The capital of the UK annually attracts more and more curious visitors and people who have decided to live there regularly. The reasons for moving to London can range from seeking career advancement to a desire to change the climate. However, one question gnaws at everyone: how much is the price of living in this city? Read this article to the end to get an idea of your spending while living in this city and get valuable tips.
Getting around London
Arriving in London, use the services of Enterprise car hire UK so as not to suffer with bulky luggage on public transport on the way to your future residence. Car hiring offers allow you to rent housing on the outskirts at a bargain price and comfortably get anywhere in the city, taking into account only your plans.
Including suburban areas, London is divided into nine zones; zones 1-3 cover the main historical center of the city. The price of a public transport pass for a month depends on the travel zone. For example, such an unlimited ticket for zones 1 and 2 costs about £150, and zones 1,2, and 3 already £175 per month! Purchasing a yearly pass can give you two months of free rides, but car rental and maintenance will finally cost you the same amount. Although sometimes taking the subway can significantly save time, given the high traffic congestion.
Some parts of London are steeped in history. Many centuries ago, London had many palaces, manors and other structures of former times that are mentioned in textbooks and novels.
Cost of rent in London
The cost of renting housing in London is a record high. Depending on the area of the city, the minimum price for accommodation varies from £800 to £1750 (excluding utilities). The farther your house is from the center, the cheaper it will be, despite the interior quality and proximity of the infrastructure. Many very respectable people prefer to share the rent with other tenants (like a semi-detached house) due to the high cost of utilities:
- Electricity: from £35 per person.
- Gas supply: from £35 on average (price depends on consumption).
- Wi-Fi: from £15 per person per month.
- City tax: varies by area of residence and number of neighbors (on average £30 for a single flat, and £90 for living in a house).
- Water: from £35, ubiquitously in London the water charge is independent of consumption and is fixed.
- Annually a TV license is around £160.
You can live in the historical center if the work is nearby – within walking or cycling distance. Otherwise, it is better to rent a cozy house with a new renovation in the suburbs for affordable rent and use UK cars for hire for commuting or leisure.
Entertainment options
London has entertainment options for all budgets and tastes. However, if you are not a local and want to play sports, it will be hard to find a budget option. A good gym can cost over £120 a month. A subscription for the cheaper option with a treadmill and dumbbells will cost at least £35. Yoga or wrestling classes cost approximately £20 per session. You can save money only by running cross-country in the park or doing walking/cycling cardio workouts.
A night raid on clubs or bars can also hit the budget. Cocktails in decent establishments cost around £12, and the cheapest alcoholic drink is a beer with a minimum cost of £5 per pint. A complex dinner in a restaurant with drinks will cost you an average of £55 for two.
There are also inexpensive options for spending time. There are many free or cheap tours of historical places in London, such as Big Ben or the Natural History Museum. Also, you can visit Tower of London or Warner Bros Studio. Places like The London Eye, Westmonster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds Museum of London or IFS Cloud Cable Car are also worth your time. A great weekend plan would be to go outside the city and enjoy the picturesque suburban scenery. Use hire a car UK services to explore the historic area away from the tourist trails.
Grocery prices in the city
It is not necessary to go to a restaurant or cafe if you want to have a romantic dinner or you don’t have the strength to cook. Save on ready-to-eat meals by ordering takeaway (half the price of similar restaurant food, £20 approximately). Here is a huge selection of takeaway food, so you can always treat yourself to something original. It is better to plan your daily diet because food in London is not cheap. Although, the cost of products in chain stores remains on par with other cities in the UK.
If you are not a remote worker, you would more likely overpay for groceries. By the end of the working day, cheap supermarkets are closed, and only expensive grocery stores are open. Planning and buying food for the week is beneficial for an office worker. To save on diet but still eat tastily and in the best quality (including fish, meat, dairy products, and fresh vegetables), be prepared to pay a minimum of £40 per person per week.
Conclusion
It wouldn’t be true to say that you can live in the capital of the UK on a budget with high quality of life. The price of a modest life in this city can be over £1,700 per month, including non-obvious expenses such as parking, toll roads, or city taxes. Calculate your budget in detail when planning a long trip, or be sure that the offered salary matches the minimum cost of living in perspective.
