Living-cost signal
Cardiff has the lower current published midpoint
The underlying university budget methodologies are not identical, so this is a directional comparison rather than a guaranteed personal budget.
SECONDARY DECISION
Compare city context
Comparison does not replace the verdict. Use it to test real options after reviewing the Career Page score, evidence and path.
United Kingdom city comparison
Cardiff vs London
Compare verified student living, transport, Student visa work context, institution presence and career sectors. Each city keeps its approved study-destination boundary, so Greater London is not silently treated as the same geography type as a named-city local authority.
Study-destination scope
Scope labels are explicit because London uses Greater London while the other Tier A destinations use approved named-city/local-authority boundaries.
CardiffCardiff city scope
LondonGreater London
Student living
Indicative monthly GBP references from official university sources. Source scenarios differ, so use the figures directionally rather than as identical baskets.
Cardiff£1,126–£1,305 / month
London~£1,813 / month
Student transport
Source-native fare periods and eligibility rules are preserved instead of converting every product into a synthetic monthly figure.
Cardiff£49 / 28 days
London£119.90 / month
Student visa work
The 20-hour figure applies to qualifying full-time degree-level study at a compliant higher education provider during term time. Other categories can differ or have no work permission.
Cardiff20 h / week during term
London20 h / week during term
Verified institutions
Cardiff1
London9
Verified campus locations
Cardiff2
London27
Population
Population follows each approved city scope. London is Greater London; other destinations use their documented local-authority/council boundary.
Cardiff383.92k
London9.09m
Career context
Official city or regional economic-development focus sectors, not shortage rankings or job guarantees.
CardiffFinTech · Cybersecurity and analytics · Creative economy · Compound semiconductors · MedTech
LondonFinancial and business services · Technology · Life sciences · Creative industries · Green economy
Programme coverage
Verified UK programme delivery is still pending
CampCareer does not infer programme delivery from institution presence. The current verified programme count is therefore not presented as “0 programmes” and does not block city comparison.