Hello everybody,

I'm considering to undertake postgraduate study at Oxford Brookes (it's among my top three choices), but first I would like to make a calculation of living expenses.

Please help me to determine basic prices (per month), such as:

- accommodation (shared flat)
- electricity, water
- internet
- telephone (mobile)
- food
- drinks
- transport from the Stansted Airport

Is there anything else I have to bear in mind in terms of costs?

Thank you very much in advance!

Greetings from Ljubljana,
Ursa

I dont know how it is in Oxford, but I imagine since it is a posh town and due to the high competition for everything among the students, the prices will be more. Here is a general cost for Coventry though:

accommodation: minimum £160 a month for a room in shared house

electricity+gas: around £80/month in the winter...divide this by how many people you share with

water: about £30 a month...divide this by the number of people living there

Internet: Tiscali broadband costs £15 a month (landline rental from BT is required and costs another £10)

Mobile phone: Contracts last for a year, but for a pay as you go use maybe 10p for a text and 10p a minute for a call as an average

Food: sky is the limit here. Meal at a pub will cost you minimum £5 though, usually more

Transport to the airport: check www.thetrainline.com for trains and www.nationalexpress.com for coaches

Hope that helps

Thanks for your answer, Joe. At least I know now where to start from.

Is it cheaper to live on campus or in a shared flat/house?

Greetings from Ljubljana,
Ursa

The above answers are very good, but, yes, Oxford is very expensive, pretty much London prices, and I would say accommodation is even more. However, your prospective uni has an accommodation office and they would advise on finding somewhere and would give an idea of cost. There is a very cheap Oxford to London bus with very very cheap student fares, for going up to see things in London and soem other good student travel deals too. It is a very beautiful city and maybe well worth the expense.

I did my postgraduate studies in Oxford, I used to have 650 pounds per month, and was more than enough. I could pay my accomodation in college (around 300 p/month, including gas, water and light and internet); food and drinks (I used to cook, so spent around 20 pounds per week in either Sainsbury's or Tesco in fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken, coffee/tea and bakery); meals/snacks at college (consider around 20 pounds per month) and the rent of a bike, in case you need one. Never hired a telephone there, not even landline or cellphone, but used to spend 20 per month in telephone cards to call to Peru, from the college public phones. As I said it was more than enough, I could save for buying books and even travel throughout Europe at the end of the course :)
Good luck!
Flor de Maria

Thank you so much for your valuable advice!

Have a nice evening,
Ursa

From what I know about the costs of living in Cambridge - and I think it may be similar to Oxford - try getting accomodation in a college. It's cheaper than renting a room or a flat, around 300 to 350 GBP a month, utilities included. There is a deposit to pay and the college I know in Cambridge asks for the rent of three months to be paid in advance. So shortly after arriving in the college there was the sum of almost 1800 GBP to be paid! You should be prepared for that. (We weren't).

Yes, I think it is common in the UK Higher Ed institutions to ask for a term's rent in advance. But overall, much cheaper, normally, to take up halls of residence accommodation.

O gosh, that's also good to know (I thought, the rent is paid on a monthly basis). It must have been really hard for you, Christine. I will bear this in mind. I suppose, waiting lists are very long (for the halls of residence), considering the lower prices. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Thank you again.

Greetings from foggy Ljubljana,
Ursa

There are some very helpful websites, Ursa, like http://www.educationuk.org/eu_faqs/ and http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Prepare/Cost.htm. And you might like to ask your local British Council office what the current monthly stipend is for a Chevening scholar - this will give you a pretty good idea of what you'll have to spend.

Enjoy Oxford (I'm sure you will- I certainly did)!

Thank you for the links and advice, Robine. I'm sure I will enjoy my time in Britain since I have always wanted to do this.

P.s. I really hope to catch some of that lovely British accent :-).

Greetings, Ursa

Greetings from Oxford: a lot of the advice you've been given is sound, tho' some of it less so. From mine and others' experience, I know you'll have trouble finding anywhere under £320 for a room in a house, £370 for a room in a 2 bed flat, £500 for a studio flat or £550 for a 1 bed.

A lot of rented/shared places will have the water bills paid, electricity budget £10/week if you're in a house, more if you're in your own flat.

There's a direct but irregular bus from Stansted Airport, the 757 or 737 National Express. Check it out on their website.

Oxford's got the standard range of supermarkets for food, and their basics ranges really are the cheapest. Food at v. cheap but hearty levels can be hard to come by, but there are pubs and sandwich bars a-go-go.

What you do need to bear in mind is that most local landlords will require you to sign a fixed term contract (this benefits them as there is never a shortage of demand for thei accomodations)

Anything else you need to know, let me know.

Thank you for the answer, Osneyditch.

Can a contract be cancelled, if one finds sth more convenient? In Slovenia, we normally have to inform our landlord a month before we decide to leave the place. Is it difficult to find a place to live there (in general)?

Greetings from Ljubljana,
Ursa

Contrary to the practise in most of England, contracts in Oxford are usually for a fixed-term. However, most landlords will allow you to cancel if and when they can relet your accomodations, although notice is normally required. There is such a demand it is normally a case of when not if, but there are often financial penalities attached to this.

Thank you for the answer. I'll bear this in mind.

Greetings from Ljubljana,
Ursa