Cost of Living in London

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Let’s just address the elephant in the room, London is an expensive city; there’s no other way to say it! However, if you know where to look, then you can cut the amount of money you’re spending. By living a walk away from wherever it is that you’ll need to get to daily or knowing what supermarkets to shop in, you can definitely cut your living costs.

Accommodation

Accommodation in London is not the cheapest; the average monthly rent for a 45m2 furnished studio flat in a normal area is about £1,096. Furthermore, there are a lot of different areas in London which can also make it harder to find accommodation, so for any university students, I have put a list together of the main universities with their campuses, the boroughs of London which they’re in as well as the district they’re in which is more specific to a certain area, i. e., The district of Brixton is in the borough of Lambeth.

West-Central London:

• King’s College - Westminster
• Guy’s Campus - London Borough of Southwark - District of Southwark
• Strand Campus - London Borough of Westminster - District of Temple
• Denmark Hill Campus - London Borough of Lambeth - District of Brixton
• St. Thomas’ Campus - London Borough of Lambeth - District of Lambeth
• Waterloo Campus - London Borough of Lambeth - District of Waterloo
• London School of Economics - Camden/Westminster
• London School of Economics Campus - London Boroughs of Camden/Westminster - District of Holborn
• University of London - Camden
• Northampton Square Campus - London Borough of Islington - District of Clerkenwell
• Cass Business School - London Borough of Islington - District of Farringdon
• Grays Inn Campus - London Borough of Camden - District of Holborn
• University College London (UCL) - Camden
• Bloomsbury Campus - London Borough of Camden - District of Fitzrovia
• Royal Free Hospital Campus - London Borough of Camden - District of Hampstead

Southwest London:

• Imperial College London - Kensington & Chelsea/Westminster
• Charing Cross Campus - London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham - District of Hammersmith
• Chelsea & Westminster Campus - London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - District of Chelsea
• Hammersmith Campus - London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham - District of White City
• White City Campus - London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - District of North Kensington
• Royal Brompton Campus - London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - Districts of Brompton or Chelsea
• South Kensington Campus - London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - District of South Kensington
• St. Mary’s Campus - London Borough of Westminster - District of Paddington

Southeast London:

• London South Bank University - Lambeth/Southwark
• Southwark Campus - London Borough of Southwark - District of Newington
• Havering Campus - Romford (out of central London)
• University of Greenwich - Greenwich/Lewisham
• Avery Hill Campus - London Borough of Greenwich - District of Avery Hill
• Greenwich Campus - London Borough of Greenwich - District of Greenwich
• Goldsmith’s University - Lewisham
• Goldsmith’s University Campus - London Borough of Lewisham - District of New Cross

West London:

• University of Westminster - Westminster
• Cavendish Campus - London Borough of Westminster - District of Fitzrovia
• Harrow Campus - Harrow (No tube line)
• Marylebone Campus - London Borough of Westminster - District of Marylebone
• Regent Campus - London Borough of Westminster - District of Marylebone

East London:

• London Metropolitan University - Islington/Camden
• Holloway Campus - London Borough of Islington - District of Holloway
• Moorgate Campus - London Borough of the City of London - District of Moorgate
• Central House Campus - London Borough of the City of London - Districts of Aldgate/Whitechapel

Greater London:

• Kingston University - Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
• Roehampton University - Wandsworth
• St Mary’s University (Twickenham) - Richmond upon Thames

There are also some universities which are classed as being in ‘Greater London’; you’ll be able to find a clearer area of where to look for accommodation if you’re attending one of those universities. Universities such as Kingston University, Roehampton University and Middlesex University are some of the main ones found in Greater London.

Whether you’re coming to London to study or work, I’d advise having a look at the Erasmus Student Housing on Erasmusu; there are loads of accommodations advertised on the website so it won’t be hard to find something.

Food Shopping

Food shopping can always be made cheaper depending on which supermarket you choose to go to. In England in general, the most student-friendly supermarkets are Aldi or Lidl closely followed by Asda and Morrisons. There are other supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s which aren’t the cheapest, but if you look for good deals then you’d probably be able to avoid spending too much. Marks & Spencer and Waitrose are definitely no-go’s for students, a lot of adults working full time won’t shop there as the prices are pretty high, but saying that, their products are of high quality.

Remember that a lot of British supermarkets will have 'meal deals' which usually consist of either a sandwich/wrap or pasta salad with a bag of crisps and a drink/chocolate bar for around £3. Just look for the price tags which will indicate whether that item is in a meal-deal or not.

Mobile Phones

Having a working mobile phone is obviously very important when on a year abroad, or even if you’re just travelling to another country, but it’s always hard to know which mobile company to join - especially in another country!

In the UK, Giff-Gaff is probably one of the best mobile phone companies to go with as they aren’t too expensive. You can get 7MB of UK data, 250 UK minutes and unlimited UK texts all for £7.50! However, if you need more or need a deal that will allow you to call and send messages to your home country without the use of wi-fi, then I would advise having a look at a comparison website such as ‘Money Saving Expert’, or ‘Money Supermarket’.

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