About £484 per person a month for four sharers in Leeds. Room rents for 12 cities, every household bill split four ways, and how student council-tax exemption changes the maths.
Sharing a four-bed house in Leeds costs about £484 per person a month for rent, energy, water, broadband and a TV licence, based on official 2026 figures (EvenRound calculation, working below). Nationally, the average advertised room now costs a record £769 a month bills included (SpareRoom, Q3 2026), and students pay an average £575 in rent (Save the Student, 2026).
Two measures side by side. They aren't like-for-like: SpareRoom is the average advertised room including bills; the ONS figure is the rent for a whole 4+ bed home divided by four (rent only).
| City | SpareRoom room, Q3 2026 (bills incl.) | ONS 4+ bed ÷ 4, Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| London | £932 (inner London £1,002) | £913.75 |
| Bristol | £746 | £639.50 |
| Brighton & Hove | £762 | £622.25 |
| Glasgow | £692 | £571.00 |
| Manchester | £685 | £506.00 |
| Newcastle | £604 | £461.00 |
| Cardiff | £650 | £426.25 |
| Leeds | £578 | £423.50 |
| Birmingham | £614 | £396.75 |
| Nottingham | £588 | £365.50 |
| Sheffield | £540 | £336.25 |
| Liverpool | £554 | £324.50 |
| Bill | Official figure | Per person per month (4 sharers) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Ofgem price cap Oct–Dec 2026: £1,723/yr | £35.90 |
| Water | England & Wales average 2026/27: £639/yr | £13.31 |
| Broadband | Ofcom average: £31.05/month | £7.76 |
| TV licence | £180/yr (one licence on a joint tenancy) | £3.75 |
| Council tax, all full-time students | Exempt | £0.00 |
| Council tax, young workers | England average per home 2026-27: £1,868/yr | £38.92 |
One caveat on energy: Ofgem's figure is for a typical household, and four adults usually use more. Students who pay their own bills report spending £83 a month on energy (Save the Student 2026). The energy cap changes on 1 January 2027.
On a joint tenancy, one TV licence covers the house. Sharers on separate tenancies each need their own if they watch in their room (nidirect). A house where everyone is a full-time student pays no council tax, but you have to apply (GOV.UK).
| Item | Working | Per person per month |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (ONS 4+ bed, Leeds, £1,694) | £1,694 ÷ 4 | £423.50 |
| Energy (Ofgem cap) | £1,723 ÷ 12 ÷ 4 | £35.90 |
| Water (Yorkshire Water average £636) | £636 ÷ 12 ÷ 4 | £13.25 |
| Broadband (Ofcom average) | £31.05 ÷ 4 | £7.76 |
| TV licence (joint tenancy) | £180 ÷ 12 ÷ 4 | £3.75 |
| Council tax (all students) | exempt | £0.00 |
| Total | £484.16 | |
| Using students' own £83 energy figure | £484.16 − £35.90 + £83 | £531.26 |
| Four young workers (add England-average council tax) | £484.16 + £38.92 | £523.08 |
Start a free house group on EvenRound: housemates join from a link without signing up, and recurring bills add themselves each month.
Figures checked 30 October 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page. More in our cost reports.
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