generally, however, eating and drinking out is expensive in Oxford and prices can be comparable with those in London. Watching a movie at the cinema typically costs £5-6 —make sure you show your University student card to get the lower price. We suggest keeping a keen eye out for cheaper alternatives, such as movie nights and theatre trips organized by your JCR or MCR and by Oxford's many student clubs and societies.
Books
Oxford's libraries have extensive collections. You should find all the required and recommended texts on your reading lists there. If there is a core text you want to buy, be sure to check the second-hand book section of Blackwell's on Broad Street for a discounted copy. For leisure reading, charity shops are often a good source for cheap books. And, of course, there is always amazon.co.uk.
Miscellanea
Depending upon your course and your needs, you may also want to budget for specialist equipment and materials or a personal notebook computer/laptop, not to mention the scandalously expensive annual college garden picture.