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Portsmouth is one of the most affordable places in the UK for students to live, as revealed in the NatWest Student Living Index.

The index takes account of student income and living costs to calculate a score for university towns and cities across the UK, and Portsmouth was ranked 4th.

The NatWest Student Living Index surveyed 3,052 students to determine the most affordable place to study. The survey takes into account how much students spend on going out and the income they earn from part-time work.

Students in Bristol, Coventry and Portsmouth spend the most hours each month in part time work, with students at these universities averaging over 24 hours per month.

The top reason to pick a university is still subject choice, with it increasing in importance this year. Portsmouth jumped to the top of the pile, alongside Lincoln, as the universities chosen because of subject choice.

In Portsmouth, students have a monthly term-time income of £2,627.60, positioning the city in the top 10 for highest average amount in the UK. The cost of a pint averaged at £4.51, one pound cheaper than London which was listed as the most expensive place for a drink.

Nearly half of students (46%) have found themselves running out of money by the end of term – up from 35% in 2022. Almost one in four students (24%) said they found managing their money stressful – an increase of 29% compared to last year. This is most pronounced in Bournemouth.

94 percent of students in Portsmouth felt the University offered support to help them with the cost-of-living crisis, including providing laptop loans, Hardship funds and bursaries, as well as there being a range of accommodation available to suit different student budgets.

Chris Chang, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement and Student Life), said: “When it comes to choosing a course, we know it's about finding the right mix of academic support, great facilities and picking a place to live and study that suits a student lifestyle, so it’s really encouraging to hear that the city is one of the most affordable in the UK.