Cost of Living in London and the UK Cost of living

London Cost of Living

UPDATED Nov 2009

This is the part of the site that you probably feared most. The fact is that London is consistently in the top 2 or 3 for the most expensive cities on earth to live.

Despite this London does not have to be that costly. If you are frugal you can get by on very little.

London living costs tend to soar when you start going out a lot. Equally if you want your own flat or double room in a nice area then you have to expect to pay for it.

The good news is that wages in London are generally higher than elsewhere in the UK and the strength of thr pound makes any travel cheaper.

Tips for London Costs - How to budget in London

Ensure that when you first arrive, you have sufficient funds to cover your costs for the first month or so, these will include:

Accommodation & Bills in London

Hostel - from £18 per person/night
Flat - £90-200/week +/- bills (electricity/gas/water/council tax/TV license).

You will have to pay one months rent in advance.

For more information and links about accommodation go here >

London Travel Costs

Zone 1-4 Travel card £29.20/week (Includes most popular areas) see London Transport website for details

Food & Drink in London and the UK

£30 - £50 for a week's worth of food at a large supermarket (e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury, Gateway, Safeway and Sommerfield) - smaller independents are more expensive.

Everyday purchases

To help you judge the cost of living in the UK here's is a selection of prices:
Loaf of bread £0.70
Pint of Milk £0.50
Cigarettes (20) £5.50
Big Mac £2.99
Can of Coca Cola £0.85

Going out

There are an incredible variety of leisure activities, drinking haunts, clubs and eateries in London. Prices vary but as a guide:
Restaurant 3 course meal £12-£100/person
Cinema tickets £4.50 - £10
Beer/lager £2.00-£4.00/pint (570ml) or £3.00-£5.00 in a club
Take away pizza £12 (large)