UGA Off-Campus Housing Cost: Athens Rents by Neighborhood

UGA off-campus housing cost runs from about $555 to $1,500 a month per person at the big Athens complexes that price by the bed, and the biggest factor is how close you live to North Campus. Downtown towers like The Mark Athens start at $1,227 a bed, while complexes 2 to 3 miles out on Lakeside Drive or Old Will Hunter Road start at $555 to $605. Rented houses around Five Points and Milledge Avenue list from $2,449 to $5,000 a month.

Full disclosure: every rent below comes from the UGA off-campus housing we list at Find My Place, as each property page showed it on October 2, 2026. Base rent only. None of these properties has posted its monthly fees yet.

Key Takeaways

• Cheapest bed we found: $555 for a four-bedroom plan at Arches on the Lake, 2.9 miles from UGA.
• Downtown is the premium. The Mark Athens, Uncommon Athens and The Flats at Carrs Hill start at $1,089 to $1,389 per bed.
• UGA's own 2026-27 budget for off-campus housing is $6,430 for fall and spring, which a 12-month lease at most near-campus complexes blows past by summer.
• Living alone? Whole one-bedrooms start around $818 (University Garden on Baxter Drive) and climb past $1,600 downtown.
• Add $40 to $120 a month for utilities (FMP's UGA page range), plus any fees each building posts.
• "Lists from" is not always "per person." Check whether rent drops as bedrooms go up before you do any math.

How Much Does UGA Off-Campus Housing Cost Per Month?

Plan on $555 to $1,500 a month in rent for one bed in a shared apartment, then add utilities. That is the spread across the per-bed complexes near UGA on Find My Place right now. FMP's UGA page puts a typical shared room at about $550 to $850, and the outer complexes sit inside that range. Downtown does not.

The U.S. Census Bureau puts median gross rent in Athens-Clarke County at $1,219 a month for 2020 to 2024, per its QuickFacts table. That figure covers a whole household's unit, not a single bedroom. So a downtown bed at $1,227 costs about what the median Athens household pays for its entire place.

UGA Off-Campus Housing Cost by Neighborhood

Distance drives price in Athens more than anything else. Here's how FMP rents break down by area, closest to campus first. (For where students actually like living, see our guide to places to live in Five Points, Normaltown and the Eastside.)

Downtown and the Oconee Street Edge: $1,089 to $1,389 Per Bed

Downtown is the most expensive place to rent a bed near UGA. The Mark Athens on Hickory Street starts at $1,227 for a five-bedroom plan, 0.3 miles from campus. Uncommon Athens on East Dougherty starts at $1,089 for a four-bed, and The Flats at Carrs Hill on Oconee Street starts at $1,389 for a three-bed.

All three price by the bed. How do we know? At The Mark, a one-bed is $1,883 while five-bedroom plans start at $1,227, and only per-bed pricing makes that order make sense. Uncommon (from $1,709 for a one-bed down to $1,089) and Carrs Hill (two-beds at $1,469, three-beds from $1,389) follow the same pattern.

Two more downtown towers are harder to read. Hub Athens on Mitchell Street lists from $899 and Georgia Heights on West Broad lists from $1,249. Their prices bounce around across bedroom counts, so ask whether a quote is per bed before comparing.

Five Points and Milledge Houses: $2,449 to $5,000 a Month

Five Points is house country. 188 Northview Dr lists a three-bed, one-bath at $2,449, 1.3 miles from UGA. A few blocks over, 125 Woodrow St lists its three-bed at $3,135. Single-plan listings like these show no bedroom curve, so confirm with the landlord that the price covers the whole house.

Milledge Oaks on Milledge Drive shows how house pricing works. The one-bed is $1,695, the two-bed $2,600, the three-bed $3,885 and the four-bed $5,000. Rent climbs with every bedroom, so these are whole-unit numbers. Four friends in that four-bed would each owe $1,250 (not cheap, honestly, for 1.6 miles out).

Closer to campus, the better deal is 595 Waddell St, 0.7 miles from UGA. Its three-bed is $2,445 and its four-bed is $3,260. Split evenly, both land near $815 a person, so the four-bed gets you a second bathroom for basically nothing.

Normaltown, West Broad and Baxter Street: $605 to $3,500

The west side mixes old houses with older complexes. 1095 W Hancock Ave lists a four-bed, one-bath house at $3,500, a mile from campus, which is handy if your classes are at the Health Sciences Campus on Prince Avenue.

Go farther out and rent drops fast. Bulldog Crossing on Old Will Hunter Road starts at $605 for a four-bed, with two-beds at $710 to $815, a per-bed pattern. It sits 2.7 miles out. University Oaks on West Broad lists from $671, though its prices don't follow a clean curve, so confirm what that number covers.

South Milledge, Lakeside and the Eastside: $555 to $923 Per Bed

The cheapest beds near UGA are 2 to 3 miles out. Arches on the Lake on Lakeside Drive starts at $555 for a four-bed, versus $714 for its two-bed.

Polo Club Athens on International Drive starts at $690 for a four-bed, and The Haven of Athens on Kentucky Circle starts at $850. The Retreat on Milledge starts at $923 for a five-bed. Like Arches, all three drop in price as bedrooms go up, which points to per-bed rent.

The tradeoff is the commute. ACC Transit's Route 14 runs from the UGA Library down Lumpkin and South Milledge to Lakeside Drive, so Arches residents have a bus. Check routes before you sign.

What It Costs to Live Alone Near UGA

A one-bedroom or studio of your own starts around $818 and runs to about $1,900. University Garden on Baxter Drive has studios and one-beds from $818 to $914, 1.8 miles from UGA. Closer in, 354 Oak St rents one-bedrooms for $1,025 to $1,050, 0.7 miles out.

Newer buildings charge more. Arch + Vine on Oak Hill Drive starts at $1,199 for a one-bed and goes up to $1,809 for a three-bed. Downtown, a Georgia Heights one-bed starts at $1,619.

Per-Bed vs Whole-Unit Rent: The Math That Trips Up UGA Students

A $3,260 house can be cheaper per person than a $1,227 apartment. It depends on what the number covers. The quick test we use at FMP, call it the FMP Bedroom Curve check, takes one minute.

Look at every floor plan for one property. If rent falls as bedrooms go up, you are seeing per-bed pricing. If it climbs, it's the whole unit. If it bounces around, ask.

Property pages don't always say. Plenty of listings show a "Whole Unit" label, The Mark included, where the numbers can only be per bed. Trust the curve over the label.

How UGA's Cost of Attendance Compares to Real Athens Rents

UGA's Office of Student Financial Aid budgets $6,430 for off-campus housing for fall 2026 and spring 2027, according to its cost of attendance page. That works out to roughly $714 a month over nine months. Most Athens leases run 12.

Now do a year at The Mark's cheapest plan: $1,227 times 12 is $14,724. Even Arches on the Lake at $555 comes to $6,660, a bit over UGA's figure. Borrowing against that budget? Expect a gap unless you live far out, sublease for summer, or split a house.

Frequently Asked Questions About UGA Off-Campus Housing Cost

What is the cheapest off-campus housing near UGA?

$555 a month. That is the four-bedroom plan at Arches on the Lake on Lakeside Drive, 2.9 miles from campus. Bulldog Crossing, at $605 for a four-bed on Old Will Hunter Road, is the runner-up.

Is it cheaper to live on or off campus at UGA?

On paper, off campus. UGA budgets $6,430 for off-campus housing versus $7,722 for on-campus housing for 2026-27. But UGA's number covers two semesters, and a 12-month Athens lease at most near-campus complexes costs more than that.

How much should I budget for utilities in Athens?

Figure $40 to $120 a month on top of rent, per FMP's UGA page. Where you land depends on whether your building caps them.

Are Athens apartment prices per person or per unit?

Depends on the building. Big student complexes like The Mark Athens and Uncommon Athens price by the bed. Houses with several floor plans, like Milledge Oaks, quote rent for the whole house. Compare every floor plan at a property, and ask if the curve is unclear.

Do Athens student apartments charge extra fees?

Probably. Nearly every property on this list shows base rent with a note that it hasn't posted monthly fees yet. Ask for parking, amenity and utility charges as line items before you sign, or compare every Athens, GA student apartment side by side.