Daily costs as a student

Student life can be as expensive as you make it - good budgeting skills and practises can make student life more manageable financially and can help to maximise your student experience in UCC.

Shop around for the best deals, use your student card to avail of student discounts, "club in" with friends or housemates for general house items such as milk, bread, butter etc.

Below is a breakdown of student costs that may be applicable to you:

private rentals: ranging from approx. €450 to €650 per month

 students who secure private rentals are expected to pay one month’s deposit and one month’s rent in advance. private rental properties normally exclude the cost of utilities so you should always factor these into your overall budget. ucc has a dedicated accommodation search engine for private rentals known as studentpad. students are usually expected to pay their rent each month for this type of accommodation.

utility bills: approx. €65 per month

utilities include bills such as internet access (approx. €20*), electricity/gas (approx. €35*), and bins (approx. €10*). it is, however, reasonable to assume a bit of leeway here as bills can vary across the city, with different suppliers, usage, number of people sharing the bills and can depend on the condition and age of the house.

*prices estimated are per month per student

 student accommodation (apartment style): ranging from approx. €6,000 to €10,000 per academic year

the average cost of apartment style student accommodation is approx. €7,000 per academic year. prices for apartment style accommodation may include utility bills and a lease can last from 37 to 42 weeks. students are expected to pay their rent in 2 instalments for this type of accommodation.

transport:

can be as low as €0 per month if within walking  distance but if you are travelling within the city bus travel can cost up to 67.50 or if you are travelling from a rural area on public transport 146.00 euros. if you are deciding to travel by car, this cost is based on the parking, tax and fuel costs. this can be broken down to average 120 euros per month (not including insurance) over a 9 month academic term

social life & entertainment: €157 per month

nowadays our social life can be limited with the ongoing pandemic, but we still enjoy some form of social life, even if it is from the comfort of your bedroom. streaming sites such as netflix, amazon prime and disney+ can be expensive and you could pay up to €40 per month for such services.  factor in deliveroo (1 x €12.50 p/w), online shopping (€30 p/m), phone credit (€20 pp/m), spotify (€5 p/m) and perhaps a coffee a week at €3, you could have expenses of up to €157 per month.

food: €200 per month

we all have to eat, and students need to factor in a food budget. you should put aside at least €50 per week for a weekly grocery shop. make sure to put your gut first, plenty of fruit and veg, your body will thank you for it!

These are not concrete figures but a very reflective average. Furthermore please see below further information on other costs.

Accommodation Costs

Your accommodation plays a very significant role in ensuring the success of your college year. Please take the time to select the accommodation option most suitable to your needs and your pocket.

The good news is that there is an excellent supply of accommodation in Cork for all our students and you will have a good choice in each sector.

A breakdown of accommodation costs can be viewed at https://www.ucc.ie/en/accommodation/

Academic costs

The academic costs involved in being a UCC student can vary depending on your course, and also on how much efficient you are in terms of your study and the resources you require.

• Books
• Photocopying and printing

You may feel that you need to buy every book in relation to your course, which is very admirable but it will also be very costly, with the average cost of a book at third level being approximately €80.

What if you rush out to buy four books at a total cost of €320, and then never use them?

You could have used that €320 to pay for a month’s rent or a few weeks food shopping.

Some core books you will need to purchase, but be frugal in your urge to buy books – instead borrow them from the UCC library or share with your friends!

Be careful when you are printing or photocopying notes etc.

Every page you produce is costing you money so only print what you actually need and where possible, print “back to back” as this is cheaper – you will be surprised at how much money you lose when you over print!

Below is a breakdown of printing costs in the Boole library.

Specific course costs

Depending on the course you are studying, there may be costs within the course that you may not be aware of and these unexpected costs may affect your student budget and may put you under strain at times. These

costs will be on top of the regular day to day academic costs of books, printing and photocopying.

The best advice is to speak to someone actually studying the course who will give you the costs involved, both expected and unexpected.

If struggling to meet these costs, ask for help!

Make an appointment with myself or speak with your department in relation to specific department costs such as fieldtrips, course equipment etc.

Below is a list of costs students incur that they may not have been aware of upon commencement of their course.