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This is based on a family of 4 (with a 5th stepchild) in Bristol

> accommodation prices - £250000 average or around £1100 pm rent

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.) - £4.40 for a day rider

> food prices (your monthly budget) - around £400

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) - not required once you have NI number

> education prices (if you need to pay) all free. Uniforms cost about £100/child per year and you will spend about £100/year on school trips, fetes, charity donations, lunches if over 8 years of age

> energy prices (oil, electricity) £1200/year

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) internet phone bundle - £45, cell/mobile - £30/each with a phone included in the cost. TV license is £145/year

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant - for a family of 4  i.e. 2 adults and 2 kids expect to pay around£50

> price for a coffee or a drink coffee is around £5

> price for cinema tickets £9.15

The Cost of Living in London Town

Posted on 3 Days Ago by samdfb1   


Recently a fellow fab blogger recommended me writing a blog post on the cost of living in London.  Thanks Yvonne of ‘Hello World.’

The cost of Living in London.  Yikes. The end. Just kidding.  London is an expensive city compared to many cities around the world.  Cost saving strategies are important.  In fact they are essential and I will list those later. Yeah.

Recent government studies show that property prices (including rental prices) were the biggest reason London is an expensive city.  A 3 bedroom house in Central London would run you a whopping £2,959,000.  I hope you like cereal because you wont have money to buy food. Just saying.  But if you choose a similar house in East Ham or Bow (both in London) you would find a similar size house for £261,000.  The average rent in London is £1,355 per week. Yikes. Enter cereal.  But if you live in Catford (not quite Central but still London) your rent would be £317 per week.  Now, that is cereal with toast and tea. That’s what I’m talking about.

Other things to consider are water, utilities, tv/broadband/telephone and Council Tax.  Everyone has to pay Council tax. Paying your council tax means that your rubbish is being collected, you have working (or not) street lights and other similar stuff.  If you don’t pay your council tax the bailiffs will come and you will go to jail.  Pay your council tax.  Although, you do have an opportunity to apply for housing benefit and/or council tax credit where you can pay a reduced amount for both as the council picks up the difference.  But you have to apply or make a claim.  A lot of people do this.

Transportation is expensive.  But the Oyster card makes trains, buses and the Underground manageable.  Also, you can use a ‘Boris Bike’  Check out my blog post on bikes in London. Shameless plug.  Public transportation is easier than buying petrol for your car which you will never find parking for.  Just saying.

Food.  It can be expensive. You really have to shop around.  You have expensive tastes and money? Go to Waitrose.  You have a family and want to save money? Go to Sainsburys. Or to the local market or the big markets in London. You can get clothes there too.

As  promised, here are some strategies to save money when living or visiting London Town:

-get a travel card or use your Oyster card

-Buy from a charity shop. I do this ALL the time and I look good!

-Look for websites that do swaps and freebies (these sites have items from bikes to beds to chest of draws)

-Join a local library.  Read the paper for free and use the internet for free too.

There are more and promise to do another blog post on this topic.

London is an expensive city.  But so is everywhere else.  End of.

Cheers Y’all

Live in England getting hard in nightmare
Tax to height for people work in ziro hours or part time worker  I'm in ziro hours contract I get played monthly pay rent pay cancel tax then no money left
I live in omelette and beans since the Nottingham cancel take over they makes my life defecolt this month I payed 570 they sent me Bill for cancel tax 95 I don't have money to played me and my wife realy struggling for food and pay the bill
This government they have no ideas about poor people how they struggling

Sounds rough. You should visit the CAB.

I was separated waiting for a divorce at 54 I just couldn't start again in the UK  with what I was earning. council tax property tax and 500 pound a month rent etc. for a one bed roomed house in Sheffield and I was only earning 160 pound a week when I had paid all my dues I was left with 16 pound per week to use for getting to work and to eat. My ex used to help me by paying half of the rent.  I came to Thailand 10 years ago now I have my own home,a beautiful young wife,I work have a car, motorbike, an healthy bank account, holidays here in an exotic country that I live in and I have friends. and my wife is young loyal and takes care

Wow. Yeah for you and your new beginning in another part of the world!

Well, I am living in London, but don't think that will stay for much longer- there's no quality of life, and city is capitalistic. Rent prices are ridiculous!!! Every where stress,  and if you are working some where in the city (lets say costumer service) prepare to meet some big time [moderated]! Transport is expensive but it works well, buses are going every other minute, tubes every minute, but busy- its big city life, people every where.

Everything you said is 100 percent accurate. I need to find a small strip of beach to live on!

Hi everyone!

I'm living in London so I've to tell it is very expensive!
Accommodation, I'll give prices for rooms only as the only way I had been living. Single person, single room or double room, between 90£ to 150£ Couples between 150£ to 200£ with bills included. Studios from 800£ plus bills.

Transports 2015 update: Travelcards.
Tube single fare
Zone 1 and 2
2,30£- Off peack, and 2,90£ Peack
Week: 32.10£
Zone 1 and 3
2.80£ off peak, 3.30£ peack
And more if you need to travel to further zone.

Minimum wage 6,50£ hour

And...

Coffee between 2.20£ to 3.50£ coffee and snack around 8£
Average restaurant for 2 people from 45£
Cinema around 10£ pp, cheaper on Tuesdays 6-7£
Supermarket I found more or less the same as a supermarket in other place of Europe. But you find cheaper toiletries, and you find in various places such as superdrug, boots and poundland!
Hairdressers are very expensive too, is better search in a cheapear place to live, sometimes you can find a cheaper one.
Clothing is the same, but Zara and other inditex store, they charge you 20£ for a t-shirt, for example, and the same t-shirt cost in 20€ in Euro countries! I never buy anything in here.
Find more,

very true! Thanks for adding some important bits.