As a part-time student you will still need to cover your living costs on a full-time basis. This will be true for the duration of your studies, which may be up to seven years for a PhD.
We do not provide an estimate of living costs for part-time students because these vary widely between students’ different home locations and circumstances. However, you should estimate your living costs as part of your own financial planning and, if you are made a conditional offer, you will need to include such an estimate when completing the 
Financial Undertaking Form.
The form requires you to enter your estimate as a single figure, covering the duration of your course. Where the duration of your course is a range, you should enter an estimate based on the minimum period but be aware that many students take longer to complete and you will need a plan for your financial support in that circumstance.
You should create your estimate by adding the costs from your different areas of spending. This can be sense-checked by comparing it with your current income, minus any savings you generate and remembering that study will bring additional costs.
Many of your costs will relate to day-to-day living and you should consider areas including:
- housing costs
- utility bills
- everyday food
- everyday transport
- clothes and furniture
- healthcare costs
- tax (e.g. council tax for those living the UK) and any insurance policies
- lifestyle costs (such as eating out and entertainment)
- childcare
You should also include costs related to your study, and in particular travel and accommodation costs for the time you will need to spend in Cambridge. See the Accommodation Service website for additional information on accommodation and other costs.
Where relevant, you will need to think about your role in your family’s finances and the costs of dependants, including childcare costs. You should consider if the time you will need to spend in Cambridge will impact on your childcare arrangements and cause any additional costs. The cost of childcare in Cambridge is extremely high. Check the Childcare Office website for costs of University run nurseries (0-4 years).
