Share a flat
Shared rooms are the cheapest option; a studio costs much more than £750.
🇬🇧 Wales, UK
Cost of Living in Cardiff
Welsh capital with lower costs than English cities. Here's a realistic monthly budget for an Indian student in Cardiff — rent, food, transport and insurance — in GBP and rupees.
- Rent £500 – £750/month
- Total £955 – £1,205/month
- ≈ ₹1.2 lakh – ₹1.5 lakh/month
- 2 universities
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Quick answer
How much does it cost to live in Cardiff as a student?
Budget £955 – £1,205 a month (about ₹1.2 lakh – ₹1.5 lakh), or £11,500 – £14,500 a year. Rent for a room in shared housing is the biggest cost at £500 – £750. 18 of the 40 cities we track in the UK have lower rents.
Ask on WhatsAppUpdated · Reviewed by the Visa Edu Loans admissions & finance desk
Official sources: GOV.UK — Student visa
Cardiff budget at a glance
- Room in shared housing
- £500 – £750 a month
- Monthly budget
- £955 – £1,205
- Yearly budget
- £11,500 – £14,500
- In rupees (a year)
- ₹15 lakh – ₹18 lakh
- Visa funds rule
- UKVI living-cost rule: £1,529 a month in London, £1,171 elsewhere (up to 9 months)
- Health cover
- The Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 a year) is paid with the visa and gives NHS access
- Getting around
- 16–25 Railcard and student bus passes cut travel costs
- Exchange rate used
- £1 ≈ ₹127
Monthly budget
Student budget in Cardiff
Planning estimates for 2026 — rents move quickly, so check live listings before you sign.
Compare
Cardiff vs other student cities in the UK
Universities
Universities in Cardiff
Save money
Cutting costs in Cardiff
Cook at home
Groceries for about £220 a month — Indian grocery stores are common in big cities.
Use student transport
16–25 Railcard and student bus passes cut travel costs
Work part-time
Up to 20 hours a week in term for degree-level students; full time in official vacations
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question?
Ask a counsellor directly — we reply on WhatsApp during working hours (Mon–Sat, 9 AM–6 PM IST).
About £955 – £1,205 (₹1.2 lakh – ₹1.5 lakh), including rent.
A room in shared housing usually costs £500 – £750 a month.
Part-time work (up to 20 hours a week in term for degree-level students; full time in official vacations) helps, but it rarely covers everything — plan savings or a loan for living costs.
UKVI living-cost rule: £1,529 a month in London, £1,171 elsewhere (up to 9 months)
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Universities
Universities in Cardiff
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Cost of living in other UK cities
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