Down it fresher! The university cities where students spend the most money on booze

On average, UK students spend over £30.96 a month on alcohol

8 months ago

It’s a rite of passage to go absolutely feral at uni and go out a minimum of four times a week. And whilst some unis definitely have a reputation for drinking more than others, students at every uni think they break the record for being the booziest.

But how much do students in each uni city spend on alcohol? According to the 2023 NatWest Student Living Index, the average monthly spend on booze is £30.96. Meanwhile, the average spend on a UK uni night out is £32.48. This has dropped by an average of £11 since 2022.

Obviously, the results will be affected by pint prices varying in different parts of the country, but students in Liverpool officially spend the most money on alcohol per month. They have an average monthly spend of £52.97. This puts Liverpool students on top for the second year running.

At the other end of the spectrum, students in Leicester only spend an average of £14.40 on booze per month. That’s only half of the UK average. Leicester is either really boring or really cheap. I’m betting on the first one.

So if you want to prove once and for all that your uni is the booziest, here is a breakdown of the uni cities that spend the most on alcohol per month.

Leicester

Students in Leicester spend the least amount of money on alcohol a month with a pitiful £14.40 average spend. Less than half of the UK’s average, I didn’t really expect anything else from a uni city that I know literally nothing about.

Cambridge

The first Russell Group on the list, Cambridge is another uni with a low average spend on alcohol. Students in Cambridge spend an average of £15.60 on alcohol per month. Definitely studying too much.

Lancaster

Lancaster students spend an average of £19.56 a month on booze. Their campus is literally in the middle of nowhere so I didn’t really expect much else.

Birmingham

Probably due to its cheap prices, your average Birmingham student spends £19.92 a month on alcohol.

London

Given you won’t find a pint cheaper than a fiver in the UK’s capital, London is surprisingly low on this list. Students in London spend an average of £19.95 on alcohol a month.

York

York is known for being a bit of a boring city. And with it being on the lower end of this list, maybe that stereotype is true. Students in York spend an average of £23.76 a month on booze.

Portsmouth

The average student in Portsmouth spends £24.65 a month on alcohol.

Cardiff

In the capital of Wales, students spend an average of £25.82 a month on booze.

Coventry

Coventry is another incredibly boring place to go to uni. Students in Coventry do spend a decent amount on booze though, with an average spend of £27.48 a month.

Lincoln

Students in Lincoln spend an average of £27.50 for getting on the sesh each month.

Oxford

Smack bang in the middle, students in Oxford spend an average of £29.29 a month on alcohol. Oxford students also get the most money from their parents a month, with an average of £480.99 borrowed from the bank of mum and dad. So at least it’s all going to worthwhile causes, right?

Edinburgh

On average, a typical Edinburgh student forks out £30.29 a month on booze.

Glasgow

In quite a big increase from Edinburgh, students in Glasgow spend £36.18 a month on alcohol.

Manchester

One uni city known for a good time, students in Manchester spend an average of £37.14 on getting drunk each month.

Leeds

With a tiny increase from Manchester, the typical Leeds student loves the sesh and spends £37.41 a month on booze.

Newcastle

Getting into the really boozy territory now, Newcastle students spend an average of £38.27 a month on alcohol.

Bristol

Only slightly more from Newcastle, students in Bristol spend an average of £38.59 on the sesh each month at uni.

Sheffield

Known for just making Arctic Monkeys their entire personality, students in Sheffield spend an average of £38.66 a month on booze.

Nottingham

Another Russell Group uni, with an average monthly booze spend of £40.18, students in Nottingham spend the third highest on alcohol out of all the UK uni cities.

Bournemouth

In a surprising second ranking, students in Bournemouth spend the second highest amount on booze per month. The average Bournemouth student forks out £42.65 a month on alcohol.

Liverpool

For a second year running, Liverpool students spend the most money on alcohol per month. With an average spend of £52.97, they spend £22 over the national average. Basically, Liverpool students just know how to have a good time.