Cost-to-Live Updates for 2025/26: What It Means for Students

If it feels like every time you tap your card it hurts a little more, you’re definitely not alone. 

The 2025/26 academic year is arriving with fresh changes to rent, bills, food prices and transport costs, and students are right in the middle of it all. On top of that, student finance is shifting again, which makes it even harder to predict what your money will actually look like month to month.

The good news is that once you understand the main changes, things start to feel less overwhelming. 

This guide breaks down how the cost-to-live updates for 2025/26 might affect your day-to-day life as a student, and what you can do to stay in control rather than constantly feeling like you’re playing financial catch-up.

Student Finance in 2025/26: Is Your Loan Keeping Up?

For many students, maintenance loans are the backbone of their student budget, so any change to those numbers matters. 

Each year, maintenance loans are adjusted in theory to keep pace with inflation and the general cost of living. For 2025/26, you can expect increases on paper, but that does not always mean you will feel better off once rent and bills are taken into account.

In reality, the loan may go up slightly while prices for everything else also nudge upwards, meaning your disposable income does not necessarily grow in the way you might hope. There may also be updates to parental income thresholds, which can change how much support you are entitled to, and the details will differ depending on whether you are in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 

It is worth checking the official student finance pages early and then translating the total into a monthly figure so you can see clearly what you are working with after your rent is paid.

Once you have that monthly number, it becomes much easier to make decisions about everything from nights out to part-time work. It may feel dull, but doing this step now can save a lot of stress partway through the year when deadlines and bills collide.

Accommodation and Rent: Why Housing Still Eats the Most

Housing is usually the single biggest cost for students, and rent rarely stands still. Many universities and private providers review their prices each academic year, and 2025/26 is no exception. 

That means student halls and purpose-built student blocks may look slightly shinier in their marketing photos while quietly becoming more expensive in their booking pages.

Private houses and flats shared with other students are also affected by wider rental market trends. In popular cities and student hotspots, demand can be intense, which often pushes prices upwards and means the cheapest and best-value rooms are snapped up early. 

If you leave accommodation searching to the last minute, you may find yourself choosing between pricier options with little negotiation power.

Because rent takes such a big bite out of your maintenance loan, it is worth weighing up the trade-offs carefully. A newer block with all the extras might feel appealing, but an older or slightly less central place can free up money each month for food, travel and a social life. 

Thinking about whether your rent includes bills, Wi-Fi or extras like gym access can also help you compare options properly rather than just judging by the weekly price alone.

Energy, Heating and Bills: Staying Warm Without Going Broke

Energy bills have calmed down a little compared to the absolute peak of the crisis, but they are still higher than the “good old days” students sometimes hear their parents talk about. 

For anyone living in a shared house, the winter months can feel particularly stressful, with the thermostat becoming a constant source of conversation, negotiation and sometimes arguments.

If your rent includes bills, your landlord may already be building in a buffer to cover rising costs, which is convenient but can sometimes make your overall rent higher. If your bills are separate, then it pays to be organised straight away. 

Taking meter readings, understanding how your heating system works and agreeing a sensible heating routine with your housemates can make a real difference. Even small things like closing curtains at night, blocking draughts and using thicker bedding can help reduce how often you feel tempted to whack the heating on full.

It is also helpful to pay attention to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of your property if you can access it. Homes with a better rating are generally easier and cheaper to heat. 

You might not always have much choice, especially in busy student areas, but if you are comparing two places with similar rent, the one with the better EPC rating may save you money long term.

Food Costs: The Sneaky Budget Drainer

Food spending is one of those areas that can quietly explode without you noticing. A couple of takeaways, a spontaneous Deliveroo, and a few daily meal deals can easily push your weekly total way beyond what you planned. 

With food prices still sensitive to inflation and supply chain issues, grocery shopping in 2025/26 is unlikely to feel dramatically cheaper than the last couple of years.

The key is to shift from random top-up shopping to more intentional food planning. Doing one bigger shop and building a few simple meals around it usually works out far cheaper than buying things day by day. 

Own-brand staples are often just as good as the big names once you give them a fair try. Cooking in bulk with housemates, sharing ingredients and freezing portions can help you stretch each pound further without resigning yourself to living on instant noodles.

If your campus or students’ union has subsidised canteens, cafés or cheap breakfast deals, these can also become helpful anchors in your weekly routine. 

You do not need to cook every meal from scratch to save money, but a bit of basic planning can stop food becoming the quiet budget killer that constantly surprises you.

Travel and Transport: Getting Around Without Draining Your Wallet

Travel costs can vary wildly depending on where you study. 

Some students barely use public transport, while others rely on trains and buses every day. As rail fares and bus prices are reviewed each year, the 2025/26 changes may nudge regular journeys a little higher, especially at peak times.

If you regularly travel between home and uni, a railcard is almost a non-negotiable. Over the course of a year, the savings usually more than cover the initial cost. In bigger cities, contactless caps and student bus passes can help keep a lid on daily travel costs, so it is worth checking what your local operators and your university offer specifically for students.

When you are choosing where to live for the year, remember to factor in transport as part of the real cost. 

A cheaper room far away from campus might stop being a saving if you are paying for daily buses or taxis home after late lectures or nights out. Balancing rent and travel together gives you a clearer picture of what you are actually spending to live and study in a particular area.

Hidden Help: Discounts, Grants and Hardship Support

One of the most frustrating things about the cost-of-living situation is that many students are struggling while financial support quietly exists but goes unused. 

Each year, universities review their hardship funds, bursaries and scholarships, and local councils sometimes introduce or extend cost-of-living schemes aimed at residents, including students.

Hardship funds are specifically designed for students whose basic needs like rent, food or essential bills are under serious pressure. They are not just for emergencies that are dramatic enough to make the news; they are there for everyday realities when the numbers simply do not add up. 

Many students do not realise they are eligible, or they feel too embarrassed to apply, but the teams who manage these funds are used to having these conversations and are there to help, not judge.

Beyond hardship funds, there may be bursaries for particular courses, backgrounds or personal circumstances, as well as one-off grants or vouchers connected to energy, food or travel. 

The best way to find out what is available is to check your university’s financial support pages, talk to student services or the advice centre, and keep an eye on your students’ union channels, which often promote new opportunities as they appear.

Part-Time Work and Side Gigs: Earning Without Burning Out

With costs rising, it is completely normal to consider part-time work or side gigs to top up your income. The challenge is to do this in a way that does not wreck your sleep schedule, your focus or your grades. Work is supposed to support your student life, not quietly replace it.

Campus-based jobs can be ideal because they tend to understand student timetables. Roles in the library, the SU bar, student ambassador schemes or admin support often offer flexible hours and a supportive environment where exam season is taken seriously. 

Off-campus jobs in retail, hospitality or customer service can also be good, especially if they are close enough to avoid long commutes.

If you have particular skills, such as tutoring, graphic design, content writing or tech support, you might also explore online or freelance work. These can slot more neatly around lectures, but it is still very easy to take on more than you can realistically handle. 

Keeping your weekly hours at a level where you can study, rest and still have some kind of social life is more important than chasing every possible shift.

Money Stress and Mental Health: You’re Not the Only One

Financial pressure is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. Worrying about money can affect your sleep, your mood, your relationships and your ability to concentrate on your course. 

Many students feel ashamed to talk about it, which makes it seem like everyone else is coping fine while they are the only one secretly panicking. The reality is that money stress is incredibly common, especially in the current climate.

Talking early makes a difference. Whether it is with friends, family, student services or a wellbeing team, sharing what you are facing often helps you feel less isolated and can open doors to support you did not know existed. 

Being honest with housemates about what you can and cannot afford is also important. You do not all need identical budgets, but you do need shared expectations about things like takeaways, nights out and heating.

Using a budgeting or spending-tracking app can help turn money worries into something a bit more concrete and manageable. Seeing where your money goes each month might feel uncomfortable at first, but it gives you the power to make changes deliberately rather than constantly reacting in panic at the end of every term.

Final Thoughts: Small Moves, Big Impact

The cost-to-live updates for 2025/26 can feel like a lot to take in. Student finance rules shift, rents rise, energy and food remain stubbornly expensive, and travel is not getting magically cheaper either. But you are not completely at the mercy of these changes.

By understanding what is happening to loans, rent, bills and everyday costs, you can make smarter decisions about where you live, how you shop, how you travel and whether you work. 

By exploring discounts, hardship funds and bursaries, you can access support that is genuinely designed to help people in your situation. And by talking honestly about money with the people around you, you can turn something that feels heavy and isolating into a challenge you are tackling with others.

University should be about learning, growing and having experiences you actually remember for the right reasons. With some planning, a bit of curiosity and a willingness to use the help available, you can navigate the 2025/26 cost-of-living landscape without letting it completely define your time as a student.