The USC has, naturally, several university residences in its different campuses, available to its students and its entire PDI and PAS community, and both Santiago de Compostela and Lugo have a good hotel offer for short stays, including inns, apartments and rural residences, in the city itself or in its surroundings.
But if what you need is a permanent home because you are going to join the USC research team for an extended period of time, there are many interesting options.
Santiago de Compostela is a relatively small city (97,000 inhabitants) where you can easily get around on foot, especially if you choose to live near one of the two campuses, north and south. The latter is the one that houses most of the faculties and the five unique research centres of the USC (CIMUS, CIQUS, CITIUS, CRETUS and IFGAE), as shown on this map. Although, in general, rents in Galicia are 30% lower than the Spanish average, if you choose to live in the historic centre of Santiago or in the campus areas -very sought after by students- you will find higher rents than in areas such as Castiñeiro or Fontiñas. In any case, whichever neighbourhood you choose, you will enjoy plenty of green areas and promenades.
Lugo has a similar size and number of inhabitants to Santiago, and extends along the northern bank of the Miño River, although the municipality also includes a large number of scattered inhabited nuclei. The Terra Campus is located in the Aceña de Olga area, south of the city, in an area full of sports facilities and next to the Parque do Miño. In general, rents in Lugo are somewhat cheaper than in Santiago.
A very plausible option in both cities, given the good road network and relatively short distances, is to opt for rural accommodation and combine the advantages of living in the countryside and the services of a city.