Student Cost of Living in Falmouth

Falmouth is the jewel of Cornwall and the home of Falmouth University.

With stunning beaches and a lively arts scene, it’s a great place for anyone to live and it’s clear to see why it’s a great place to study too. 

If you’re planning to study in Falmouth, it’s important to be prepared and know what to expect. A lot of this comes down to budgeting and knowing how much it costs to be a student living in Falmouth.

After course fees, student accommodation is going to be your biggest expense as a student in Falmouth.

Thanks to its popularity as a seaside destination, living in Falmouth is more expensive than you might expect. It is Cornwall after all!

Competition for rented accommodation is high. You not only have to compete with other students and locals, but you also have to compete with holiday lets in the area which drive up prices.

Falmouth University recommends CornwallStudentPad. It’s like Airbnb for students and features a lot of accommodation options.

They aren’t cheap though. Current prices include £960 per month for a single room in a terraced house in Falmouth. Plus bills.

Sanctuary Students manage Henry Scott Tuke House on behalf of Falmouth University and we think it offers amazing value for money for years 2 and 3.

A decent-sized en-suite room could cost as little as £145.39 per week including bills.

That rent includes heating, water, electricity, internet, contents insurance, building maintenance and lots more. There are no other bills you need to pay towards this university accommodation in Falmouth.

Good luck trying to find private rented student accommodation in Falmouth for anything close to that!

Travel can be cheap or expensive depending on how and when you want to get around.

Henry Scott Tuke House is walkable to campus so you could spend nothing on travel during term time.

However, Cornwall is a lovely area to live in and it would be a shame to not explore it while you’re here.

Buses are reasonable and allow for travel throughout the county. Rail travel is minimal though, mainly thanks to the terrain. You can travel down to Penzance, up to Plymouth and onwards to Exeter, Bristol and London Paddington though.

Discounts are available on travel through various local schemes.

Food is another cost you’ll need to plan for. Feeding yourself has always ‘eaten’ up a significant portion of your money, but after inflation, it’s even worse!

We recommend planning to spend at least £50 per week on food. That doesn’t include eating out or Deliveroo, though. That’s for all your basic groceries and a treat or two for cooking or eating at home.

It’s a good idea to learn a few basic dishes you can cook in bulk and eat over time to save money. Get familiar with your closest discount supermarket too!

Mobile phone costs will be the same when living in Falmouth as anywhere. Phone contracts are priced nationally, not locally, so it doesn’t matter where you live.

If you can live with the same phone for an extra year or so, there are lots of SIM-free deals around to save money. They will include 5G, free calls and texts and (usually) generous data allowances.

If you need a new handset, you’ll pay the same price as anyone else. If you want the latest flagship phone, be prepared to pay accordingly!

The good news is that if you stay with Sanctuary Students, you won’t need to pay for the internet. Wi-Fi is free within halls so you won’t need to budget for the £30-40 per month it would otherwise cost.

Leisure and entertainment can take a big chunk out of your budget, depending on how you live.

Living in Falmouth is relatively cheap out of the summer season. Pubs and bars are plentiful, drinks can be cheap, a meal out can also be affordable if you choose wisely and there are student nights all over town.

But, in the summer, prices tend to peak for the tourist season. Plan to budget more for tourist-friendly food, ice cream, chips, drinks and general entertainment costs.

Everywhere is different but every business needs to cash in on the tourist trade to make ends meet. You can avoid the worst of this by knowing where and when to go out.

If money becomes tight, there’s always The Stannary on the Penryn Campus. It’s the main eatery on campus with a fully stocked bar, Sky and BT Sports and a stage for live music. Tourists can’t go there, so prices stay sensible for students!

We class study costs as books, stationery and everything you need to complete a course, not including course fees.

Every course is different and will require different equipment but overall, we recommend budgeting around £50 per month.

That should include books, pens, paper and all the basics you need. Presumably, you’ll bring your own laptop so we didn’t include that!

Laundry is often overlooked as a living expense but it’s an essential one if you care about staying clean!

Stay at Henry Scott Tuke House and you’ll be able to wash your clothes onsite without having to seek an expensive laundrette. The student halls use LaundryView, an app that lets you check availability and pay for washing online.

Factor in around £3 per wash and £7 for 20-30 washes worth of laundry detergent.

Household bills are a fact of life and something you’ll quickly need to get used to paying once you leave home.

Or do you?

Live in student halls for your first year and there are no bills.

Live in Henry Scott Tuke House for your 2^nd and 3^rd year of university and you won’t need to pay bills then either!

All rent is fully inclusive and covers gas, electricity, water, 250 Mb/s Wi-Fi, insurance, TV, security and all maintenance services within your student accommodation.

If you live in private rented accommodation, expect to pay for all of those on top of your monthly rent. At current rates, we would estimate you’ll need around £100-120 per month to cover electricity, heating, water, internet and contents insurance.

So even though bills are one of life’s constants, you can delay it a while by staying with us. That means more money in your pocket!

Living in Falmouth with its impressive beaches and wild landscape will keep you fit enough without having to visit a gym!

However, if that isn’t enough, Falmouth University has an onsite sports centre with a range of membership subscriptions, including pay-as-you-go.

Current prices are £270 per year for a student with extra to pay for classes and activities.

That’s very competitive compared to commercial gyms which tend to charge from £50 per month for full access. Who knew keeping fit could be so expensive?

Nobody said being a student was cheap but at least now you have a good idea of what to expect.

Live in Falmouth with Sanctuary Students and you’ll be able to save money while staying warm, safe and comfortable. No extra bills to worry about either!

Stayin private rented accommodation and get the full experience of living on your own but with all the bills on top.

We know which we would choose!