EDINBURGH is one of the most expensive cities in the UK to be a student while Glasgow is one of the cheapest, according to a new survey.

A study of student living costs found the average in the Scottish capital was £9104 - third in the UK behind Birmingham and London, where costs were £9760 and £9208 respectively.

In contrast, costs in Glasgow were the cheapest in the UK at just £7020, behind cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and Sheffield.

The study, by the Santander bank, found four out of ten university students are in full or part-time employment to help cover costs.

Students enrolled in medicine and dentistry courses tend to spend the most, with annual living costs averaging £10,229.

Those studying business and administrative subjects spend around a fifth less, with yearly living costs for these students averaging £8149.

Aside from tuition fees, which Scottish students don't pay in Scotland, accommodation is the biggest expense at an average of £3882 per year. Food costs at £1132, travel £886 and socialising £691.

To try to save money, a quarter of students say they sell items on internet auction sites and the same amount use charity shops.

Buying reduced price food at the supermarket is also common, with 78% of students doing so regularly.

Overall, however, student debt for Scottish students is much lower than for those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland because they don't pay tuition fees of up to £12,000 a year.