Graduate student quick links
Living costs
Your conditional offer from the University will have included an estimate of living costs, known as the 'maintenance allowance'. This is to cover your rent, food, transport, books, stationery, entertainment, and all other costs apart from University and College fees. But it's a minimum amount and many students find that they need more. Please note that the College Fee does not include any allowance towards room rent or food.
Everyone has different priorities and habits, so the College is not able to tell you exactly how much you will need to live on. Below are a few typical costs in order to help you plan your budget. These costs are only approximate - and it is worth taking into consideration that many businesses in Cambridge offer discounts to University students.
| Expenses in College | Cost |
| Room rent - single room for nine months | £3120-£4100 |
| Cup of coffee in the cafe bar | £1.20 |
| Pint of beer in bar | £1.70 |
| Two-course meal in dining hall (full menu and prices) |
£5.50 |
| Formal Hall | £8.95 |
| Sandwich in the Buttery | £1.75 |
| Laundry (one load of washing) | £2.40 |
| Replacement University Card (if you have lost one) | £15 |
| Printing - one sheet, A4, black & white, double-sided | £0.06 |
| Local transport | Cost |
| Taxi fare from College to Cambridge rail station | £7 - £10 |
| Train ticket from Cambridge to London (off-peak times) | £20 |
| Bus fare - all-day travel anywhere in Cambridge | £3.40 |
| Single fare on Univ4 bus - subsidised by the University | £0.60 |
| Bicycle hire - one month | £40 |
| Bicycle hire - one year | £100 |
| Bicycle - cost to buy | £75 - £250 |
| Other local expenses | Cost |
| One-year membership of the University Gym | £40 |
| Cheap meal out (in a local curry house near Fitzwilliam) | £10 - £15 |