As we all know, the cost of living in London is one of the highest in the world. However, an economic lifestyle and some practical tips for reducing the cost of living in London, England, will save you tons of money. Let’s explore the various aspects of living expenses in London in 2024 based on the data from Numbeo and Livingcost! Many budgeting tips will also be revealed!
Average Monthly Cost of Living in London
London is always regarded as an expensive city to live in. The average monthly cost of living in London is about £2,550 for a single person and around £4,400 for a family of 4. (You can look through the detailed information in the chart below.) In this way, residents in London need to pay a good amount of money every month, which results in residents’ cost of living crisis in London. The steady salaries and increasing prices undoubtedly put stress on the Londoners, dramatically harming their mental health. However, every Londoner’s specific cost of living in London England depends on different lifestyles, preferences, and choices. Follow the blogger and get some tips for saving money!
| Item/Person | Cost (£)/Month |
|---|---|
| 1-bedroom Apartment in City Centre | £2,170 |
| 1-bedroom Apartment outside City Centre | £1,630 |
| Utility | £326 |
| Transportation | £183 |
| Groceries | £200 – £300 |
| Entertainment & Leisure | £86 – £124 |
| Health Insurance | £85 – £125 |
Cost of Living in London: Accommodation
Undoubtedly, accommodation costs are the most significant part of your living cost in London. Therefore, finding affordable and suitable London housing is a principal step. The prices vary based on the location, property type, and room type you choose.
- Location: Properties in the city centre are more expensive than those elsewhere. If you have an adequate budget, the blogger advises you to find accommodation in Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, and the City of London, where you are free to enjoy a comfortable and convenient city life. However, if you don’t want to pay much for the cost of living in London, England, the blogger highly recommends housing in Hillingdon, Havering, and Sutton with adequate transportation links.
- Property type: If you are a student, renting student accommodation in London is much cheaper than leasing an apartment, especially through the uhomes.com rental platform. The platform promises the highest cashback in the whole network, such as iQ Shoreditch (up to £900 cashback) and iQ Vega (up to £650 cashback). In addition, the other special offers you can enjoy include group reservations, vouchers, and seasonal special discounts! Welcome to consult the property manager directly on uhomes.com to tell him/her your budget and preference. Then, he/she will help you search, compare, and book the most suitable London student accommodation.
| Cost (£)/Month | Student Accommodation | Apartment |
|---|---|---|
| In City Centre | £916 – £1,600 | £1,978 – £2,170 |
| Outside City Centre | £760 – £1,480 | £1,459 – £1,630 |
- Room type: When selecting a room type, shared rooms, non-en-suites, and en-suites are the 3 most cost-effective types. However, you have to share your kitchen and sometimes even the bathroom with roommates. On the other hand, studios and 1-bedroom apartments are relatively more expensive, but you will enjoy more independent space.
| Room Type | Cost (£)/Month |
|---|---|
| Shared Room | £1,320 |
| Non-En-suite | £1,436 |
| En-suite | £1,460 |
| Studio | £1,780 |
| 1-bedroom Apartment | £2,884 |
Cost of Living in London England: Utility Bills
Utility bills are one of the living expenses in London that are always ignored. They include electricity, heating, water, cooling, internet, and a mobile phone plan, costing around £326 per month. Nevertheless, here is a chance for you to save the cost of living in London, UK, in terms of utilities – renting student accommodation through uhomes.com. In this way, all bills are included in your rent!
| Utilities | Apartment | Student Housing |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water, etc.) for 85m² Apartment | £283.76 | £0 |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | £14.94 | £14.94 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | £30.50 | £0 |
Living Expenses in London: Food
You may wonder, “How much would it cost to live in London when it comes to food?” In fact, it varies based on your eating habits and the costs of ingredients. If you want to save money, it is highly recommended that you cook on your own rather than eat out and buy groceries in affordable markets like Lidl, Aldi, and Morrisons.
Living Cost in London: Groceries
If you persist in cooking meals by yourself, you only need to pay about £200 – £300 per month for one of the costs of living in London – food. Here is a list of the primary grocery prices for reference. Moreover, it would be wise to choose convenient accommodation near supermarkets. For example, Vita Student Lewisham Exchange and Chapter Islington are close to many supermarkets, such as Asda Lewisham Supermarket, Tesco Superstore, and Sainsbury’s Local.
| Groceries | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 L or 1 qt) | £1.27 |
| Bread (0.5 kg or 1.1 lb) | £1.44 |
| Rice (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.81 |
| Eggs (12) | £3.42 |
| Cheese (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £8.79 |
| Chicken Breast (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £8.13 |
| Round Steak (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £12.20 |
| Apples (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.29 |
| Banana (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.33 |
| Oranges (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.65 |
| Tomato (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £3.08 |
| Potato (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.06 |
| Onion (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.20 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | £0.95 |
| Water (1 L or 1 qt) | £0.83 |
| Coca-Cola/Pepsi (2 L or 67.6 fl oz) | £2.27 |
| Wine (mid-priced) (750 mL bottle) | £9.35 |
| Beer (0.5 L or 16 fl oz) | £2.03 |
| Cigarette Pack | £15.50 |
Living Cost in London: Dining out
If you prefer to have a meal outside, lunch at an inexpensive restaurant will cost you £15.60, while a dinner in a mid-range restaurant for 2 individuals is £67.20. In addition, you can also eat at much cheaper snack bars. All in all, eating out often will account for a significant part of your monthly living expenses in London.
| Restaurant | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Lunch Menu | £15.60 |
| Dinner in a Restaurant for 2 | £67.20 |
| Fast Food Meal (Like McDonald’s) | £8.13 |
| Beer in a Pub (0.5 L or 16 fl oz) | £6.55 |
| Cappuccino | £3.67 |
| Pepsi/Coke (0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz) | £1.96 |
Cost of Living in London UK: Transportation
London boasts the most extensive public transport networks in the world, offering diverse modes of transportation for residents. Transportation is also a portion of living expenses in London per month, and we need to explore this further.
- London tube: A single metro ticket will cost you £5.50 – £6.00, which is expensive. However, you can buy an Oyster or Contactless Payment Card, which offers a 30% discount. The prices of London Overground and Docklands Light Railway are the same.
| Zones | Single Ticket (Metro) | Oyster/Contactless Payment Card |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | £5.50 | £2.40 |
| Zone 1 & 2 | £5.50 | £3.00 |
| Zone 1 to 3 | £5.50 | £2.80 – £3.40 |
| Zone 1 to 4 | £6.00 | £2.90 – £4.00 |
| Zone 1 to 5 | £6.00 | £3.20 – £4.80 |
| Zone 1 to 6 | £6.00 | £3.30 – £5.30 |
| Zone 2 to 6 | £6.00 | £3.30 – £5.30 |
- London bus: With Hopper fare, an unlimited journey within one hour only costs you £1.75.
- Other modes: You can also use Travelcards and Bus & Tram passes, which offer a monthly subscription service. Additionally, taking a cable car or riverboat costs you more money, but the views are also more beautiful.
| Transportation | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Hopper fare | £1.75 |
| Travelcard (monthly) | £156 – £407 |
| Monthly bus pass | £79.10 |
| Cable car | £6.00 |
| Riverboat | £9.40 |
| Taxi Ride (8 km or 5 mi) | £18.50 |
| Gas/Petrol (1 L or 0.26 gal) | £1.51 |
Living Expense in London: Entertainment & Leisure
There are numerous options for interesting activities and popular bars in London. If you want to enjoy these leisure activities fully, you will spend about £86 – £124 per month, depending on your habits. The specific costs of activities in fitness, entertainment, and personal care are listed below. Furthermore, if you would like to save this kind of living expense in London, there are also many free things to do in London, such as visiting the Science Museum, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey.
| Entertainment & Leisure | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Monthly Gym Membership | £45 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1h on Weekend) | £14.03 |
| Cinema Ticket | £12 |
| Museum Ticket | £12 – £40 |
| Haircut (Male) | £22 |
| Roots Touch-up | £40 – £120 |
| Wet manicure | £38 |
Costs of Living in London: Health Insurance
How much does it cost to live in London England in terms of health insurance? There are 2 types of health insurance in the UK: public and private. Public health insurance is free for Londoners through the National Health Services (NHS), while private health insurance ranges between £85 and £125 per month.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in London Comfortably?
According to the data from Time Out magazine, you need to earn £79,524 per year to live a comfortable life, but the average annual income is only £37,000. Nevertheless, it depends on your preferences, eating habits, accommodation options, etc. It is quite possible to live a comfy life in London without much money.
Can You Live in London on £30k?
With an annual salary of £30k in London, you may find it is not easy to cover your cost of living in London, UK. In mid-2024, the expected average cost of living in London per month for a single person is nearly £14,000 higher than the real one. Clearly, it would be wise to economise carefully and rent cheaper accommodation with inclusive utilities (through uhomes.com). In this way, you will get a chance to save more money. By the way, you need to earn at least the national average salary to cover your living expenses in London.
Can You Live in London on £20k?
With an annual salary of £20k in London, you will live in a scarcity situation, requiring a lot of economising. In mid-2024, living an everyday life with such a poor little sum seems impossible. However, there’s still hope. Again, rent is the most significant part of the living cost in London. Renting a shared room through uhomes.com is highly recommended, as it will save money to a great extent. This way, spare funds can cover other basic costs of living in London, such as groceries, transportation, and health insurance.
Tips on How to Reduce the Cost of Living in London
The blogger has mentioned some tips above for reducing the living cost in London per month. In this session, the blogger will conclude them and add other new tips.
Accommodation
For accommodation, it is highly recommended that you rent a shared room, en-suite room, or non-en-suite room away from the city centre through uhomes.com. This is the cheapest option with inclusive utilities and the highest cashback.
Food
When it comes to eating, cooking a meal on your own instead of dining out (£8.13 – £67.20 a meal) is a practical and perfect way to save money. You only need to spend £200 – £300 monthly to buy groceries in the market. Moreover, the choices of markets and ingredients are also worthy of attention.
- Shop at affordable supermarkets, such as Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, and Co-op.
- Buy discounted products with yellow labels. You will see them 1 hour before the supermarket closes.
- Apply for a supermarket membership card for rebates or discounts.
- Don’t consider the brand.
Transportation
For public transport, you can buy a Railcard (£30/year) and an Oyster Card (a deposit of £5) to enjoy a 30% discount or buy a monthly bus pass. It depends on your frequency of using public transportation. In addition, buying a second-hand car at about £1000 or renting a bike is also a convenient and affordable choice.
Conclusion about Cost of Living in London
The blog has broken through the cost of living in London regarding many aspects, such as accommodation, food, transportation, entertainment, and health insurance. What’s more, the blogger also gives some tips for reducing the cost of living in London, England, to save you tons of money.
FAQs about Cost of Living in London
Does the area you live in influence the cost of living in London?
The area you live in will actually influence the cost of living in London. For example, renting a 1-bedroom apartment in central London costs £2,170, while renting one outside the city centre only costs £1,630.
Is 1500 pounds enough to live in London?
Frankly speaking, if your budget for your cost of living in London, England, is £1,500, it is kind of insufficient. However, choose an economic lifestyle and rent housing through uhomes.com for the highest cashback and inclusive utility bills! In this way, it is easier for you to live a comfortable life in London.
Can you live on 50K a year in London?
With £50k a year, you will be well off in London. £50k covers all your living expenses in London. You are free to live in the wealthiest area, take leisure activities, and enjoy city life, such as dining out in the best restaurant and having a drink at the most popular bar.
