Dundee is the cheapest city for student nights out according to new data

Dundee offers students the most affordable night out in the UK, new data can reveal, while London takes the top spot for being the most expensive city.

The research by international payment experts Xendpay analysed the cities that are home to the Complete University Guide’s (CUG) top 40 universities, using data from Expatistan to find where students can enjoy a night out at the lowest cost. The analysis was based on prices for a pint of beer, a cocktail, a fast-food meal and a taxi fare.

The study revealed that Dundee is the most affordable city for students, with an average cost of £25.35. In terms of drinks, Dundee offers low prices such as an average of £3.08 for a pint and £7 for a cocktail. After finishing their drinks, students in Dundee only need to spend an average of £5.27 for a fast-food meal and then an average £10 taxi fare to get them home for the night.

The city of Cardiff came in second with the average cost of a night out for a student being £27.33. The Welsh capital offers low prices on many aspects of a student night out such as the average cost of a pint of beer being £3.43, the fourth most affordable in the UK. Cardiff also has the fourth most affordable taxi fare in the UK with an average trip of five miles totalling to £11.

Leeds topped the list for the cheapest fast-food meal at £4.82 whilst the city of Leicester provided the most affordable pint in the UK for students at only £3.03.

The research found that Swansea was the third most affordable city for a student night out. The average cost of a night out in Swansea for a student would be £27.35, and it is the cheapest city in the UK for students to drink cocktails, with an average price of just £5.66. The popular Welsh beach city can offer students the third cheapest pint in the UK with the average cost coming to £3.21.

In contrast, London was revealed to be the priciest city for students to enjoy a night out with an average total cost of £49.66, almost double that of a night out in Dundee.

London had the highest cost for every aspect of a night out apart from the cost of a fast-food meal. Cambridge is the most expensive city for a fast-food meal with an average cost of £7.

Oxford was the second most expensive city for a student night out. It has the second highest taxi fare for an average five-mile journey, costing £24, only two pounds less than London, which could be attributed to the city’s status as a cycling city. The total cost for a cocktail and a pint in Oxford was found to be an average of £12.49.

The analysis revealed Brighton as the third most expensive city in the UK for students to have a night out, setting a student back by £37.12. Brighton had the third most expensive fast-food meal prices from the UK cities analysed, costing £5.96. The popular beach city also had the second highest beer price in the UK, totalling £5.16 per pint.

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson from Xendpay said: “Freshers is right around the corner for new and returning university students. With the cost of a night out in London being almost double that of a night out in Dundee, students in the capital will need plenty of money-saving savvy to have a good night which doesn’t drain their bank account.”