Europe’s youngest capital, Cardiff, is an ideal place to spend your university years, and offers everything you would expect from a capital city - without the capital price tag. With over 65,000 undergraduates and 12,000 post graduate students, Cardiff on a budget doesn't mean Cardiff will be boring.

Going out & socialising

Cardiff has a vast collection of bars and clubs to choose from, many holding student nights or offering discounts with NUS cards. Find out from your Student's Union the best places to go where your card is valid. Also look out for lunchtime, weeknight and happy hour offers. Whether you're in the city centre, or surrounding areas you'll be sure to find somewhere your student loan will stretch to. See our suggestions here.

Eating out

In Cardiff you can find a whole variety of food from around the world on your doorstep. In Cathays & Roath alone you can find Indian, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, Thai, Lebanese & Syrian and Welsh cuisine.

Right in the heart of the city centre you'll find the Brewery Quarter with it's range of affordable bars, restaurants and clubs. Look out for Special Offers which run throughout the year.

For an all you can eat, try the popular Cosmos in Cardiff Bay. Or, not strictly on a budget, but an experience all the same try, Charlestons Brasserie down Caroline Street in the heart of the city. If you can find this late-night steak house, open until the wee hours, you will be rewarded with some of the best steak in Cardiff and a very surreal dining experience.

In contrast the Vegetarian Food Studio, just over the river into Grangetown serves superb value vegetarian Indian and Gujarati food. On the vegetarian/vegan theme, try the Canteen on Clifton Street. Carnivores need not worry, as they cater for everyone with locally inspired, affordable seasonal menus.

Find a full list of places to eat in Cardiff here.

What to see and do

If you have some spare time and enjoy a bit of culture, visit the National Museum Cardiff for free and check out one of the largest collections of impressionist paintings outside of Paris. Turn the clock back and experience Welsh life through the ages at the National History Museum at St Fagans or as a great starting point for any visit to Cardiff, pop into The Cardiff Story where you'll learn about the city through the eyes of its people. All of these attractions are free.

If music is more your thing check out the free lunchtime concerts at the Wales Millennium Centre where you'll find anything from opera to folk. For a taste of the countryside without leaving the city, why not hire a boat and while away an afternoon on Roath Park lake or head to the beautiful Bute park situated behind Cardiff castle. This makes for a perfect relaxing afternoon in the sun with friends.

Cardiff is home to the UK’s biggest free outdoor music festival which offers three days of quality live music and entertainment on stage as well as the UK’s largest travelling funfair. Taking place around Cardiff's civic centre, (usually the first weekend in August) the Big Weekend draws thousands to the city. As well as this, Cardiff Summer Festival provides a range of free events such as the International Food & Drink Festival in Cardiff Bay, the Harbour Festival and the MAS Carnival. In Winter, you'll find the whole front of the civic centre transformed into Winter Wonderland, complete with ice rink and Santa's grotto. 

For our calendar of events in Cardiff click here.