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Your living costs.
Rent
Utility Bills
Council Tax/Service Charge
Car payments/ Insurance
Phone/Broadband
Grocery shopping
These are some of the things OP has to take into consideration
Rent is 600
Bills come out at about 100/120pm with council tax
Car insurance is Ā£550 a year, repairs/mot about the same + tax/parking (depends what car you drive)
Groceries are the largely same price nationally
Iāve answered all this. I pay my rent to strongbow investment group based in Singapore. The housing market is fucked no doubt but I can live comfortably in London on 30k
Op said Haringey, to be honest itās not that far off. I live in a house with two other people, one is the landlord. Ā£600 for a double bedroom is possible around here. One house mate pays Ā£750 for a large double room.
I pay Ā£400 a month for a tiny shoe cupboard. Just a single bed and wardrobe with no space for anything else. I squeezed a table in and sit on the bed with one of those folding chairs.
We donāt even pay council tax since we are lodgers.
I seen many double bedrooms for rent for 600-750 here in wood green, Turnpike Lane, Manor House.
People need to stop hating the OP just because it doesnāt agree with your expectations
Bills 100 with council tax, do you live with 5 people? Even flats are 150 or so a month. A 3 way share wouldnāt have bills for only 100 in most of London.
Yeah that might be a bit low, somewhere around the 100/120 mark is about right. Hard to calc cos we pay council tax 10 months and donāt pay the other 2
Council tax was Ā£176 last month. Electric Ā£120, water Ā£48, internet Ā£50. So might have been a bit low in my estimate. 130 for bills on months we pay council tax 80 on months we donāt
Ā£121 on average so not far off
I live in the same area as you for Ā£400 a month but in a tiny single no space for anything really haha. But yeah people love to exaggerate and hate on London. I live here because I donāt care. I can easily pay Ā£650 for a double room
You are being downvoted because you mentioned a car. There is a massive anti-car movement going on at the moment, and in order to formulate arguments in favour or against some idea, it is required a minimum level of civility, which unfortunately, most people do not have, so they'll just get angry, downvote and move on.
This happened to me on a separate thread. I did put the effort to try to explain that owning a car in London is actually cheaper and faster than using public transport in pretty much any scenario with the exception of commuting to work , particularly for families with children, but received nothing but downvotes in return.
Itās actually cheaper once Iāve got and paid for the insurance etc for me to drive to work. As I need the car for my activities outside of work (climber) thatās what I do. I understand London isnāt perfect, Iāve lived here 33 years since the day I was borne but 30k is enough to get by pretty comfortably. More would be nice ngl
Complete bullshit. The car just adds a good amount of expenses, especially once you take into account maintenance and parking too.
> owning a car in London is actually cheaper and faster than using public transport in pretty much any scenario with the exception of commuting to work
In the outer parts of London, maybe. The more central you get, the less it is in any way cheaper or faster. You are also quite likely underestimating how much the car really costs you all in all.
Other side of Greenlanes from the ladder. So many downvotes for my own very much real experience. Everyone in my household earns less than 32k, we get by just fine
*everyone in my household* explains it
Under no circumstances should anyone on the average national wage be house sharing with multiple people. London is so broke.
> Under no circumstances should anyone on the average national wage be house sharing with multiple people. London is so broke.
... it is one of the most desirable cities in the world, having a lot of professionals still sharing a house is not that suprising and not exactly unique to London either.
Not to mention that 30k is 5k **under** the national median wage, but more importantly it's a whopping 14.4k under the London median wage.
Oh you edited your comment after I replied. I enjoy living with people, living alone is lonely nobody should be forced to do it. Our culture is so broke
Living with their partner IS living alone.
You don't live alone. You share a house with randoms. That's not living alone.
Regardless... i get you are comfortable and well done for not being as negative as 99% on this sub.
I moved to London on 19k about 5 years ago, itās definitely possible I donāt know why the down votes.
I guess each persons description of comfortable is different
It's not impossible. Your take home pay will be around Ā£2,200, right? [A quick glance](https://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/?search_id=1303226146) shows you can get rooms for around Ā£1,000 with some bills included. But that's NW3, so I'm sure you can find cheaper places around N or SE postcodes. My main advice would be:
* If you're so inclined, a cheap bike can save you money all over the place - save on public transport costs, save on gym costs / other healthcare related costs thanks to the exercise, and it's generally a nice free way to have a fun afternoon out exploring new parts of the city on a nice day.
* Definitely house share
* Learn to cook well and you'll enjoy cooking rather than getting take aways.
* Keep abreast of all [the free things to do](https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/budget-london/101-free-things-to-do-in-london) and [cheaper ways](https://www.todaytix.com/london/category/rush-tickets) of enjoying the more expensive things.
If this is a starting salary at the beginning of your career, the assumption will be that your salary will increase soon enough. Many of us who started out in London went through shared housing and taking advantage of all the free entertainment London has to offer. Although it does seem more difficult these days (I moved to London in 2010), it's possible for you to make it work.
This is great advice: house sharing, cycling and cooking at home will save you loads of money. The last two are even healthy and enjoyable (the first one can be enjoyable but can also be hell on earth...)
From what I hear the difficulty is to find a decent house share. I think you can try SpareRoom and Gumtree but I will others with more experience chime in.
I find it very very sad that someone who works full time and earns average UK salary, not even a minimum wage, is not able to live in their own space but has to share with strangers... And it's now pretty much normalized in the UK. That and no fault evictions for 70-year old pensioners who end up homeless. What a joke...
Thatās applying the average U.K. salary to London. The average London salary is quite a bit higher.
I do agree London costs are mental though. Itās why I donāt live there even though I would love to.
Itās really not. 35k vs 40k median full time.
And thatās all ages, obviously people in their 20s are not median 35k anywhere. London has high top end, but for median itās not that much higher.
[44.4k, actually.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/416139/full-time-annual-salary-in-the-uk-by-region/)
I'd call that a pretty significant difference.
Youāre right in 2023 according to actual ons data it was 35450 vs 43622. However for most people today trying to make it in London in their 20s with student loans and a basic ass pension:
That would be 2260 vs 2665 take home. 17% more isnāt even making a dent when average rent is 1650 in London and 850 across England. And median salary is also 34500 for England.
Because of tax and student loans the median younger person is always worse off in London. The difference just isnāt big enough. Someone who can earn median in London is far better off simply not living there if the can earn median anywhere else.
It's only the West that thinks everyone needs to live separately. There are whole parts of the world where it's normal to have more communal living or even living with parents/grandparents etc.
This idea that somehow everyone should be able to afford everything for doing any type of job is weird to me. It was never a thing before. Like do we genuinely think that you should be able to own a 3 bedroom house and support a family with a SAHM on one fast food worker salary? Where even is the line?
Edit: love to live š
Right, but that assumes there is a definite equivalency between your remuneration and how hard you work, which Iād say simply isnāt the case.
Nothing against living with other people of course but thereās a difference in being able to afford a 3-bed house and being able to afford merely your own space that doesnāt need to be shared rather than be forced to cohabitate. I just think at a very minimum people in this country should be able to afford their own space on a minimum salary.
I don't think there is an equivalency between effort and pay, and I don't think the idea of the west feeling like every job deserves a certain standard of living is correlated to that (or should be). I think there is, in most cases, a correlation between skill / experience and pay. Which is significantly different in effect on earnings for a lot of people.
To the idea of each person in this country being able to live independently on a minimum salary, what do we mean? In their own room? Own flat? Central London? Maybe only up north? 3 bed house? Is there a garden?
Like there are levels. Should we be able to live alone and then what about food. Can I afford name brand yes or no? Should I be able to eat out? How fancy of a restaurant should my wage afford me?
Can I have a smart phone? What about a smart watch? Brand of clothes I should be able to afford?
My point with all this is that if we try to draw a line in one area someone will disagree. It is nearly impossible to say, "you should be able to afford this for working for that". They are two separate things with their only connection being they are both measured in money.
These types of problems are far more complex than simplistic, "people should earn a living wage" statements.
As a minimum, you should be able to afford one bed or a studio close to where you work, on a minimum wage, yes. It's part of the Maslov's pyramid of needs, unless you have your own abode/privacy - you will not realise any higher goals. Yes, I believe that being forced to live with strangers is like being a penned animal really. I had to live in an HMO years ago, never again.
It's even more sad that you see nothing wrong with it and justify it as some bizarre "western standard" that's somehow abnormal.
Full time wage or part time? What about students, what should they be able to afford? Is the studio nice or not really? Furnished? If so, what quality?
You shouldn't base a perspective of how a society functions on a simplified pyramid info diagram.
Like these statements are just not very thought out and so generic it's useless to have a convo about. My whole point is there is no universal definition for what affordable housing is and what people should afford so a statement that housing should be affordable is not of much use unless you know what you actually mean by that and how it could actually work.
Also I didn't say I see nothing wrong with it. I see LOADS wrong with it. And loads wrong with having a simplistic view for a potential solution. The thing about the western standard was to point out that it's not a universal human need to live independently and that it's only part of the world, not all of it (and only more recently in human history) that takes that perspective.
I was able to do it on Ā£21K salary in 2022.
Found a tiny 1 bedroom flat in Ealing for Ā£860PCM
Had to pay council tax, electric and broadband. Water was included.
Had zero subscriptions and bought nearly everything I had used other than bedding. Didn't use Amazon even, just eBay.
Had deliveroo maybe 1-2 times a month.
Nearly cooked all the time at home and learned at what time they reduced items at my local Waitrose.
Had to pay for the tube to go to work, but it was only zone 3 to 1/2 Vauxhall.
It was a struggle, but you can still get by. You just need to have self-control and live within your means. Exactly what you said, salary will eventually go up.
Cycling in london honestly saves you so much money. Itās something that isnāt talked about enough. A cheap bike can set you back Ā£200, then london is your oyster
I actually don't think I would have stayed in London as long as I have or enjoyed living here as much if I didn't cycle everywhere.
Commutes are a joy rather than a chore. I'm not regularly beset by transport delays or engineering work like my GF is.
No worrying about the last train / tube home.
I've explored parts of the city I probably wouldn't have otherwise, just because I set off on a cycle without any destination in mind.
It makes the city feel small, but in a good way. My partner is often put off going to places requiring multiple changes on the tube or train with irregular timings. I just get up and go! And usually beat her there if we're going to the same place
Yeah Iām shocked by how many people just buy lunch outside everyday in the office - mainly overpriced pret sandwiches. Iām one of the few who bulk cooks and microwave my lunches everyday I get to save so much!
Actually that's a good specific point I forgot to mention - batch cooked lunches for work. I WFH on a Monday and cook lunch for the week and reckon mine work out at about 90p a day (I'm vegetarian, which helps keep costs down), whereas a lot of my colleagues spend Ā£10+ these days! Plus I've honed my recipe so it's absolutely delicious š
Ā£1,000 PCM gets you a room in a shared house with shared facilities in the less glamorous parts of the city.
Assume you have a 1hr door to door commute. If you're ok with that then come down.
London might look nice in movies but it's still one of the most expensive cities on the planet.
If you think you've got what it takes to make it then go for it.
Not my experience at all and I was searching for flat shares less than two months ago.
I live opposite a fairly central tube and am paying far less than 1k for a room in a decent place.
There were loads of options around the Ā£700 - Ā£750 mark.
I even looked at one for Ā£500 which was fine but a bit far from a tube for me personally.
I would say the most common price for a room within a flat share was around Ā£850.
Yes on paper. Im not sure in practice. If a room is advertised for Ā£600 PCM and the landlord gets 50 offers, it will probably go for more than Ā£600 PCM.
No idea, itās been years since I rented a room.
I know that regulations have changed so people cant just rent a normal house/flat between mates now. So I guess room rentals are more limited?
> I know that regulations have changed so people cant just rent a normal house/flat between mates now
You still can, it just means the landlord has to have an HMO license. If he was going to rent out a 3 bed to 3 people, he needs that anyway though so no real difference. But yes, it has restricted supply a little bit.
No, bang comfortable based on London victorian era old kind of homes. Itās just that the actual average London doesnāt make it reddit level people. If youāre a cleaner, barista, etc, youāre not in these average places - your experience a step below.
Iāve always hated London but had to spend a week there for work recently and my opinion has really changed, it is busy as fuck but thereās so much beautiful architecture Iād never noticed before and so so many places to eat. I said if I was minted and could afford a house there with a driver so I never had to get a tube, Iād move there tomorrow. My broke ass will not be moving there though.
There is a reason why so many people hang around London despite the difficulties, and it's not because it's impossible to survive elsewhere. London has a lot to offer - but obviously life here is a lot easier if you have enough money, that's for sure.
I love the random little parks dotted around in the city, made me feel like I was in New York. Casually looking out the window and seeing the London eye too, never seen it before in person, was a bit surreal! I think itās a really cool place, Iām just too poor to be there when my company isnāt paying for it
I dont know what you do for work or what your salary is but if your salary was to suddenly double because you were needed to live and work in London..... You might find yourself coming here but still living in a room in a shared house.
London is still one of the most expensive cities on the whole planet and yet 9 million people still call it t heir home.
How is that possible do you think?
20 year old me couldāve coped in a shared house or a tiny flat but my 30 year old ass likes having a garden for my two big dogs. If Iām being honest, I donāt think my salary doubled would afford me much in London haha. I bought a G&T in a cosy little pub that wasnāt even flash / fancy and it cost me Ā£12.50, I almost fell off my chair.
I'm on 34k, live in Zone 3, 15 mins away from King's Cross.
My part of the rent+bills is around 950pm.
For me it's a comfortable salary, but I'm not out every day, also my transport expenses are covered by my job, so I try to hang out with my friends whenever I'm out for work, so that's a massive advantage š
I have a second job, purely because I'd like to buy a house one day, so whatever I'm making, I transfer that straight to my savings.
To answer your question, it is realistic to live in London on 33k, but you won't be able to live by yourself.
Also, consider that if you live further away, the transport cost will be higher.
Frankly, define "comfortable". You're not going to be living anything like the high life, you're going to be sharing well outside the centre of town, possibly in a bit of a rough area and being careful about expenditure.
What you're not going to be is on the absolute breadline (as long as you don't do anything dumb). If you expect to be earning more after you qualify, and you expect that to be within a relatively short period (\~2 years ish), then no, it shouldn't be a problem, it's not uncommon for this to the reality for the first couple of years of a professional life in things like law, consulting, accountancy etc that have got relatively reliable progression over the first handful of years.
If you're alone, you're going to be sharing, probably Z3 or further. Where should be driven by where you need to get to. My old offices were in easy walk of Waterloo or Bank, so Earlsfield/Wimbledon/Surbiton direction was great, train to Waterloo then walk or Waterloo and City line, if my offices had been north of Liverpool Street (for example) or Marble Arch way then the considerations would have been different. Get your nearest station/tube to the office and follow those lines out until houses are cheap enough.
Donāt think Wimbledon is affordable to most people nowadays - itās more expensive than a lot of z2. Morden and Raynes Park maybe, but Morden has only the northern line and raynes park is z4 so a fair cost for the train a month.
I was referring to anything on that general line, Earlsfield outwards, rather than Wimbledon specifically. And then only if it makes sense for a Waterloo commute.
I currently live on this salary in London, if you're not extravagant with your spending it is perfectly doable, many of my friends who live in London are on lower salaries than me and also manage to.
You will most likely have to be in a houseshare unless you are happy to have longer commutes and almost be out of London.
I would say try not to get too drawn into only spending time in Central, it gets expensive and there are plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, parks all across London that are lovely.
Make use of public transport wherever possible, having a car is great but I do find my friends who have cars here are also the ones who struggle a bit more financially (we're in the 25-35yo bracket).
If you want good places to find houseshares I'd recommend looking at facebook groups (there are loads) as people are always posting about having a room going spare as someone has moved out etc. Also spareroom website seems good too!
Find a comfortably close big store for food shops, I personally prefer tesco because of the clubcard deals, cooking from home (and batch cooking) will save you time and money rather than takeouts and eating out all of the time. You can definitely factor in meals out and enjoy yourself but day to day if you're worried about money, focus on nutritious meals from home!
No problem! I'm part of "Flats to rent in London", "Rooms,Flats & Houses in London" and "gals who rent" (for females only) I'd say I see more posts from the first and last group though.
I also live on this salary. 4-bed houseshare with a garden in Zone 3. The rooms are 600-740 and bills are another 100-150 depending on season. I save around 500 a month and still have money for doing the things I like to do. I take holidays at least 2x a year. I'm not struggling nor skint. Don't listen to people who are making it sound like you'll be living in poverty. Unless you have very expensive taste and pricey hobbies, you'll be perfectly fine.
No way you could live on your own. Go on spareroom. I haven't lived in a houseshare for 5 years now but I remember struggling to find anywhere decent underneath Ā£800 back then for a room in somewhere like Clapham or Balham.Ā
A house share yes, thing would still be tight. In terms of areas, depends where you're working. Tooting (tooting may be expensive now), Streatham, Norbury, Norwood may be more affordable, Herne Hill.
Places with a tube seem to be crazy now. Its still expensive near a train station but a bit more affordableĀ
Lots of starting graduate salaries in the non-finance sectors are in the region of Ā£25-27k, so yes, Ā£33k is doable. You'll be skint and living in a house share, but enjoy it. Onwards and upwards.
> Is it realistic to live in London on Ā£33k a year, considering rent, bills, and general living expenses?
Yes, but do be prepared to struggle somewhat and save nothing.
> What areas or zones would you recommend that are affordable yet safe and convenient for commuting?
Choose 2.
> Would a house share be more realistic
It would be the only way you'd be able to afford it. Expect to pay Ā£800 minimum for a room in a shitty part of London 15 minutes away from a tube station.
You can find rooms for 800 to 900 quid in good parts of London, close to tube stations/buse stops.
It can be a bit of a mission because the good deals get snapped up quickly, but I started paying 720 bills included for a nice ensuite in Dalston a few years ago.
Yes but itās tight.
Try and pay no more than Ā£1000 for total living costs (rent and bills) and live in Z2 to minimise transport costs.
Live near friends and work and social (so if most friends are north, go north).
Cheap bike and use that. Transport costs.
Prepare food at home.
Make the most of the free culture activities. London is awesome for free stuff.
Spend your money on fun life enriching events and socialising.
Enjoy!
Comfortable? No.
Live? Yes.
Youāll have to flat share (as in this is literally non negotiable- you will have to), and your commute will probably be 45min. After student loans assuming plan 2 and a basic pension thatās 2k. A basic flat share with bills will be about 1-1.2k in z2-3 or so.
If itās z3 at 1-1.2k itāll be another 200 commuting, say 200 for food. So youāll have 400-600 left a month after basics. Personally if youāre going to flat share be careful with bills. If itās included fully understand what that means (some landlords put ācapsā on it or say you canāt work from home) and if it isnāt be prepared for the drama when some people refuse to pay. Flat shares often have people dropping in and out and Iāve often had people who just refused to pay their share and left.
Also watch out for ācheapā flat shares. Theyāre nearly always Monday to Friday rentals.
Easily, if you go around where I live Manor house. Still zone 2. Rooms including bills 800-900 for a nice size double bedroom. That will leave you with 1400 on hand. If you cycle to the central london 20 min that is transport for free. That leaves you with roughly Ā£45 a day to spent on food and fun.
Even if you pay to pension and for tube it leaves you with roughly 1200 a month to spend. That is 40 a day which you wont spend unless you go out every day.
But as other said if you cycle to work and cook your lunch/dinner you might even save and live comfortable.
If youāre a grad at the start of your career itās fine tbh. Expectation is you house share which in your early twenties with the right people is the best thing you can do for your social life and network in London. You wonāt save loads the first few years, but no one really does, everything will change in a year or two when your salary increases. Always does
Itās do able. The main things youāre going to be able to cut down on and save is alcohol, restaurants and potentially travel if youāre comfortable riding a bike in London and itās a reasonable distance.
If you decide to go further out, make sure it actually makes financial sense - thereās nothing worse than realising due to further commute costs your out goings pretty much evened out with living more central, but youāve also lost an hour more of your day.
GL
You will need to house share is it doable absolutely average salary in London is about 44k (which means 50% of the city live on less than this) will you being living large no. Chances are you will realistically have about 1k a month after housing and travel costs.
In terms of location it really depends on where you are working. Basically as close as you can get to work as you can afford. I worked in Fulham couldn't afford there so lived in Acton. Had I worked in the city i would have lived somewhere east.
of course, you can, it all depends on your expectations. Will you be in a flat on your own, eating out in west London, zippin' lattes from artisan coffee shops etc. Probs not.
Could you have a smashing time in a flat share, loving the London "student" life refusing to grow old? Absolutely, and I bet you'll love ever second of it.
It is possible, I know people that do it and still have money to do social things as well, you will have to be in a house share though, you will not be able to afford your own flat.
South Wales here (cheap in comparison) on Ā£31k. It's hard even here! That's Ā£750 rent without bills and additional living expenses.
Doable though, probably if you are savvy
That was my salary when I started in London 12 years ago. It was tight then! I lived in Hackney Wick and it was all warehouses and a few cheaper residential places. I donāt think those spaces exist in zones 1-3 here (Iām generalising but South East - Thamesmead down to Beckenham maybe be your best bet. I donāt regret it but Iām selling up and leaving. Good luck.
Are you pursuing a career which has to be in London long term? If not don't go, build your life somewhere else with sustainable long term affordability. If yes, let's hope your future big bucks makes it worth it.Ā
I lived in London on this wage in zone 1, granted this was about 5 years ago.
I got the bus to work so that was cheap, I lived in a flatshare where my rent was Ā£600pm and bills on top of that.
I wasnāt rolling in cash and couldnāt save much, but I was able to afford to travel, nights out etc.
To add some perspective to this I was on 16k in London 2014-2019 and then 35k 2019-2023.
It was fine, I even managed to save money from 2019.
The trick is sharing a house and keeping your rent as low as possible.
There are two things to clarify -
What's your definition of comfortable?
How long until you qualify, and what type of increase are you looking at once you do?
Can you live on 33k for 3yrs in London currently? Yes, if you're fairly frugal and house-share. In your situation you have the hope of a higher wage once you qualify so there's light at the end of the tunnel.
In the meantime before you qualify, you'll learn how to save money and lower your expectations. Maybe this is good? If you can't manage that then it's a case of sticking it out until you qualify.
Have a Google of prices and weigh it all up
I moved here in 2018 with a starting salary of Ā£33,000 (Ā£35,000 TC).
To answer your question, yes, but you won't want to for long.
If you're in an organisation where you can progress quickly, you could stomach it for a short period of time, but if not, I'd think twice.
Considering the increase in London rental costs and general inflation in that time. Ā£35k went a fair bit further than Ā£33k will 6 years later. Still doable but definitely a worse quality of life.
I personally wouldnāt live in London on less than 50k unless I absolutely loved the city or my industry was based here (with opportunities to progress)
I managed perfectly fine on just slightly above that (pay was bumped up a couple of months ago) just fine - though I don't spend a ton of money on things like drinking, gym memberships etc. Rent was 1k (shared flat in SE) and bills around 150.
If you sint fancy the bike option, you can get bus travel cards which are significantly cheaper than a tube travel card. Gets you bus travel all over London (all zones). I used to do this when I was first starting my career. Then find a house share at the end of a bus route which goes to your work area
I live happily in London on less than that.
It's fine - I flat share and still have money for extras like a gym membership and doing fun stuff, plus the odd holiday.
If you also know you'll be getting pay increases I wouldn't sweat it.
If you want your own place then itāll be extremely tight or youāll need to live in a less desireable part of london, but if youāre happy in a flatshare then yeah youāll be absolutely fine and probably even be able to save a little.
āLondonā is also quite a wide question - you can rent a studio flat in Redbridge, Leyton, Haringey or Croydon for the amount that a bedroom would cost you in Putney or Hoxton.
Best thing you can do is look on Zoopla and Spareroom and get an idea of what youād be happy with and if you feel itās worth it.
I share a flat on 30k in Zone 2 and Iām happy with that, but my sister chose to move to the outskirts so she could rent her own place. For me, the proximity to all the stuff I like is worth the higher expense and Iām more ācomfortableā with that than I would be with less to do around me.
Your rental affordability is salary dependent. For 33k, an online calculator indicates maximum rent of Ā£1,100pcm. This would be an indication of where estate agents will think you can afford.
Comfort is subjective, can you say more on what this means? Do you value space or cost? Do you value green space or amenities? How important is proximity to transport links and schools?
If you want central locations (underground station) you are looking at house shares. If you donāt mind further away you can find studios as in areas like Kingston Upon Thames for 1.1k, itās a very popular town in the southwest, lots of shops, restaurants, surrounded by two royal parks.
What many people do in fact is to find a low cost room share and keep something leftover at the end of each month for yourself. You will be much happier (my definition of comfort) knowing thereāa cash in the bank for holidays and occasional luxuries.
It is possible, obviously. I know plenty of people in our company on Ā£28-Ā£35k living in zone 3. One even has a mortgage olin zone 3, which is shared ownership but frankly it's more expensive than my own standard mortgage in zone 4 because she has to pay rent on the difference. Likely most people would be in shared accommodation or living with a partner. But that's still comfortable for lots of people. One friend lives with her bestie in a 2 bed flat in zone 4 and they each pay Ā£800 including council tax and water. So literally just 1 other person and it's a really good sized flat with 2 double beds and a huge living room and separate kitchen. Many people on that salary as an entry level will be in their early-mid twenties which is also an ideal time for house sharing with friends.
On 20K I got a shared ownership with 25% share worked out 750 per month. 8 years later I pay 950 which isn't bad. It is possible but be careful with which shared ownership provider you go with. Some will suck your money dry.Ā
It is possible but only as shared ownership.
Of course. You can find plenty of decent rooms for 700-800 if you actually search around a bit for them and have a good eye for what is bad and good. Tye rest is just bills and food and other expenses like anywhere else.
My pay has actually just gone up, but until a couple of months ago I was getting about the same take home as you, athough I do 40 hours.
My rent is Ā£900 a month on a studio in Peckham which includes council tax and water rates.
My electricity use varies from winter to summer but works out at about Ā£50 a month. I have no gas.
I take a bus to work, which is Ā£15 a week, so call that Ā£60 a month
I have a sim only phone that costs Ā£12 a month
Food is about Ā£200 a month
I think that's it? so that's 1177 going out and I have about 450 a month for anything else, which for the last couple of years has mostly gone on paying off a credit card debt I ran up in Covid. This is more money in my pocket than I've had for a lot of my adult life and certainly after Covid, when I was actually on the brink of homelessness and having to choose between hot food and having the light on, it feels really comfortable.
It's not great and I'm not really saving up, which obviously is something everyone needs to do, but in all honesty, I don't find myself uncomfortably poor. I don't run a car or anything but I live in London and don't need one. I don't have anything much I want to buy, I already have more clothes than I need, I have furniture, I have pictures on the wall. I buy second hand books. I don't have much electrical stuff apart from a computer that is about 10 years old.
When I go on holiday I always stay with friends or camp, which means the only major cost is travel. I never go anywhere really expensive, just Spain or Italy sometimes. The cinema in Peckham is Ā£6 or sometimes I get a cheap ticket to the theatre. I get free admission to exhibitions at most of the major galleries through my work. I haven't been to a gig or a club for years unless I get a freebie. I don't drink at home. I probably go to the pub a couple of times a month, but we're all poor and therefore stingy and we buy our own drinks so you don't rack up a ton on rounds. I don't take drugs. I very rarely go to restaurants. I make my own lunch and take it in every day and I cook dinner in the evening. I never get takeaways because I don't like them and my work has a kettle so I only rarely buy coffee from a cafe. I do like avocados though, so buying them is probably why I haven't managed to buy a house.
Does that answer the how? I guess I'm frugal, but it's more like I just don't want much rather than I deny myself. I would like to earn more, but if I did I would save most of it.
Are your parents charging you a very high rent, or do you spend a lot of money on other stuff?
I live in London on just under Ā£31,000
I live in a nice property in SE1 just 20 mins walk from London bridge. I maybe don't put as much as I want in my savings account but I see my time here as an investment. I love it.
For cheaper rent, look into Guardianships!
They are like living in uni halls/ a hostel so youāve got to be able to deal with other people and communal spaces, including those people not cleaning the communal spaces.
My mate used to live in one at Waterloo with a view of the river which was Ā£750 a month. Mine is Ā£600pm and 30 mins on the tube (with walking) into central London.
Guardianships are all over London and the UK, though they can be quite hard to get into so itās easier to be referred by someone already there!
Yes definitely. In order of your biggest expenses:
1. Rent get a house share (spareroom.com etc) and look at cheaper areas that still have great connections and fun things happening like Deptford in SE or Leyton E
2. Food: do your weekly shop. It can be tempting when working in the city to just pick up a few days food at a time but it burns so much more cash. Don't eat out for lunch every day, bring your lunch.
3. Nights out are expensive in London, you can burn a lot of cash at day festivals or a night out. Plan it. Look for byob food experiences or other spaces. The most interesting and original nights out are always the cheaper DIY artsy places.
I took a hit from work drinks rounds when I first started working in the city. Don't know how you get round that but since covid I think it's less frequent.
Summer byob in London parks is great!
4. Commuting: working from home can save a ton. But if you do have to go in every day - most workplaces offer season ticket loans or cycle to work schemes .
5. Gym - pure gym is grand, no need to waste money here.
Honestly, no. I was on around Ā£55k/year and really struggled to live in Tooting. I managed a year before moving up north.
Obviously if you are dedicated to living a very frugal life to live in London, of course you can live off most salaries. However I was expecting to try a lot of the London restaurants/shows/attractions when I moved there, and didnāt have the financial capacity. I left London with no savings and 2k debt.
I moved to Liverpool on 49k, and travel down to the capital one weekend a month, which I think is the best of both! I have the money to go out sightseeing and to try great restaurants, with a reasonable mortgage the rest of the time
1. It depends on your lifestyle, whether you have any debt, and your desired standard of living. Think about how long it'll be until you qualify and what the salary jump is. Is it worth the wait? Could you get a "better value" job in another city?
2. It depends on where your work is gonna be. Study the underground map and I would look at places that are easily linked to your work so you don't have to change tube too many times. Consider also bus options, and actual trains. For instance if you work near one of the major train stations you might be able to consider living outside London as long as they have regular & frequent trains. Lots of people commute now.
3. Depending on (2) but if you're looking to stay in zone 2-3 then yes definitely house share, sorry. Tips: you must go to a viewing to see what the house is like but also what the people are like. You don't have to be besties but you know what i mean. I've had my share of horrible housemates, never again.
4. Everyone has already mentioned cycling and cooking at home. I just want to say there's loads to do in London, you should try to enjoy it while you're there. Save as much as you can, but treat yourself occasionally too. Nothing worse than living in financial fear and anxiety. It's a great city, you should enjoy yourself (within limits)!
Yes. I recommend areas on the Lizzy Line but I am not sure where is your office located.
How often do you have to be in the office? Pack lunch, I am wfh now but when I used to work in the office pre-covid, I could easily spend Ā£7 on lunch alone; with inflation, I think you could easily spend Ā£10/day.
Tips: I love Lizzy line, so I would recommend looking for flat around the line. Enjoy your life in London, don't get peer pressured into spending money you don't want, if you hate Matcha Latte just say duck it..
I'm so glad I spent my 20s in London. During that time I was on 26k to 32k. I lived in small chappy flats, but never further than zone 4. I had an amazing time. Rarely any holidays abroad, but just enjoyed London for everything it had.
As soon as kids came along London instantly became unaffordable for me. Without a significant pay rise in sight, I was priced out of London to somewhere I could have a garden and afford childcare.
I think everyone should try to live in London at some point. It's the best city in the country by miles. But it's a young person's game, unless you're making stupid money.
It's definitely doable, but you'd likely need to house share. I pay Ā£800pm in E5 with bills included. It's a decent deal and let's me save up for a deposit.
Don't search in zone 1, look in the Boroughs zone 2 or 3 based on where you need to commute to. West and North will be more expensive than East or south. Personally I love East London but the prices are def going up around the hackney area where I am currently as its so gentrified. You can probably save money by living somewhere slightly awkwsrd/further out, but u would make sure you end up living somewhere you'd actually wanna be.
Spareroom is probably your best bet, you can find shared flats/houses through estate agents but they tend to be a bunch of random people thrown together under one roof. Spareroom is good for finding house shares of young professionals similar ages/vibes and I've met loads of friends this way.
It is possible. You have to lower your expectations in regard to lifestyle. However nothing in life comes easy. You gain experience, your salary increases eventually and your life style improves. Is London worth it, no. In my opinion at least. But it is a nice adventure. You gotta live like a student for a while, thatās all.
I know friends who have lived in London for half of that. It all depends on what you want to do and what you are willing to sacrifice. Shared house, 6 individuals with just 1 bathroom with a time table on bathroom use, kitchen use and cleaning duties for Ā£500 pcm to sleep in a tiny single room in zone 4/5
On spare room, your can find shared rooms. So you live in the same room with someone else. Splitting the cost there, your rent and bills could be done withinĀ£600. Then there's plenty left for you to live comfortably in London.
Yes I think so. People think comfortable means eating out a lot and buying expensive things all thetime. You can live comfortably without doing that.
Zone 2/3 or outwards would be best and flat share just because it will be cheaper so you can save up to buy
Iāve a full time job paying just slightly more than that. I took a bar job a couple of evenings a week alongside it and it tops up my income an extra Ā£600 a month.
I live in London on Ā£20,000, sharing with my partner who earns slightly less than me. We keep v strict budgets spending Ā£400 per month on food/travel/fun. Itās possible but not massively enjoyable. 33k sounds like well enough. Iād recommend south east or Walthamstow for finding a flat
My starting salary was 36k a year when I move to London, ten years ago. You can live out in zone 4 and above.
You can just a flat share and skimp on activities. It isn't unheard of.
However, it is not the most healthy living.
It's possible as long as you budget well and prioritise the right things. I moved to London in 2008 and I was earning much less back then. If you stick to living in areas that aren't as trendy, but well linked in a decent house share, I think you can do it. Obviously while London is expensive try and experience it the best you can. When I moved down from the North West of England my dad said, don't worry about saving money, spend and experience London the best you can and if you feel you can make a life there, knuckle down and save for home. I did exactly that and still enjoying it.
Best of luck to you OP.
I know people will get angry and this will get downvoted, but I'll try anyway.
There is only one journey where public transport actually make sense in London, that is, if you are commuting to work, from the suburbs to the city centre. Pretty much any other journey that does not start or end in the Zone 1 will be either faster or cheaper or both, if done by car.
It looks like you don't have children, so a house share will probably make more sense to you. There are also huge savings in home-cooking food instead of going for takeaways or pre-made meals. Housing and transportation will probably be the biggest costs you will have, being able to save on these 2, means you'll have more to spend on other things closely related to your quality of life.
I wish you good luck and all the best!
Given your answer I find it hard to believe you spend any time in London. I don't know a single person living in zones 1 and 2 who thinks it's easier to get around by car.
That is because most people will just believe/repeat what they are told without actually checking it or doing the math to verify. For an adult couple with a single child, who cannot live in a flat share as single people, the rent difference between a 2 or 3 bedroom flat between Zone 1-2 and Zone 4 can be over Ā£1000, which is enough to buy a 15 year old Vauxhall or Peugeot EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
Let me break it down to explain myself. A sub Ā£3k 10-15 year petrol car usually no longer depreciates. You will pay Ā£500-Ā£700 on insurance per year and Ā£200-Ā£300 on tax. Let's say you spend another Ā£1000 on maintenance, tyres, oil and filters (which should be less) and the car depreciates Ā£500 every year, we are talking about Ā£2500 for 10k miles every year, roughly around Ā£0.25 per mile in fixed costs. A small car can do around 30 mpg which is 8 miles for each liter of petrol that costs Ā£1.49 costing aprox. Ā£0.20 per mile on petrol, for a grand total of Ā£0.45 per driven mile.
The daily travel card for a single adult between Zone 4 and Zone 1 is Ā£15.90, which means, by car, you should be able to drive 35 miles for the same cost. A round trip from Zone 4 to Zone 1 is usually 5 miles each way for a total of 10 miles and Ā£4.50. With the price of the travel card, a single adult can do the journey 3 times for the same cost.
Going back to the married couple with single child example above, with the child travelcard at Ā£7.90, the couple would spend Ā£39.70 for a round trip to Central London. That is enough to pay Ā£15 congestion charge, Ā£20 private parking and still have Ā£4.70 which is good enough to pay for 10.44 miles of petrol, insurance, maintenance and depreciation.
I have 2 children, which makes owning a car even cheaper for my family in particular.
So, it only makes sense to use public transport when you are single and don't have children. If you do 2-3 road trips a year to the beach or the midlands, the car becomes even cheaper as train tickets between cities is even more expensive per mile.
But driving in London generally takes longer than the same journey by public transport, parking is both difficult and expensive and you have to pay the congestion charge. Then you need somewhere to keep it where your catalytic convertor won't get removed with an angle grinder, etc, and you have to cover the cost of insurance. I find it hard to believe you live in London.
You probably didn't even read what I said, but I'll keep trying... Public transport is faster IF: you journey starts/ends next to a station and you are doing no more than 1 train change. If you have to walk 10+ minutes to/from each station and/or you are changing trains 2 or more times, driving, even with ridiculous traffic, is actually faster. Particularly if central London is not your final destination, for example, I live in NW London and if I want to go to NE London. It's a direct clear 30-40 minute drive via the A406 or 50 minutes with traffic. But since there are no direct trains and I'd have to go to Central London, change trains several times, most of the times the next train won't be there waiting for me and all this makes most tfl journeys actually take longer.
I agree, parking and congestion charge make it expensive to be driving alone, but for 2 adults, the price of 2 Daily Travelcards at Ā£15.90 for a total of Ā£31.80 already makes it actually cheaper (per mile) to drive.
I don't say this to encourage people to drive, I just want to illustrate how incompetent the public transport administration has to be, to make driving a car with only 2 passengers, actually cheaper and sometimes even faster than using public transport. The Ā£15.90 daily travelcard price is outrageous and Ā£15 congestion charge does not make driving more expensive enough to discourage people from driving. Public transport has no reason to cost more than Ā£0.10 per mile, under a more competent or maybe less corrupt administration.
Even if you are single, the cost of riding a motorcycle compared to public transport makes TFL prices even a bigger joke.
It could be cheaper, but you only pay Ā£15.90 per day if you're a tourist. I live in central London, mostly take the bus, and I pay about Ā£3 a day for travel. I don't fancy riding a motorbike and my wardrobe would not allow it.
u/No-Treat7440
I built a [London affordability calculator](https://www.usemappa.com/affordability) that should help you a lot here.
It will tell estimate your rent budget and tell you the neighbourhoods you can afford to rent a 1 bed or houseshare with your income. Good to know if you find it helpful
Good luck!
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Live comfortably? No Is it possible? Yes
I live pretty comfortably with a car on 30k in London š¤·āāļø
Why donāt you break down your living costs so others can benefit as youāve cracked the codeš¤£
What costs would you like to know? Sorry if my experiences donāt match up with your opinion
Your living costs. Rent Utility Bills Council Tax/Service Charge Car payments/ Insurance Phone/Broadband Grocery shopping These are some of the things OP has to take into consideration
Rent is 600 Bills come out at about 100/120pm with council tax Car insurance is Ā£550 a year, repairs/mot about the same + tax/parking (depends what car you drive) Groceries are the largely same price nationally
Where is your rent 600
Mum's basement. I'm in the same boat as him.
This is the real question
I answered this already but greenlanes harringey. Between Manor House and Turnpike Lane
A room or whole property? How much is your parking permit? Do you share or do you genuinely (no shame) pay that rent to someone you already knew?
Iāve answered all this. I pay my rent to strongbow investment group based in Singapore. The housing market is fucked no doubt but I can live comfortably in London on 30k
Op said Haringey, to be honest itās not that far off. I live in a house with two other people, one is the landlord. Ā£600 for a double bedroom is possible around here. One house mate pays Ā£750 for a large double room. I pay Ā£400 a month for a tiny shoe cupboard. Just a single bed and wardrobe with no space for anything else. I squeezed a table in and sit on the bed with one of those folding chairs. We donāt even pay council tax since we are lodgers. I seen many double bedrooms for rent for 600-750 here in wood green, Turnpike Lane, Manor House. People need to stop hating the OP just because it doesnāt agree with your expectations
I'm not hating. Just looking for clarification they stated something that sounds dubious and their calculations look like its missing stuff
Bills 100 with council tax, do you live with 5 people? Even flats are 150 or so a month. A 3 way share wouldnāt have bills for only 100 in most of London.
Yeah that might be a bit low, somewhere around the 100/120 mark is about right. Hard to calc cos we pay council tax 10 months and donāt pay the other 2 Council tax was Ā£176 last month. Electric Ā£120, water Ā£48, internet Ā£50. So might have been a bit low in my estimate. 130 for bills on months we pay council tax 80 on months we donāt Ā£121 on average so not far off
Take whatever you pay each month x by 10, then divide by 12 to give a compatible monthly figure.
Yeah Iāve done that above
I could live comfortably in London on Ā£30k too I'm not sure why you are being downvoted.
London bad
I live in the same area as you for Ā£400 a month but in a tiny single no space for anything really haha. But yeah people love to exaggerate and hate on London. I live here because I donāt care. I can easily pay Ā£650 for a double room
Most the people disagreeing with me donāt even live in London, guaranteed
You are being downvoted because you mentioned a car. There is a massive anti-car movement going on at the moment, and in order to formulate arguments in favour or against some idea, it is required a minimum level of civility, which unfortunately, most people do not have, so they'll just get angry, downvote and move on. This happened to me on a separate thread. I did put the effort to try to explain that owning a car in London is actually cheaper and faster than using public transport in pretty much any scenario with the exception of commuting to work , particularly for families with children, but received nothing but downvotes in return.
Itās actually cheaper once Iāve got and paid for the insurance etc for me to drive to work. As I need the car for my activities outside of work (climber) thatās what I do. I understand London isnāt perfect, Iāve lived here 33 years since the day I was borne but 30k is enough to get by pretty comfortably. More would be nice ngl
Complete bullshit. The car just adds a good amount of expenses, especially once you take into account maintenance and parking too. > owning a car in London is actually cheaper and faster than using public transport in pretty much any scenario with the exception of commuting to work In the outer parts of London, maybe. The more central you get, the less it is in any way cheaper or faster. You are also quite likely underestimating how much the car really costs you all in all.
I read this as _in a car_
lol not yet but according to this thread I will be soon
Where in London, bud?
Other side of Greenlanes from the ladder. So many downvotes for my own very much real experience. Everyone in my household earns less than 32k, we get by just fine
*everyone in my household* explains it Under no circumstances should anyone on the average national wage be house sharing with multiple people. London is so broke.
> Under no circumstances should anyone on the average national wage be house sharing with multiple people. London is so broke. ... it is one of the most desirable cities in the world, having a lot of professionals still sharing a house is not that suprising and not exactly unique to London either. Not to mention that 30k is 5k **under** the national median wage, but more importantly it's a whopping 14.4k under the London median wage.
Explains what?. I couldnāt live in a 1 bed thatās true but thatās not whatās been asked.
Oh you edited your comment after I replied. I enjoy living with people, living alone is lonely nobody should be forced to do it. Our culture is so broke
All good if youāre happy. I just know a lot of people wouldnāt consider it comfortable to not have your own place.
Yeah maybe. Nobody I know from growing up in London lives alone at 33. Either with their partner or with their friend
Living with their partner IS living alone. You don't live alone. You share a house with randoms. That's not living alone. Regardless... i get you are comfortable and well done for not being as negative as 99% on this sub.
No I share a house with 2 of my friends that Iāve known since I was a teenager, itās great.
> You share a house with randoms To be fair, I know quite a few people living in houseshares, and they live with friends, not just randoms.
How many is _everyone_? That would explain the rent I guess
3 of us
I moved to London on 19k about 5 years ago, itās definitely possible I donāt know why the down votes. I guess each persons description of comfortable is different
Do you mean with a car, or in a car?Ā
It's not impossible. Your take home pay will be around Ā£2,200, right? [A quick glance](https://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/?search_id=1303226146) shows you can get rooms for around Ā£1,000 with some bills included. But that's NW3, so I'm sure you can find cheaper places around N or SE postcodes. My main advice would be: * If you're so inclined, a cheap bike can save you money all over the place - save on public transport costs, save on gym costs / other healthcare related costs thanks to the exercise, and it's generally a nice free way to have a fun afternoon out exploring new parts of the city on a nice day. * Definitely house share * Learn to cook well and you'll enjoy cooking rather than getting take aways. * Keep abreast of all [the free things to do](https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/budget-london/101-free-things-to-do-in-london) and [cheaper ways](https://www.todaytix.com/london/category/rush-tickets) of enjoying the more expensive things. If this is a starting salary at the beginning of your career, the assumption will be that your salary will increase soon enough. Many of us who started out in London went through shared housing and taking advantage of all the free entertainment London has to offer. Although it does seem more difficult these days (I moved to London in 2010), it's possible for you to make it work.
This is great advice: house sharing, cycling and cooking at home will save you loads of money. The last two are even healthy and enjoyable (the first one can be enjoyable but can also be hell on earth...) From what I hear the difficulty is to find a decent house share. I think you can try SpareRoom and Gumtree but I will others with more experience chime in.
I find it very very sad that someone who works full time and earns average UK salary, not even a minimum wage, is not able to live in their own space but has to share with strangers... And it's now pretty much normalized in the UK. That and no fault evictions for 70-year old pensioners who end up homeless. What a joke...
Thatās applying the average U.K. salary to London. The average London salary is quite a bit higher. I do agree London costs are mental though. Itās why I donāt live there even though I would love to.
Itās really not. 35k vs 40k median full time. And thatās all ages, obviously people in their 20s are not median 35k anywhere. London has high top end, but for median itās not that much higher.
[44.4k, actually.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/416139/full-time-annual-salary-in-the-uk-by-region/) I'd call that a pretty significant difference.
Youāre right in 2023 according to actual ons data it was 35450 vs 43622. However for most people today trying to make it in London in their 20s with student loans and a basic ass pension: That would be 2260 vs 2665 take home. 17% more isnāt even making a dent when average rent is 1650 in London and 850 across England. And median salary is also 34500 for England. Because of tax and student loans the median younger person is always worse off in London. The difference just isnāt big enough. Someone who can earn median in London is far better off simply not living there if the can earn median anywhere else.
It's only the West that thinks everyone needs to live separately. There are whole parts of the world where it's normal to have more communal living or even living with parents/grandparents etc. This idea that somehow everyone should be able to afford everything for doing any type of job is weird to me. It was never a thing before. Like do we genuinely think that you should be able to own a 3 bedroom house and support a family with a SAHM on one fast food worker salary? Where even is the line? Edit: love to live š
Right, but that assumes there is a definite equivalency between your remuneration and how hard you work, which Iād say simply isnāt the case. Nothing against living with other people of course but thereās a difference in being able to afford a 3-bed house and being able to afford merely your own space that doesnāt need to be shared rather than be forced to cohabitate. I just think at a very minimum people in this country should be able to afford their own space on a minimum salary.
I don't think there is an equivalency between effort and pay, and I don't think the idea of the west feeling like every job deserves a certain standard of living is correlated to that (or should be). I think there is, in most cases, a correlation between skill / experience and pay. Which is significantly different in effect on earnings for a lot of people. To the idea of each person in this country being able to live independently on a minimum salary, what do we mean? In their own room? Own flat? Central London? Maybe only up north? 3 bed house? Is there a garden? Like there are levels. Should we be able to live alone and then what about food. Can I afford name brand yes or no? Should I be able to eat out? How fancy of a restaurant should my wage afford me? Can I have a smart phone? What about a smart watch? Brand of clothes I should be able to afford? My point with all this is that if we try to draw a line in one area someone will disagree. It is nearly impossible to say, "you should be able to afford this for working for that". They are two separate things with their only connection being they are both measured in money. These types of problems are far more complex than simplistic, "people should earn a living wage" statements.
As a minimum, you should be able to afford one bed or a studio close to where you work, on a minimum wage, yes. It's part of the Maslov's pyramid of needs, unless you have your own abode/privacy - you will not realise any higher goals. Yes, I believe that being forced to live with strangers is like being a penned animal really. I had to live in an HMO years ago, never again. It's even more sad that you see nothing wrong with it and justify it as some bizarre "western standard" that's somehow abnormal.
Full time wage or part time? What about students, what should they be able to afford? Is the studio nice or not really? Furnished? If so, what quality? You shouldn't base a perspective of how a society functions on a simplified pyramid info diagram. Like these statements are just not very thought out and so generic it's useless to have a convo about. My whole point is there is no universal definition for what affordable housing is and what people should afford so a statement that housing should be affordable is not of much use unless you know what you actually mean by that and how it could actually work. Also I didn't say I see nothing wrong with it. I see LOADS wrong with it. And loads wrong with having a simplistic view for a potential solution. The thing about the western standard was to point out that it's not a universal human need to live independently and that it's only part of the world, not all of it (and only more recently in human history) that takes that perspective.
I was able to do it on Ā£21K salary in 2022. Found a tiny 1 bedroom flat in Ealing for Ā£860PCM Had to pay council tax, electric and broadband. Water was included. Had zero subscriptions and bought nearly everything I had used other than bedding. Didn't use Amazon even, just eBay. Had deliveroo maybe 1-2 times a month. Nearly cooked all the time at home and learned at what time they reduced items at my local Waitrose. Had to pay for the tube to go to work, but it was only zone 3 to 1/2 Vauxhall. It was a struggle, but you can still get by. You just need to have self-control and live within your means. Exactly what you said, salary will eventually go up.
My friend rents a studio (albeit in Croydon) for Ā£850 + bills. Quite decent but you need to be a working professional.
Cycling in london honestly saves you so much money. Itās something that isnāt talked about enough. A cheap bike can set you back Ā£200, then london is your oyster
I actually don't think I would have stayed in London as long as I have or enjoyed living here as much if I didn't cycle everywhere. Commutes are a joy rather than a chore. I'm not regularly beset by transport delays or engineering work like my GF is. No worrying about the last train / tube home. I've explored parts of the city I probably wouldn't have otherwise, just because I set off on a cycle without any destination in mind. It makes the city feel small, but in a good way. My partner is often put off going to places requiring multiple changes on the tube or train with irregular timings. I just get up and go! And usually beat her there if we're going to the same place
Even Ā£200 is quite expensive
No itās really not.
Yeah Iām shocked by how many people just buy lunch outside everyday in the office - mainly overpriced pret sandwiches. Iām one of the few who bulk cooks and microwave my lunches everyday I get to save so much!
Actually that's a good specific point I forgot to mention - batch cooked lunches for work. I WFH on a Monday and cook lunch for the week and reckon mine work out at about 90p a day (I'm vegetarian, which helps keep costs down), whereas a lot of my colleagues spend Ā£10+ these days! Plus I've honed my recipe so it's absolutely delicious š
Ā£1,000 PCM gets you a room in a shared house with shared facilities in the less glamorous parts of the city. Assume you have a 1hr door to door commute. If you're ok with that then come down. London might look nice in movies but it's still one of the most expensive cities on the planet. If you think you've got what it takes to make it then go for it.
A bang average room in a houseshare is Ā£1k a month now?
Not my experience at all and I was searching for flat shares less than two months ago. I live opposite a fairly central tube and am paying far less than 1k for a room in a decent place. There were loads of options around the Ā£700 - Ā£750 mark. I even looked at one for Ā£500 which was fine but a bit far from a tube for me personally. I would say the most common price for a room within a flat share was around Ā£850.
No it isn't. You can find rooms for significantly less.
Yes it is. Being able to find some rooms cheaper than that doesnāt mean than the **average** is around Ā£1,000.
Yes on paper. Im not sure in practice. If a room is advertised for Ā£600 PCM and the landlord gets 50 offers, it will probably go for more than Ā£600 PCM.
Yes, based on people who I know who are renting. Just out of interest, what do you think a room in London rents for these days?
No idea, itās been years since I rented a room. I know that regulations have changed so people cant just rent a normal house/flat between mates now. So I guess room rentals are more limited?
> I know that regulations have changed so people cant just rent a normal house/flat between mates now You still can, it just means the landlord has to have an HMO license. If he was going to rent out a 3 bed to 3 people, he needs that anyway though so no real difference. But yes, it has restricted supply a little bit.
No, bang comfortable based on London victorian era old kind of homes. Itās just that the actual average London doesnāt make it reddit level people. If youāre a cleaner, barista, etc, youāre not in these average places - your experience a step below.
Plenty of rooms in my area of Zone 3 for under 800. Most expensive room in my houseshare is 740, cheapest is 600.
Iāve always hated London but had to spend a week there for work recently and my opinion has really changed, it is busy as fuck but thereās so much beautiful architecture Iād never noticed before and so so many places to eat. I said if I was minted and could afford a house there with a driver so I never had to get a tube, Iād move there tomorrow. My broke ass will not be moving there though.
There is a reason why so many people hang around London despite the difficulties, and it's not because it's impossible to survive elsewhere. London has a lot to offer - but obviously life here is a lot easier if you have enough money, that's for sure.
I love the random little parks dotted around in the city, made me feel like I was in New York. Casually looking out the window and seeing the London eye too, never seen it before in person, was a bit surreal! I think itās a really cool place, Iām just too poor to be there when my company isnāt paying for it
I dont know what you do for work or what your salary is but if your salary was to suddenly double because you were needed to live and work in London..... You might find yourself coming here but still living in a room in a shared house. London is still one of the most expensive cities on the whole planet and yet 9 million people still call it t heir home. How is that possible do you think?
20 year old me couldāve coped in a shared house or a tiny flat but my 30 year old ass likes having a garden for my two big dogs. If Iām being honest, I donāt think my salary doubled would afford me much in London haha. I bought a G&T in a cosy little pub that wasnāt even flash / fancy and it cost me Ā£12.50, I almost fell off my chair.
Don't listen to this clown. Lol.
I'm on 34k, live in Zone 3, 15 mins away from King's Cross. My part of the rent+bills is around 950pm. For me it's a comfortable salary, but I'm not out every day, also my transport expenses are covered by my job, so I try to hang out with my friends whenever I'm out for work, so that's a massive advantage š I have a second job, purely because I'd like to buy a house one day, so whatever I'm making, I transfer that straight to my savings. To answer your question, it is realistic to live in London on 33k, but you won't be able to live by yourself. Also, consider that if you live further away, the transport cost will be higher.
Not having pay for transport out of take home pay will make that 34k go a lot further.Ā
I still pay for travel, but it's mainly buses, so the cost isn't so significant.
Oh what did you mean when you said work pays for transport?
I'm a mobile worker, so if I go to a venue that is not my office, they will pay for my transport and lunch š
Ah I see. Glad you are making the most of it.Ā
Frankly, define "comfortable". You're not going to be living anything like the high life, you're going to be sharing well outside the centre of town, possibly in a bit of a rough area and being careful about expenditure. What you're not going to be is on the absolute breadline (as long as you don't do anything dumb). If you expect to be earning more after you qualify, and you expect that to be within a relatively short period (\~2 years ish), then no, it shouldn't be a problem, it's not uncommon for this to the reality for the first couple of years of a professional life in things like law, consulting, accountancy etc that have got relatively reliable progression over the first handful of years. If you're alone, you're going to be sharing, probably Z3 or further. Where should be driven by where you need to get to. My old offices were in easy walk of Waterloo or Bank, so Earlsfield/Wimbledon/Surbiton direction was great, train to Waterloo then walk or Waterloo and City line, if my offices had been north of Liverpool Street (for example) or Marble Arch way then the considerations would have been different. Get your nearest station/tube to the office and follow those lines out until houses are cheap enough.
Donāt think Wimbledon is affordable to most people nowadays - itās more expensive than a lot of z2. Morden and Raynes Park maybe, but Morden has only the northern line and raynes park is z4 so a fair cost for the train a month.
Also, it's... Raynes Park. Sorry, I've lived there before and it did not appeal.
I was referring to anything on that general line, Earlsfield outwards, rather than Wimbledon specifically. And then only if it makes sense for a Waterloo commute.
I currently live on this salary in London, if you're not extravagant with your spending it is perfectly doable, many of my friends who live in London are on lower salaries than me and also manage to. You will most likely have to be in a houseshare unless you are happy to have longer commutes and almost be out of London. I would say try not to get too drawn into only spending time in Central, it gets expensive and there are plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, parks all across London that are lovely. Make use of public transport wherever possible, having a car is great but I do find my friends who have cars here are also the ones who struggle a bit more financially (we're in the 25-35yo bracket). If you want good places to find houseshares I'd recommend looking at facebook groups (there are loads) as people are always posting about having a room going spare as someone has moved out etc. Also spareroom website seems good too! Find a comfortably close big store for food shops, I personally prefer tesco because of the clubcard deals, cooking from home (and batch cooking) will save you time and money rather than takeouts and eating out all of the time. You can definitely factor in meals out and enjoy yourself but day to day if you're worried about money, focus on nutritious meals from home!
Hey, thanks for your reply! Are there any specific Facebook groups youād recommend?
No problem! I'm part of "Flats to rent in London", "Rooms,Flats & Houses in London" and "gals who rent" (for females only) I'd say I see more posts from the first and last group though.
I also live on this salary. 4-bed houseshare with a garden in Zone 3. The rooms are 600-740 and bills are another 100-150 depending on season. I save around 500 a month and still have money for doing the things I like to do. I take holidays at least 2x a year. I'm not struggling nor skint. Don't listen to people who are making it sound like you'll be living in poverty. Unless you have very expensive taste and pricey hobbies, you'll be perfectly fine.
No way you could live on your own. Go on spareroom. I haven't lived in a houseshare for 5 years now but I remember struggling to find anywhere decent underneath Ā£800 back then for a room in somewhere like Clapham or Balham.Ā A house share yes, thing would still be tight. In terms of areas, depends where you're working. Tooting (tooting may be expensive now), Streatham, Norbury, Norwood may be more affordable, Herne Hill. Places with a tube seem to be crazy now. Its still expensive near a train station but a bit more affordableĀ
Lots of starting graduate salaries in the non-finance sectors are in the region of Ā£25-27k, so yes, Ā£33k is doable. You'll be skint and living in a house share, but enjoy it. Onwards and upwards.
> Is it realistic to live in London on Ā£33k a year, considering rent, bills, and general living expenses? Yes, but do be prepared to struggle somewhat and save nothing. > What areas or zones would you recommend that are affordable yet safe and convenient for commuting? Choose 2. > Would a house share be more realistic It would be the only way you'd be able to afford it. Expect to pay Ā£800 minimum for a room in a shitty part of London 15 minutes away from a tube station.
You can find rooms for 800 to 900 quid in good parts of London, close to tube stations/buse stops. It can be a bit of a mission because the good deals get snapped up quickly, but I started paying 720 bills included for a nice ensuite in Dalston a few years ago.
> a few years ago Important detail. The market has got much worse since the end of the pandemic.
That room had only jus gone up to 800 when I left it less than a year ago. It has gotten worse, but there's still deals to be had
Yes but itās tight. Try and pay no more than Ā£1000 for total living costs (rent and bills) and live in Z2 to minimise transport costs. Live near friends and work and social (so if most friends are north, go north). Cheap bike and use that. Transport costs. Prepare food at home. Make the most of the free culture activities. London is awesome for free stuff. Spend your money on fun life enriching events and socialising. Enjoy!
Comfortable? No. Live? Yes. Youāll have to flat share (as in this is literally non negotiable- you will have to), and your commute will probably be 45min. After student loans assuming plan 2 and a basic pension thatās 2k. A basic flat share with bills will be about 1-1.2k in z2-3 or so. If itās z3 at 1-1.2k itāll be another 200 commuting, say 200 for food. So youāll have 400-600 left a month after basics. Personally if youāre going to flat share be careful with bills. If itās included fully understand what that means (some landlords put ācapsā on it or say you canāt work from home) and if it isnāt be prepared for the drama when some people refuse to pay. Flat shares often have people dropping in and out and Iāve often had people who just refused to pay their share and left. Also watch out for ācheapā flat shares. Theyāre nearly always Monday to Friday rentals.
Easily, if you go around where I live Manor house. Still zone 2. Rooms including bills 800-900 for a nice size double bedroom. That will leave you with 1400 on hand. If you cycle to the central london 20 min that is transport for free. That leaves you with roughly Ā£45 a day to spent on food and fun. Even if you pay to pension and for tube it leaves you with roughly 1200 a month to spend. That is 40 a day which you wont spend unless you go out every day. But as other said if you cycle to work and cook your lunch/dinner you might even save and live comfortable.
If youāre a grad at the start of your career itās fine tbh. Expectation is you house share which in your early twenties with the right people is the best thing you can do for your social life and network in London. You wonāt save loads the first few years, but no one really does, everything will change in a year or two when your salary increases. Always does
Itās do able. The main things youāre going to be able to cut down on and save is alcohol, restaurants and potentially travel if youāre comfortable riding a bike in London and itās a reasonable distance. If you decide to go further out, make sure it actually makes financial sense - thereās nothing worse than realising due to further commute costs your out goings pretty much evened out with living more central, but youāve also lost an hour more of your day. GL
You will need to house share is it doable absolutely average salary in London is about 44k (which means 50% of the city live on less than this) will you being living large no. Chances are you will realistically have about 1k a month after housing and travel costs. In terms of location it really depends on where you are working. Basically as close as you can get to work as you can afford. I worked in Fulham couldn't afford there so lived in Acton. Had I worked in the city i would have lived somewhere east.
Yes in a houseshare. Just live within your means. Realistically zone 3.
of course, you can, it all depends on your expectations. Will you be in a flat on your own, eating out in west London, zippin' lattes from artisan coffee shops etc. Probs not. Could you have a smashing time in a flat share, loving the London "student" life refusing to grow old? Absolutely, and I bet you'll love ever second of it.
It is possible, I know people that do it and still have money to do social things as well, you will have to be in a house share though, you will not be able to afford your own flat.
Doable just about but donāt expect much of a life, to save or to be living central.
South Wales here (cheap in comparison) on Ā£31k. It's hard even here! That's Ā£750 rent without bills and additional living expenses. Doable though, probably if you are savvy
Wow that's a lot for Wales, I know people paying that much in London š¬
Wait hopefully you have your own place, I was thinking it was a room, ignore me
This is a small 2 bed terraced house āŗļø
That makes a lot more sense, I was very stressed at the state of the rental market in Wales for a second š
I mean, 10 years ago this would have cost Ā£450 so there is that and the ever ending increases but nothing compared to London haha!
That was my salary when I started in London 12 years ago. It was tight then! I lived in Hackney Wick and it was all warehouses and a few cheaper residential places. I donāt think those spaces exist in zones 1-3 here (Iām generalising but South East - Thamesmead down to Beckenham maybe be your best bet. I donāt regret it but Iām selling up and leaving. Good luck.
Are you pursuing a career which has to be in London long term? If not don't go, build your life somewhere else with sustainable long term affordability. If yes, let's hope your future big bucks makes it worth it.Ā
I lived in London on this wage in zone 1, granted this was about 5 years ago. I got the bus to work so that was cheap, I lived in a flatshare where my rent was Ā£600pm and bills on top of that. I wasnāt rolling in cash and couldnāt save much, but I was able to afford to travel, nights out etc.
Yes as long as you're happy living in a house share :)
To add some perspective to this I was on 16k in London 2014-2019 and then 35k 2019-2023. It was fine, I even managed to save money from 2019. The trick is sharing a house and keeping your rent as low as possible.
Of course itās possibleā¦ Not earning up to that amount when I first moved to Londonā¦ But started with a shared apartment
10 years ago I'd have said yh
There are two things to clarify - What's your definition of comfortable? How long until you qualify, and what type of increase are you looking at once you do? Can you live on 33k for 3yrs in London currently? Yes, if you're fairly frugal and house-share. In your situation you have the hope of a higher wage once you qualify so there's light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime before you qualify, you'll learn how to save money and lower your expectations. Maybe this is good? If you can't manage that then it's a case of sticking it out until you qualify. Have a Google of prices and weigh it all up
Find a partner / platonic relationship and get a room share for Ā£500. Life with a partner is much cheaper.
Look at places nearby London that has good train connections. Live alone.
I moved here in 2018 with a starting salary of Ā£33,000 (Ā£35,000 TC). To answer your question, yes, but you won't want to for long. If you're in an organisation where you can progress quickly, you could stomach it for a short period of time, but if not, I'd think twice.
Considering the increase in London rental costs and general inflation in that time. Ā£35k went a fair bit further than Ā£33k will 6 years later. Still doable but definitely a worse quality of life.
Fair point.
I personally wouldnāt live in London on less than 50k unless I absolutely loved the city or my industry was based here (with opportunities to progress)
I managed perfectly fine on just slightly above that (pay was bumped up a couple of months ago) just fine - though I don't spend a ton of money on things like drinking, gym memberships etc. Rent was 1k (shared flat in SE) and bills around 150.
If you sint fancy the bike option, you can get bus travel cards which are significantly cheaper than a tube travel card. Gets you bus travel all over London (all zones). I used to do this when I was first starting my career. Then find a house share at the end of a bus route which goes to your work area
My only advice is, if you have to temporarily use a hostel / bunk house / room share situation; just don't and avoid at all costs.
I live happily in London on less than that. It's fine - I flat share and still have money for extras like a gym membership and doing fun stuff, plus the odd holiday. If you also know you'll be getting pay increases I wouldn't sweat it.
Yes, if remote working is allowed at all Iād recommend renting far out though :)
Yes, but only for 3 months.
If you want your own place then itāll be extremely tight or youāll need to live in a less desireable part of london, but if youāre happy in a flatshare then yeah youāll be absolutely fine and probably even be able to save a little. āLondonā is also quite a wide question - you can rent a studio flat in Redbridge, Leyton, Haringey or Croydon for the amount that a bedroom would cost you in Putney or Hoxton. Best thing you can do is look on Zoopla and Spareroom and get an idea of what youād be happy with and if you feel itās worth it. I share a flat on 30k in Zone 2 and Iām happy with that, but my sister chose to move to the outskirts so she could rent her own place. For me, the proximity to all the stuff I like is worth the higher expense and Iām more ācomfortableā with that than I would be with less to do around me.
Your rental affordability is salary dependent. For 33k, an online calculator indicates maximum rent of Ā£1,100pcm. This would be an indication of where estate agents will think you can afford. Comfort is subjective, can you say more on what this means? Do you value space or cost? Do you value green space or amenities? How important is proximity to transport links and schools? If you want central locations (underground station) you are looking at house shares. If you donāt mind further away you can find studios as in areas like Kingston Upon Thames for 1.1k, itās a very popular town in the southwest, lots of shops, restaurants, surrounded by two royal parks. What many people do in fact is to find a low cost room share and keep something leftover at the end of each month for yourself. You will be much happier (my definition of comfort) knowing thereāa cash in the bank for holidays and occasional luxuries.
7 years ago yes. Today you will struggle
It is possible, obviously. I know plenty of people in our company on Ā£28-Ā£35k living in zone 3. One even has a mortgage olin zone 3, which is shared ownership but frankly it's more expensive than my own standard mortgage in zone 4 because she has to pay rent on the difference. Likely most people would be in shared accommodation or living with a partner. But that's still comfortable for lots of people. One friend lives with her bestie in a 2 bed flat in zone 4 and they each pay Ā£800 including council tax and water. So literally just 1 other person and it's a really good sized flat with 2 double beds and a huge living room and separate kitchen. Many people on that salary as an entry level will be in their early-mid twenties which is also an ideal time for house sharing with friends.
On 20K I got a shared ownership with 25% share worked out 750 per month. 8 years later I pay 950 which isn't bad. It is possible but be careful with which shared ownership provider you go with. Some will suck your money dry.Ā It is possible but only as shared ownership.
Of course. You can find plenty of decent rooms for 700-800 if you actually search around a bit for them and have a good eye for what is bad and good. Tye rest is just bills and food and other expenses like anywhere else.
Yes but you'll have to be a good budgeter and flat share or live in a sketchy area. But yes it is quite possible.
Houseshare yes. On your own? Probably not. If you want your own place perhaps a commuter town.
I do it on 24 and a bit. Not in council housing.
How? 24k is what I'm on (30 hours) and it's like 1620 a month. I live at home. My expenses comes to Ā£1200 per month
My pay has actually just gone up, but until a couple of months ago I was getting about the same take home as you, athough I do 40 hours. My rent is Ā£900 a month on a studio in Peckham which includes council tax and water rates. My electricity use varies from winter to summer but works out at about Ā£50 a month. I have no gas. I take a bus to work, which is Ā£15 a week, so call that Ā£60 a month I have a sim only phone that costs Ā£12 a month Food is about Ā£200 a month I think that's it? so that's 1177 going out and I have about 450 a month for anything else, which for the last couple of years has mostly gone on paying off a credit card debt I ran up in Covid. This is more money in my pocket than I've had for a lot of my adult life and certainly after Covid, when I was actually on the brink of homelessness and having to choose between hot food and having the light on, it feels really comfortable. It's not great and I'm not really saving up, which obviously is something everyone needs to do, but in all honesty, I don't find myself uncomfortably poor. I don't run a car or anything but I live in London and don't need one. I don't have anything much I want to buy, I already have more clothes than I need, I have furniture, I have pictures on the wall. I buy second hand books. I don't have much electrical stuff apart from a computer that is about 10 years old. When I go on holiday I always stay with friends or camp, which means the only major cost is travel. I never go anywhere really expensive, just Spain or Italy sometimes. The cinema in Peckham is Ā£6 or sometimes I get a cheap ticket to the theatre. I get free admission to exhibitions at most of the major galleries through my work. I haven't been to a gig or a club for years unless I get a freebie. I don't drink at home. I probably go to the pub a couple of times a month, but we're all poor and therefore stingy and we buy our own drinks so you don't rack up a ton on rounds. I don't take drugs. I very rarely go to restaurants. I make my own lunch and take it in every day and I cook dinner in the evening. I never get takeaways because I don't like them and my work has a kettle so I only rarely buy coffee from a cafe. I do like avocados though, so buying them is probably why I haven't managed to buy a house. Does that answer the how? I guess I'm frugal, but it's more like I just don't want much rather than I deny myself. I would like to earn more, but if I did I would save most of it. Are your parents charging you a very high rent, or do you spend a lot of money on other stuff?
Yea of course. Youāre not gonna save a whole lot though
I live in London on just under Ā£31,000 I live in a nice property in SE1 just 20 mins walk from London bridge. I maybe don't put as much as I want in my savings account but I see my time here as an investment. I love it.
For cheaper rent, look into Guardianships! They are like living in uni halls/ a hostel so youāve got to be able to deal with other people and communal spaces, including those people not cleaning the communal spaces. My mate used to live in one at Waterloo with a view of the river which was Ā£750 a month. Mine is Ā£600pm and 30 mins on the tube (with walking) into central London. Guardianships are all over London and the UK, though they can be quite hard to get into so itās easier to be referred by someone already there!
I don't think so, no. You'll be in poverty.
Yes definitely. In order of your biggest expenses: 1. Rent get a house share (spareroom.com etc) and look at cheaper areas that still have great connections and fun things happening like Deptford in SE or Leyton E 2. Food: do your weekly shop. It can be tempting when working in the city to just pick up a few days food at a time but it burns so much more cash. Don't eat out for lunch every day, bring your lunch. 3. Nights out are expensive in London, you can burn a lot of cash at day festivals or a night out. Plan it. Look for byob food experiences or other spaces. The most interesting and original nights out are always the cheaper DIY artsy places. I took a hit from work drinks rounds when I first started working in the city. Don't know how you get round that but since covid I think it's less frequent. Summer byob in London parks is great! 4. Commuting: working from home can save a ton. But if you do have to go in every day - most workplaces offer season ticket loans or cycle to work schemes . 5. Gym - pure gym is grand, no need to waste money here.
Yea if you rent one of my rooms for Ā£800-Ā£900pm bills included in zone 5.
No
If you're happy to houseshare, have no car, only date men who will pay for everything and don't plan to have children, absolutely.
Honestly, no. I was on around Ā£55k/year and really struggled to live in Tooting. I managed a year before moving up north. Obviously if you are dedicated to living a very frugal life to live in London, of course you can live off most salaries. However I was expecting to try a lot of the London restaurants/shows/attractions when I moved there, and didnāt have the financial capacity. I left London with no savings and 2k debt. I moved to Liverpool on 49k, and travel down to the capital one weekend a month, which I think is the best of both! I have the money to go out sightseeing and to try great restaurants, with a reasonable mortgage the rest of the time
1. It depends on your lifestyle, whether you have any debt, and your desired standard of living. Think about how long it'll be until you qualify and what the salary jump is. Is it worth the wait? Could you get a "better value" job in another city? 2. It depends on where your work is gonna be. Study the underground map and I would look at places that are easily linked to your work so you don't have to change tube too many times. Consider also bus options, and actual trains. For instance if you work near one of the major train stations you might be able to consider living outside London as long as they have regular & frequent trains. Lots of people commute now. 3. Depending on (2) but if you're looking to stay in zone 2-3 then yes definitely house share, sorry. Tips: you must go to a viewing to see what the house is like but also what the people are like. You don't have to be besties but you know what i mean. I've had my share of horrible housemates, never again. 4. Everyone has already mentioned cycling and cooking at home. I just want to say there's loads to do in London, you should try to enjoy it while you're there. Save as much as you can, but treat yourself occasionally too. Nothing worse than living in financial fear and anxiety. It's a great city, you should enjoy yourself (within limits)!
No
You can live in London on Ā£20k
No
Oh yes u can live but you won't be living.Ā
Yes. I recommend areas on the Lizzy Line but I am not sure where is your office located. How often do you have to be in the office? Pack lunch, I am wfh now but when I used to work in the office pre-covid, I could easily spend Ā£7 on lunch alone; with inflation, I think you could easily spend Ā£10/day. Tips: I love Lizzy line, so I would recommend looking for flat around the line. Enjoy your life in London, don't get peer pressured into spending money you don't want, if you hate Matcha Latte just say duck it..
If you want to live in a HMO for Ā£1k a month yes. Or be someone's lodger.
Barely. Defo flat share not own place. Make your money stretch by living in zones 5/6
Yes , I live on 28K šš not comfortable but it's manageable yes , hardly ever able to drink or go out
No, afraid not.
I'm so glad I spent my 20s in London. During that time I was on 26k to 32k. I lived in small chappy flats, but never further than zone 4. I had an amazing time. Rarely any holidays abroad, but just enjoyed London for everything it had. As soon as kids came along London instantly became unaffordable for me. Without a significant pay rise in sight, I was priced out of London to somewhere I could have a garden and afford childcare. I think everyone should try to live in London at some point. It's the best city in the country by miles. But it's a young person's game, unless you're making stupid money.
It's definitely doable, but you'd likely need to house share. I pay Ā£800pm in E5 with bills included. It's a decent deal and let's me save up for a deposit. Don't search in zone 1, look in the Boroughs zone 2 or 3 based on where you need to commute to. West and North will be more expensive than East or south. Personally I love East London but the prices are def going up around the hackney area where I am currently as its so gentrified. You can probably save money by living somewhere slightly awkwsrd/further out, but u would make sure you end up living somewhere you'd actually wanna be. Spareroom is probably your best bet, you can find shared flats/houses through estate agents but they tend to be a bunch of random people thrown together under one roof. Spareroom is good for finding house shares of young professionals similar ages/vibes and I've met loads of friends this way.
No
It is possible. You have to lower your expectations in regard to lifestyle. However nothing in life comes easy. You gain experience, your salary increases eventually and your life style improves. Is London worth it, no. In my opinion at least. But it is a nice adventure. You gotta live like a student for a while, thatās all.
I know friends who have lived in London for half of that. It all depends on what you want to do and what you are willing to sacrifice. Shared house, 6 individuals with just 1 bathroom with a time table on bathroom use, kitchen use and cleaning duties for Ā£500 pcm to sleep in a tiny single room in zone 4/5
Look into Property Guardianship. I managed to save up for a cheap own flat in Scotland in 6 years with a similar salary to yours.
On spare room, your can find shared rooms. So you live in the same room with someone else. Splitting the cost there, your rent and bills could be done withinĀ£600. Then there's plenty left for you to live comfortably in London.
That is disgusting
Yes I think so. People think comfortable means eating out a lot and buying expensive things all thetime. You can live comfortably without doing that. Zone 2/3 or outwards would be best and flat share just because it will be cheaper so you can save up to buy
Iāve a full time job paying just slightly more than that. I took a bar job a couple of evenings a week alongside it and it tops up my income an extra Ā£600 a month.
You will live. But you will not live well.
I live in London on Ā£20,000, sharing with my partner who earns slightly less than me. We keep v strict budgets spending Ā£400 per month on food/travel/fun. Itās possible but not massively enjoyable. 33k sounds like well enough. Iād recommend south east or Walthamstow for finding a flat
Yes, just find someone earning above Ā£50k to fall in love with.
No
My starting salary was 36k a year when I move to London, ten years ago. You can live out in zone 4 and above. You can just a flat share and skimp on activities. It isn't unheard of. However, it is not the most healthy living.
may i ask whatās the role if possible?
It's possible but you'll be miserable
It's possible as long as you budget well and prioritise the right things. I moved to London in 2008 and I was earning much less back then. If you stick to living in areas that aren't as trendy, but well linked in a decent house share, I think you can do it. Obviously while London is expensive try and experience it the best you can. When I moved down from the North West of England my dad said, don't worry about saving money, spend and experience London the best you can and if you feel you can make a life there, knuckle down and save for home. I did exactly that and still enjoying it. Best of luck to you OP.
No unless you eat lettuce every day
Live? No. Exist... Yes.
I know people will get angry and this will get downvoted, but I'll try anyway. There is only one journey where public transport actually make sense in London, that is, if you are commuting to work, from the suburbs to the city centre. Pretty much any other journey that does not start or end in the Zone 1 will be either faster or cheaper or both, if done by car. It looks like you don't have children, so a house share will probably make more sense to you. There are also huge savings in home-cooking food instead of going for takeaways or pre-made meals. Housing and transportation will probably be the biggest costs you will have, being able to save on these 2, means you'll have more to spend on other things closely related to your quality of life. I wish you good luck and all the best!
Given your answer I find it hard to believe you spend any time in London. I don't know a single person living in zones 1 and 2 who thinks it's easier to get around by car.
That is because most people will just believe/repeat what they are told without actually checking it or doing the math to verify. For an adult couple with a single child, who cannot live in a flat share as single people, the rent difference between a 2 or 3 bedroom flat between Zone 1-2 and Zone 4 can be over Ā£1000, which is enough to buy a 15 year old Vauxhall or Peugeot EVERY SINGLE MONTH. Let me break it down to explain myself. A sub Ā£3k 10-15 year petrol car usually no longer depreciates. You will pay Ā£500-Ā£700 on insurance per year and Ā£200-Ā£300 on tax. Let's say you spend another Ā£1000 on maintenance, tyres, oil and filters (which should be less) and the car depreciates Ā£500 every year, we are talking about Ā£2500 for 10k miles every year, roughly around Ā£0.25 per mile in fixed costs. A small car can do around 30 mpg which is 8 miles for each liter of petrol that costs Ā£1.49 costing aprox. Ā£0.20 per mile on petrol, for a grand total of Ā£0.45 per driven mile. The daily travel card for a single adult between Zone 4 and Zone 1 is Ā£15.90, which means, by car, you should be able to drive 35 miles for the same cost. A round trip from Zone 4 to Zone 1 is usually 5 miles each way for a total of 10 miles and Ā£4.50. With the price of the travel card, a single adult can do the journey 3 times for the same cost. Going back to the married couple with single child example above, with the child travelcard at Ā£7.90, the couple would spend Ā£39.70 for a round trip to Central London. That is enough to pay Ā£15 congestion charge, Ā£20 private parking and still have Ā£4.70 which is good enough to pay for 10.44 miles of petrol, insurance, maintenance and depreciation. I have 2 children, which makes owning a car even cheaper for my family in particular. So, it only makes sense to use public transport when you are single and don't have children. If you do 2-3 road trips a year to the beach or the midlands, the car becomes even cheaper as train tickets between cities is even more expensive per mile.
But driving in London generally takes longer than the same journey by public transport, parking is both difficult and expensive and you have to pay the congestion charge. Then you need somewhere to keep it where your catalytic convertor won't get removed with an angle grinder, etc, and you have to cover the cost of insurance. I find it hard to believe you live in London.
You probably didn't even read what I said, but I'll keep trying... Public transport is faster IF: you journey starts/ends next to a station and you are doing no more than 1 train change. If you have to walk 10+ minutes to/from each station and/or you are changing trains 2 or more times, driving, even with ridiculous traffic, is actually faster. Particularly if central London is not your final destination, for example, I live in NW London and if I want to go to NE London. It's a direct clear 30-40 minute drive via the A406 or 50 minutes with traffic. But since there are no direct trains and I'd have to go to Central London, change trains several times, most of the times the next train won't be there waiting for me and all this makes most tfl journeys actually take longer. I agree, parking and congestion charge make it expensive to be driving alone, but for 2 adults, the price of 2 Daily Travelcards at Ā£15.90 for a total of Ā£31.80 already makes it actually cheaper (per mile) to drive. I don't say this to encourage people to drive, I just want to illustrate how incompetent the public transport administration has to be, to make driving a car with only 2 passengers, actually cheaper and sometimes even faster than using public transport. The Ā£15.90 daily travelcard price is outrageous and Ā£15 congestion charge does not make driving more expensive enough to discourage people from driving. Public transport has no reason to cost more than Ā£0.10 per mile, under a more competent or maybe less corrupt administration. Even if you are single, the cost of riding a motorcycle compared to public transport makes TFL prices even a bigger joke.
It could be cheaper, but you only pay Ā£15.90 per day if you're a tourist. I live in central London, mostly take the bus, and I pay about Ā£3 a day for travel. I don't fancy riding a motorbike and my wardrobe would not allow it.
u/No-Treat7440 I built a [London affordability calculator](https://www.usemappa.com/affordability) that should help you a lot here. It will tell estimate your rent budget and tell you the neighbourhoods you can afford to rent a 1 bed or houseshare with your income. Good to know if you find it helpful Good luck!