In the West Midlands in England, you find Birmingham, which is one of the most renowned cities in that country. It is popular for various aspects and is the second-largest city in the UK. One of the aspects for which it has gained popularity is higher education among international students. Indian students are also very much inclined towards studying in Birmingham. The University of Birmingham is 68th-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings 2027 out of 1504 universities.
When Indian students get enrolled in a university or college in Birmingham, their major concern has to be the cost of living. Here, you will get some concise information about the cost of living in Birmingham.
Education Fees
Education fees is the major aspect on which you need to spend in the first place. However, the fees vary depending on the programme you choose. Below, you can read about a general estimate of fees in different universities in Birmingham.
| University | Undergraduate Fees (per year) | Postgraduate (Master’s) Fees (per year) |
| University of Birmingham | Typically £24,000–£33,000+ (some lab/clinical courses cost more) | Typically, £25,000–£38,000+, depending on the programme. |
| Aston University | Around £20,000–£24,000 | Around £21,000–£28,000 (course-dependent). |
| Birmingham City University | Around £17,000–£20,000 | Around £18,000–£22,000. |
| University College Birmingham | £16,500–£19,750 | £17,500–£20,750 (MBA: £17,000). |
Accommodation
After fees, your major expense will be student accommodation Birmingham. The cost of accommodation for you depends on the type of accommodation you choose. PBSA (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation is the most liked accommodation in the United Kingdom in the present scenario. These are accommodations especially developed for students by private developers and are owned by private owners. These accommodations boast a variety of high-end and usual facilities such as study desks and chairs, internet, gyms, sports courts, libraries, study rooms, cinemas, and more. Such accommodations are located on properties and have a campus environment.
Purpose-built accommodations are available in different price ranges. You can get a low-cost purpose-built accommodation at £125 per week. The high-priced purpose-built accommodation may be found at £468 per week.
Besides, students also have the option to rent rooms in private apartments or the apartments in full. The apartment accommodation in Birmingham starts from £120 per week.
You can also rent university accommodation, which you can find in or near your university campus. The price of the university accommodation starts from around £107 per week, and it reaches to £360 per week.
You can get similar types of accommodation if you have decided to study in UK in any part.
Meals, Groceries, Fruits, and Vegetables
Groceries are the essential items on which you will need to spend in your everyday life while living in Birmingham. You may also go to a restaurant to have a meal. So, it will be important for you to know some estimated prices of meals and groceries if you are going to study in Birmingham.
In an inexpensive restaurant in Birmingham, you can have a meal for £15.50. For two people in a midrange restaurant, the meal is available at £76. You can have a combo meal at McDonald’s in Birmingham at £7.
In groceries, you can find one liter of regular milk at £1.41. Five hundred grams of fresh white bread can be acquired here at £1.37. To purchase one kilogram of white rice, you need to pay £1.87. One kilogram of local cheese can be found at £8.91. The cost of 1.5 litres of bottled water is £1.20.
Fruits and vegetables are also essential items for daily life; therefore, it is also good to consider them in your cost of living. In fruits, apples, bananas, and oranges (1 kg each) are available at £1.90, 1.40, and £1.84 respectively. In vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions (1 kg each) can be found at £2.73, £1.20, and £1.35 respectively. You can buy one head of lettuce at £1.
Transportation
You would like to visit different parts of Birmingham during your studies, so the cost of transportation matters. The single bus fare in Birmingham is £3. You can buy a bus pass to save on expenses, which is available at £52–£55 per month. There is also a student regional bus + tram pass that you can buy at around £85–£88 per month. A simple student tram pass can be acquired at around £69.30 for 4 weeks.
You can save a lot of money if you choose to rent accommodation near your university or college. University accommodations can be found at or attached to university campuses. Many PBSA complexes can also be found within less than 10 minutes of walking distance from the university campuses. Some private apartments can also be found within walking distance.
Final Note
The abovementioned ones are the tentative prices in Birmingham, which are subject to change. Therefore, you must check again before starting your journey to Birmingham or after reaching there.
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