How Much Does Off-Campus Housing Cost Near the University of Houston?

Apartments near the University of Houston cost about $800 to $1,900 a month as of August 2026, based on Find My Place's live inventory of 21 Houston properties. Per-bed student housing is the budget lane: Gateway on Cullen lists 4-bedroom beds from $820, right across from campus. One-bedrooms span a huge range — $800 at UH Studios near campus up to $1,900+ in the Hermann Park and Med Center buildings.

Key Takeaways

• $820/month is the entry point for purpose-built student housing — a 4-bedroom bed at Gateway on Cullen, steps from UH's east side.
• The cheapest solo option isn't where you'd guess: UH Studios lists one-bedrooms from $800, undercutting every tower in the area.
• MAC 4460 on South MacGregor Way runs $859-$899 per bed in 4-bedrooms, with 2-bedrooms from $1,049.
• Cross into the Hermann Park/Med Center zone and prices jump: The Circle at Hermann Park's one-bedrooms run $1,249-$1,974.
• University Housing Phase Two, between UH and the Med Center, keeps one-bedrooms at $1,035-$1,143 — the value play for solo renters.
• The METRORail Purple Line stops on campus twice, and UH students get discounted METRO passes, so a rail-adjacent apartment stretches your radius cheaply.

What Apartments Near the University of Houston Cost by Setup

Per-bed student units are the cheapest way in. Gateway on Cullen — directly on Cullen Boulevard at the campus edge — lists 4-bedroom beds at $820-$855 and 5-bedroom beds at $840. MAC 4460, about a mile south on S MacGregor Way, runs $859-$899 per bed in 4-bedrooms. Haven at Elgin lists 4-bedroom beds at $1,049 closer to Midtown.

Conventional one-bedrooms tell two different stories depending on the block. Near campus: UH Studios from $800, University Housing Phase Two at $1,035-$1,143, Global Houston at $1,180. Toward Hermann Park and the Med Center: The Circle at Hermann Park spans $1,249-$1,974, and Life Tower on Main Street runs $1,268-$1,779.

Two-bedroom splits land in between — $1,049-$1,219 per unit at MAC 4460, $1,422 at University Housing Phase Two, and $1,499 at Tower 5040.

The Cheapest Apartments Near UH Right Now

UH Studios holds the outright floor at $800 for a one-bedroom, which is rare — in most college markets the cheapest option forces you into a 4-bedroom split. Gateway on Cullen's $820 beds take second place and add the full student-housing package: furnished units, individual leases, and a location you can walk to class from.

For a private bedroom without the student-housing wrapper, MAC 4460's $859 beds and University Housing Phase Two's $1,035 one-bedrooms are the numbers to beat. Everything else in FMP's Houston data costs more, sometimes triple.

Why the Med Center Side Costs So Much More

Location premiums near UH follow the Texas Medical Center, not the university. The same money that gets you a $2,012 one-bedroom at Allure Hermann Park buys two months at UH Studios. Med Center towers price for nurses, residents, and researchers with paychecks — not undergrads — and the Hermann Park zip codes carry that premium even for identical square footage.

The practical move for UH students: stay on the campus side of Highway 288 unless you're a health-professions student splitting time at the Med Center. And if you are, University Housing Phase Two on El Paseo sits between the two at $1,035 — the geographic and financial midpoint.

Budgeting Past the Rent Number in Houston

Add $70-$120 per person monthly for utilities in most shared units — Houston's air conditioning season runs roughly April through October, and August electric bills are famous for a reason. Purpose-built complexes like Gateway on Cullen typically bundle internet and cap electric per person; conventional buildings usually don't. Read the cap.

Transportation deserves real math here. The METRORail Purple Line stops twice on campus (UH South/University Oaks and the TSU/UH Athletics District station), and UH students ride METRO at discounted fares. The Cougar Line campus shuttle runs weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in fall and spring — boarding takes a UH shuttle permit scanned through the UH Go app, with routes and tracking on UH's Cougar Line page. A car is still the Houston default, but a Purple Line-adjacent apartment lets you skip the parking permit and the 45-minute I-45 crawl.

Upfront, expect application and admin fees plus a deposit — $300-$700 beyond first month's rent is typical. Renters insurance runs $15-$25 in Houston (hurricane exposure nudges it above national averages) and most buildings require it.

Is Off-Campus Cheaper Than UH Housing?

Shared off-campus units usually win. An $855 Gateway bed costs about $10,260 over 12 months — competitive with UH's on-campus room rates before you even count the apartment's full kitchen and in-unit laundry. The trade: campus contracts follow the academic calendar, while Houston leases run 12 months, so summer plans matter.

Solo renters near the Med Center flip the math entirely. At $1,500-$2,000 a month, you're paying well past any dorm rate for the privilege of privacy and a Hermann Park view. Worth it to some grad students; a budget hole for most undergrads.

FAQ: Apartments Near the University of Houston

How much is rent near the University of Houston per month?

$820-$1,050 per bed for shared student units, and $800-$1,900 for one-bedrooms, per Find My Place's August 2026 Houston listings. The campus-adjacent side is dramatically cheaper than the Hermann Park/Med Center side.

What's the cheapest apartment near UH?

UH Studios, with one-bedrooms from $800 — the lowest price in FMP's Houston inventory. For per-bed student housing, Gateway on Cullen starts at $820 in a 4-bedroom, directly across from campus.

Can UH students live without a car in Houston?

Near campus, yes — more easily than Houston's reputation suggests. The Purple Line rail stops on campus, students get discounted METRO passes, and the Cougar Line shuttle covers campus itself. The car becomes necessary when your life extends past the rail lines, which in Houston it eventually does.

Is it cheaper to live near UH or near the Med Center?

Near UH, by a wide margin. One-bedrooms run $800-$1,180 on the campus side versus $1,249-$2,236 in the Hermann Park/Med Center zone. Unless your program is based at the Med Center, the premium buys you a longer commute.

What should a UH student budget monthly, all-in?

About $950-$1,250 for a shared setup: $820-$1,050 rent, $70-$120 utilities, $15-$25 renters insurance, plus transportation. A discounted METRO pass keeps that last line small; a car with a campus parking permit doesn't.