Cambridge undergraduates live in college accommodation, and rents are set by each college rather than the university. Published weekly rents run from £128.15 to £249.50 at Trinity Hall (2025/26, first-year rooms) and are £218 for a standard room or £228 for an en suite at Girton for the 2026 cohort, according to the colleges’ own fee documents. The university’s indicative budget for accommodation is £880 a month. This guide explains how college housing works, what rooms cost at the colleges I could verify and what to check.
Cambridge has 30 undergraduate colleges and I have not verified rents for all of them. The figures below come from two colleges’ published fee documents and the university’s living costs page, and the years are stated. Always check your own college’s current charges.
Cost at a glance: what to add up
Before you compare the prices on this page, check what each figure actually covers:
- Rent period: per week, month or semester, and per person or per room.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance and any meal plan.
- One-off costs: deposit, application or booking fee, and any first-month payment.
- Getting to campus: travel passes, or the extra cost of living further out.
- Currency: prices here are in the local currency. Convert them at your bank’s current rate and add the transfer fee. Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.
Anything we could not confirm from an official source is flagged on this page as “could not verify”, so read those notes before you rely on a figure.
How Cambridge college accommodation works
The university’s living costs page says colleges offer a range of accommodation with different facilities and price points, and that students usually live in college for the duration of their course. The university’s accommodation page goes further: individual undergraduates without children have college accommodation guaranteed for 3 or 4 years, with no separate application needed. During term you must normally live within 3 miles of Great St Mary’s Church unless your college gives permission. Colleges offer contracts shorter than a full year, and minimum contract lengths in 2025/26 ranged from 27 to 39 weeks. Some colleges also charge a kitchen fixed charge, which ranged from £225 to £260 a year in 2025/26 at colleges that levy it.
Rents at two Cambridge colleges
| College | Room | Weekly rent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Hall | First-year undergraduate rooms, by size and location | £128.15 to £249.50 | 2025/26 |
| Girton | Standard room, 2026 cohort | £218 | Provisional charges |
| Girton | En suite room, 2026 cohort | £228 | Provisional charges |
Girton’s charges are published by cohort, and its 38-week annual figures for the 2026 cohort are £8,284 (standard) and £8,664 (en suite). Girton’s figures include a college contribution. Trinity Hall says rents increase each year.
What it costs overall
The university’s indicative living costs for 2027/28 include accommodation at £880 a month and food at £255 a month, calculated in May 2026 for a total monthly budget of £1,330. Meals in college cafeterias typically cost £3 to £10, and formal halls usually cost about £12 to £25. Home students eligible for public support do not normally pay an additional college fee, while international students should check the separate college fee.
Private housing
Most undergraduates live in college, so private rented housing matters mainly for postgraduates and students at Anglia Ruskin University. I could not verify prices for individual private buildings, so compare total costs, bills and contract length carefully. Our guide to university halls versus private student housing explains the trade-offs.
Graduate students: college, university or private housing
Postgraduates are not housed as automatically as undergraduates. The university’s graduate accommodation page says colleges usually offer graduate halls, shared houses or flats and family flats, but that availability varies by college and year, so not every postgraduate gets college housing. Many rent privately, and the University Accommodation Service can help find university-owned or private homes. That page does not state a guarantee, application deadlines or rents, so ask your college directly.
| Course type | Where you must live during term |
|---|---|
| LLM, MCL or MASt | Within 3 miles of the city centre |
| Research students and most other postgraduates | Within 10 miles |
These are the university’s terms of residence, and any private home you rent must fit within them (University of Cambridge postgraduate admissions page, checked November 2026).
Anglia Ruskin University accommodation
ARU’s Cambridge campus has its own housing, separate from the colleges. Its Cambridge accommodation page lists three university halls (Anastasia House, Peter Taylor House and Swinhoe House), university shared houses for two to ten students within two miles of campus, and third-party buildings including CB1, The Railyard, Sedley Court and the YMCA. Allocation is first come, first served, and ARU advises applying once you have firmly accepted your offer.
- ARU-managed rooms have no refundable deposit. You pay £400 advanced rent to book, which is deducted from your first rent payment (ARU payment page, no year stated).
- Peter Taylor House has 256 en suite rooms in 38 flats, with an optional meal plan at £25 a week, separate from rent (ARU page, no year stated).
- Private providers may charge a deposit or other fees, so read each provider’s terms.
ARU publishes current rents in a downloadable cost comparison chart rather than on the building pages, and I could not read it, so I have not quoted ARU rents. An ARU blog gave £93 to £149 a week in 2020, which is too old to rely on.
Deposits and fees when renting privately
In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps a tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks’ where it is £50,000 or more. A holding deposit cannot exceed one week’s rent, and a week’s rent is the annual rent divided by 52 (Schedule 1 of the Act). Once a landlord or agent holds your deposit, GOV.UK says it must be placed in a deposit protection scheme within 30 days. As an illustration only, a room at £200 a week should not need more than £1,000 as a deposit.
Council tax for students in Cambridge
Full-time students are generally exempt from council tax, and in halls you do not need to claim. Cambridge City Council says shared properties where every resident is a full-time student are also exempt. Students at Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge Regional College or a University of Cambridge college give their college name and student number, and the council may already hold them. If you live with a non-student, you may get a 25% discount rather than an exemption, and the council advises contacting it about mixed households.
What to check before you accept a room
- Your college’s current rent bands and the contract length in weeks.
- Whether the college charges a kitchen fixed charge or a minimum meal charge.
- How many years the college houses you and what happens in the final year.
- Whether rent includes utilities and the college contribution.
- Safety basics. See our student accommodation safety guide and checklist.
For the wider costs, read our student budgeting tips. Comparing cities? See our guides to Oxford, Colchester and London, or browse all UK city guides.
Talk to us about your budget and city
Not sure which option suits you or your family? Send us your city, budget and room type, and we will point you to the right guide and the next steps to check. Students and parents are both welcome to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does student accommodation cost in Cambridge?
It depends on the college. Trinity Hall listed £128.15 to £249.50 a week for first-year rooms in 2025/26, and Girton’s provisional 2026 rates are £218 (standard) and £228 (en suite). The university budgets £880 a month for accommodation.
Do Cambridge students live in college?
Yes. The university says individual undergraduates without children have college accommodation guaranteed for 3 or 4 years, with no separate application. Details vary by college, so check yours.
How long are Cambridge college contracts?
All colleges offer contracts shorter than a full year. Minimum lengths ranged from 27 to 39 weeks in 2025/26.
What is a kitchen fixed charge?
It is a separate charge some colleges make towards kitchen running costs. It ranged from £225 to £260 a year in 2025/26 at colleges that charge it.
Do Cambridge postgraduates get college rooms?
Not always. The university says availability varies by college and year, so some postgraduates rent privately. Research students must live within 10 miles and LLM, MCL and MASt students within 3 miles.
Do ARU students pay a deposit for halls?
Not for ARU-managed rooms. ARU asks for £400 advanced rent to book, which comes off your first rent payment. Private providers such as CB1 or The Railyard may set their own deposits.
Do students pay council tax in Cambridge?
Generally no. Halls and shared homes where everyone is a full-time student are exempt, according to Cambridge City Council. Mixed households with a non-student may get a 25% discount instead.
What I could not verify
I could not verify current ARU hall rents or guarantee terms, rents at most of the 30 undergraduate colleges, rents for private providers’ buildings, graduate college rents, or official student bus fares. Cambridge is a compact, cycle-friendly city, but I have not cited a source for commuting costs.
Sources
- University of Cambridge: undergraduate accommodation
- University of Cambridge: living costs
- University of Cambridge: graduate accommodation
- Trinity Hall: fees and costs 2026
- Girton: provisional undergraduate charges 2026
- ARU: accommodation in Cambridge
- ARU: paying for your accommodation
- Cambridge City Council: student council tax
- Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1
- GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection
All checked 3 November 2026.
