King’s has one of the simplest residence systems in Alberta. One building with three room types, flat monthly rates, and free parking. Everything is on campus, so there’s no commute cost buried in the decision. Here’s what each option costs and how to pick between them.
The three options, priced
All residence rates include utilities. There’s a $300 non-refundable deposit when you accept your spot.
| Option | Rate | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Tower Rooms (double) | $538.25/month | Shared traditional room, meal plan mandatory |
| Tower Rooms (single) | $807.25/month | Private traditional room, meal plan mandatory |
| Tower Suites | $619.00/month | Shared 4-person suite with full kitchen, meal plan optional |
| South Campus Apartments | $699.75/month | Shared 6-person apartment, private bedroom, full kitchen |
A standard eight-month year looks like this:
| Option | Housing for the year | With required meal plan (2 semesters) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Room, double | ~$4,306 | $5,310 | ~$9,600 |
| Tower Room, single | ~$6,458 | $5,310 | ~$11,800 |
| Tower Suite | ~$4,952 | optional | ~$5,000 to $10,300 |
| South Campus Apartment | ~$5,598 | optional | ~$5,600 to $10,900 |
The counterintuitive result: a suite with a kitchen and an optional meal plan is often cheaper over the year than the traditional room, even though its monthly rate is higher. That only holds if you actually cook. If you’d eat out anyway, the mandatory plan and the lower double rate are the safer financial choice.
How the meal plan interacts with your housing choice
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This is the whole decision at King’s. If you’re in Tower Rooms, you’re buying a meal plan, so budget the $2,254 to $2,655 per semester on top of rent. Suites and apartments let you choose, and the kitchen does the work of a plan if you use it.
One catch on timing: Tower Rooms spots go to first-year students who apply and pay the deposit early. Priority goes to applicants who have paid the $300 deposit by June 15. Miss that date and you’re picking from what’s left.
What’s included
Residence rates cover utilities and internet, and parking is free in the east lot. Plug-in stalls for winter are $150 a semester. Compare that to most Edmonton schools, where parking alone can run a few hundred dollars a year.
Residence includes residence programming and staff support, which is worth more at a school where most students move from out of town and don’t know Edmonton yet.
Off-campus reality check
Rent near the campus in east Edmonton runs lower than near the University of Alberta, but a shared room in a house or basement suite around Capilano still costs $600 to $850 a month, and then you add utilities, internet, and groceries to a kitchen you may be sharing with strangers. Against a $538 double room with utilities, internet, and a mandatory meal plan bundled in, on-campus housing is competitive, especially for first year.
The trade-off: living off campus means an ETS commute. Bus routes 004 and 0053 serve the campus area. Without a U-Pass, expect regular ETS fares, about $3 per 90-minute trip.
The bottom line
For most first-year students, a Tower Room double with the Limited meal plan, about $9,600 for the year, is the simplest affordable path. If you cook, the Tower Suite at $619 a month with a $60 to $90 weekly grocery bill beats it on price. Apply and pay the deposit before June 15 either way.
Sources
For more, see our guide to eating cheap on campus and what to do in your first week.
This guide is general information for Canadian students, not personalized financial advice. Program rules and dollar amounts change, so confirm the details with the official government source before acting on them.
