What It’s Actually Like Being a Student in Brighton

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About the author: Hi! I'm Shiqin Ong, the UniHomes Brighton Content Ambassador and a Geography and Anthropology graduate from the University of Sussex in Brighton. I love travelling, hiking, and music alongside writing! I'm also involved in uni sports including rugby, as well as the Photography Society and the student newspaper :)

With three years of uni in Brighton done and dusted, I can officially say there is undoubtedly a seemingly never-ending list of things to do in Brighton and countless reasons to love it.

That being said, despite its reputation of being one of the best student cities in the UK (me being biased, of course), there are other things to truly keep in mind. For example, no one warns you how menacing the seagulls truly are, how much rent is or the surprising amount of time you’ll spend just walking up the hills.

Here’s a quick rundown highlighting all the good, the bad and the ugly bits of living in Brighton, based on what three years in Brighton as a student gave me.

What it’s really like being a student in Brighton

The good

1. Living by the sea 🌊

Being about 20 minutes away from the sea, if not probably closer, was something that never ceased to amaze me.

Brighton Beach will always be one of my favourite places, from the summer picnics to running into the sea after indulging in a student sauna deal in the middle of March (absolutely freezing, by the way, but so worth it).

Other highlights include staring at the famous starling murmurations in early evening while the West Pier is highlighted by the sunset, and seeing the stars come out whilst you're lying on the pebbles.

I talk more about how much Brighton Beach, the piers, and the starling murmurations in my blog post about the most Instagrammable places in Brighton – give it a read to find out more.

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2. Being around nature 🏞️

A real selling point for me was the sea being nearby, plus the fact that Brighton (and therefore the University of Sussex) is located within the South Downs. Being able to walk into Stanmer Park and have a coffee or go on a run in between classes was the perfect thing – plus the sunsets on the hill are a popular student spot in the evenings or for picnic afternoons.

Day trips to the Seven Sisters, doing the Rottingdean under-cliff walk (a popular bike route as well) and even heading to Seaford beach for a swim are lovely memories I have of summer afternoons in Brighton.

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3. The fashion 👗

I loved – absolutely loved – seeing all of the outfits of Brightonian residents. The expression of personal style, especially combined with Brighton’s rows of charity shops and thrift culture? Chef’s kiss.

Going to uni or simply walking down the street was outfit inspiration everyday.

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4. Brighton is always bustling and bubbly 🫧

The wandering around, the coffee shops, the pubs. Many of them independently owned, many purely Brighton-based. Either way, I never got sick of trying out somewhere new, stumbling across various communities in unexpected places (hello, arts and crafts collage evening at the pub), or finding hidden live music venues or cafés with book/record swaps.

It only makes sense that it's so easy to find cool coffee shops in Brighton, considering that UniHomes research found that there Brighton is home to 363 cafés! Read our blog post on the UK's most inclusive cities for students for more information.

Even the street art and things like a Brighton Cat Tour community event blew me away, and Photomatic in the North Laine has also seen me A LOT – I do love a photobooth with my friends, and I love decorating my room with the photos.

I never really ever got tired of wandering the Lanes and Brighton’s streets; there was always something to sit and enjoy.

Fun fact: a favourite, and newer, experience of mine where I tried something new was a salsa class at Revolution. I went to the Sunday class, paid £7 for entry, and was admittedly slightly skeptical at first but I ended up loving it. It’s most definitely a highlight of my time living here.

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The bad (and not-really-that-ugly)

1. The cost of living 💸

Brighton is unfortunately not the cheapest place to be. Rent and general student living can be a struggle for many, and Brighton is actually the UK's eighth-most expensive city for rent, which is something we talk about in our blog post on the cheapest vs most expensive places to rent in the UK for students in 2026-27. 

The cost of living means that, in all honesty, I never really ate out that much living here. Despite this, I did have a few favourite restaurants, with Shogun Ramen being one of them (massive bowl of ramen for £14, anyone?), and Pompoko and Noodle Street also being more budget-friendly student favourites.

Many students work part-time as well, and with so many students in town it can sometimes be hard to find a decent gig.

Nights out in Brighton are particularly are costly, too; UniHomes research (as shown in this blog post here) found that Brighton is the sixth-most expensive UK city in terms of night life, with the 2026 average cost of a pint here being £6.25 for and average nightclub entry being £8.30.

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2. The hills 😵‍💫

I’ll kid you not and say I genuinely didn't realise hills could be so steep. They are a true workout in themselves and can matter when you’re choosing where to live, especially depending how you’re commuting to university.

Public transport can be expensive (especially the buses, at £3 for a single) and really dents student budgeting – but if you're tired after a long day, walking up a steep hill isn’t really for everyone.

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3. House hunting can be stressful 🏠

I can’t speak for other universities, but in Brighton, term-time house hunting moves fast. Because it’s such a popular city to live in (and not just for student life), everyone feels the pressure to start finding housing by November/December of first semester. It’s inevitably incredibly stressful trying to get a good deal while simultaneously having to figure out who you even want to live with.

At the end of the day, finding a balance is important; in my case I waited a bit longer until January/February, and unfortunately I found this tricky and a bit too late.

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All this being said, I am truly happy and so incredibly grateful I’ve gotten to spend this much time in Brighton. Again, I’m biased but I genuinely am glad I didn’t end up anywhere else.

The beach, endless memories of people, all the places – all I can say is that there is a reason many students stay on post-graduation. Brighton is never boring, and it will always have a piece of my heart.

Take the stress out of Brighton house hunting with UniHomes

Finding student accommodation in Brighton can be competitive, but we're here to make things easier. At UniHomes, we've collaborated with letting agents to bring you a wide selection of Brighton student housing options, all on one convenient website.

What's more, all of our Brighton properties come with bills included, so whether you're after a shared house, a flat for one or private halls, you can relax knowing that we've got your utilities sorted. 

Click here to find student accommodation in Brighton today.

This post is part of the UniHomes Content Ambassador programme, where current students across the UK share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. Like these guides? Add UniHomes as a preferred source in Google with just one click by checking the box to see more expert content from our student writers!

Whilst you’re out having fun in your new uni city, remember that UniHomes promotes responsible drinking, and any alcohol products featured within this article are for ages 18+.

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.