The city of Manchester should need no introduction. It’s a thriving northern powerhouse city that has an amazing reputation.
It also has the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Salford and the University of Bolton within a short distance of the city centre. Each has a solid reputation in its field and our student accommodation is within easy reach of all of them.
Located between Liverpool and Sheffield, Manchester has great transport links, mainline rail, cheap and reliable buses, and everything you expect a city to have.
The shopping is amazing, the nightlife must be experienced to be believed and the food scene is something special. Cost of living in Manchester for students. The cost of living in Manchester for students is reasonable rather than cheap. It’s a very popular city, there’s lots going on, relatively high employment and a lively property market.
That all means Manchester isn’t as cheap as Bradford or Preston but it’s much cheaper to be a student here than anywhere down south. High employment means rents with private landlords aren’t as cheap as they could be. A night out is relatively cheap, a pint is competitively priced, taxis and transport are also reasonable. The cost of living as a whole is affordable to most students.
The University of Manchester estimates the average living costs for an undergraduate student in 2023/24 to be £11,940 for the 41 week year. That increases to £15,355 for a postgraduate student, which we think is more realistic for everyone.
Rent makes up a considerable proportion of that, around £8,580 for the year. You can stay with Sanctuary Students for less than that.
If you’re researching the cheapest student accommodation options in Manchester, your search stops here. Sanctuary Students has two buildings for Manchester students, Denmark Road and Grafton Street.
Our Denmark Road student accommodation is close to the University of Manchester by Whitworth Park. It offers large or double en-suite rooms and has a common room, kitchen, laundry, games room, on-site security, internet and 24-hour maintenance.
Our Grafton Street student accommodation has a mix of standard, en-suite and double en-suite rooms. There’s also Wi-Fi, laundry, CCTV and on-site security, common room, kitchen and a caretaker.
Both locations are within a short walk to class and the city centre. There are bus routes close by too.
The one thing to remember about our cheap student accommodation in Manchester is that it’s fully inclusive. There are no bills and no hidden extras!
Staying with Sanctuary Students is also much more than just a room!
Scoring a cheap student accommodation option in Manchester is just part of the puzzle. You also need to make your money go as far as possible while enjoying a good quality of life.
If offering cheap Manchester student accommodation wasn’t enough, we will also offer some actionable tips for saving money.
We hope they help.
Student bank accounts are one of the few times you’ll ever get anything free from a bank. You’ll get free banking and usually a free overdraft.
You may also get incentives and discounts to your favourite venues and stores too.
We consider budgeting to be the most useful thing you’ll learn while at university. It’s a skill you will use throughout your life.
Learn it well and you’re already on the path to financial success.
It doesn’t have to be complex. Use a free spreadsheet, list all your income in one column, all your outgoings in another, divide it all by the academic year and make sure your outgoings don’t exceed your income.
Big brands are expensive. You’re paying as much for the name as you are for the product itself. Own brand items are often almost as good, sometimes better. In many cases, they are also made by the same factory!
Use discount supermarkets, experiment with own brand foods, try non-branded clothes and play around with how much you could save.
Buying second hand is a great way to buy expensive items cheaply. It’s also a useful way to recycle and keep things out of landfill so it’s a double win.
Buy your textbooks from the previous year’s students, clothes from charity shops, and vintage from the many vintage shops in Manchester.
You get the idea.
Our student accommodation is close to class but if you plan to take the bus or train regularly, you may want to look at a student travelcard.
They offer discounts on fares and can usually be bought weekly, monthly or annually. If the maths works, you could save a lot of money! Take advantage of student discounts.
Manchester has more than 100,000 students and many local businesses are geared up for you. Many retailers and venues offer student nights and/or student discounts and it would be rude to not take advantage of them.
If you don’t see a sign or a notice mentioning a student discount, ask for one. You’ll be amazed at what you can get if you just ask!
It’s incredibly tempting to buy ready meals, eat out or use Deliveroo, but it can be expensive. The quality of the food isn’t always that great either.
Cooking for yourself doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Most Italian and Asian food takes minutes to prepare and cook.
You’ll eat better, get more nutrients and spend less while you’re doing it. Plus, nothing is more impressive than someone who can cook!
Manchester is almost unbeatable as a city and as a city to be a student in. It’s big, lively, friendly and easy going.
It also has more nightlife than you could try in all your three or four years here and enough shopping to satisfy even the more enthusiastic bargain hunter.
If you’re planning to study in Manchester, good choice. You’re joining 100,000 other students who have made the same wise decision.
Now make another by securing cheap student accommodation in Manchester with Sanctuary Students!
Accommodation prices accurate as of June 2023.