Aberystwyth and Lampeter students pay more than £1,500 extra a year for accommodation compared to local residents for similar properties, new research has found.

Students studying in Ceredigion were the worst off compared to locals according to a study by AddLiving comparing student rental rates with local averages in towns and cities across the UK.

The data revealed that some students are paying more for their digs than their local communities, with the Lampeter campus of Trinity Saint David and Aberystwyth University being the first and second worst, with students paying £36 and £31 respectively more each week than the locals.

Students at the two universities are the worst off, with rent costing more than £1,500 more than the local average in both towns.

On average, across the UK, students save an estimated £90 per week renting compared to the local population.

Olly Roberts, graduate surveyor from AddLiving said: “As with house prices, the cost of renting is climbing across the UK and this challenge will be the same for students as well as those in the private rented sector.

“University is a costly time for students and many will be looking for the best way to make their loans stretch as far as they can.

“While these are just estimates, it highlights how difficult it can be for some students to find good, low-cost housing at a time when money and earnings should be coming second to their education.”

The cost of university accommodation data was gathered from Save the Student, which identified the average price students were paying per university per week for accommodation.

The data set included 142 universities across the UK, with 16 in Scotland, seven in Wales and 119 in England.

The cost of living per city data was calculated from Numbeo using average rental costs per month for a one-bedroom apartment.