The average cost of living for Irish third-level students is €151 a week, or €6,040 a year, with nearly 80 per cent of students receiving financial support from their parents, a new survey has suggested.
According to the Ulster Bank survey of student costs, accommodation accounts for a quarter of overall spending.
On average students spend €1,510 on rent during the 40-week academic year, with the remainder going on travel, groceries and socialising.
The research also shows it is parents who are often left to foot at least part of the cost of their children's third-level education.
Some 79 per cent of the 350 students who took part in the face-to-face survey said they receive parental support, while 63 per cent have a part-time job.
The survey was conducted in May by market research company Research Solutions on behalf of Ulster Bank.
However, president of the Union of Students of Ireland Tony McDonnell yesterday questioned the accuracy of the figures, which, he said, seemed particularly low.
"In my experience the true cost of living for Irish students is far in excess of this.
"The high percentage of students who get financial support off their parents also highlights the need for better support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds."
The survey finds that the cost of living in Dublin is only slightly higher than in the rest of the country. At €153 a week in Dublin, this is €4 a week higher than outside the capital.
It also reveals that almost one in three intended to travel abroad to work during the summer, with two-thirds planning to work at home.
In a sign that many students are aware of the need to support themselves at college, 86 per cent said they hoped to save money during the summer to live off during the next academic year.
One in five students had a loan. Students in Dublin were five times more likely to have one than students in colleges outside of Dublin.