Dundee has been named one of the UK’s most affordable cities for a student night out
- Andrew Batchelor
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Dundee has been named one of the most affordable student cities in the UK for nightlife - beating the likes of Sheffield, Plymouth, Southampton and Edinburgh.
With thousands of students preparing to return to the city for the new academic year, new research has ranked Dundee as the third most affordable student city in the UK when it comes to nights out.
The study, carried out by student discount platform TOTUM, analysed nightlife costs across 25 university cities, including club entry, drink prices, Freshers’ wristbands, events and local club nights.
Dundee came third overall, behind only Glasgow and Newcastle.
The research estimates that students in Dundee could spend around £332 on nightlife during a term, compared with £344.32 in Sheffield and £357.42 in Plymouth.
Freshers’ Week itself is estimated to cost Dundee students less than £40 for nightlife and events.
The study also estimated the cost of a drink in Dundee at £6.89, although individual prices will of course vary significantly depending on the venue and what students are ordering.
Glasgow topped the overall ranking, with estimated nightlife spending of £290.06 across the first term, followed closely by Newcastle at £292.89.
And there is quite a difference between Scotland’s two highest-ranked cities and its capital.
Edinburgh finished bottom of the 25-city affordability table, with students there estimated to spend £627.77 on nightlife during a term.
That is more than £295 above Dundee’s estimated figure and more than double the estimated cost in Glasgow.
Birmingham, Exeter, Brighton and Portsmouth were also among the least affordable cities in the study.
The results arrive at a particularly relevant time for Dundee, with September bringing a new intake of students to both the University of Dundee and Abertay University, alongside returning students heading back into the city centre.
Dundee has long had a sizeable student population concentrated relatively close to the city centre, with many bars, pubs, live music venues and nightclubs within walking distance of the universities.
TOTUM ranked cities according to estimated nightlife costs and the amount of student maintenance funding predicted to remain afterwards, with cities where students were expected to have more money remaining considered more affordable.
The company has also urged students heading into Freshers’ Week to set a budget before the celebrations begin.
Matthew Sheeran, External Relations Manager at Money Wellness, said students should first work out what they have available after essential costs such as rent, food, transport, bills and course expenses.
He said: “Set your Freshers budget before Freshers starts. Once you’re there and everyone’s heading out, it’s much harder to make sensible decisions about money.”
For students arriving in Dundee this September, though, the figures suggest that enjoying the city’s nightlife could prove considerably easier on the bank balance than in many other university cities across the UK.
