Everyone can manage on different budgets and/or prioritise different parts of their lives but in general 30K was pretty doable a few years ago but I'd say you'd probably want to bump that upto nearer 40K these days if you really want to enjoy the time rather than just exist - rent has gone up by in some cases double since in many areas.
FAO Londoners - salary to live in London (and enjoy yourself)?
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I wouldn't work in London for less than 40k now, but then even then I'd probably turn it down if it was permanent. Everything is 2-3x more expensive than most of the country. But also overcrowded, polluted and you would have to live in a shoebox flat with no garden.
Organisations are actually struggling to recruit in London now due to the high costs of living and commuting there. Brits are moving out and those left are mostly people who bought their houses before the hikes. Obviously they won't be there forever and once they are gone there will be real workforce problems in London.
Organisations are actually struggling to recruit in London now due to the high costs of living and commuting there. Brits are moving out and those left are mostly people who bought their houses before the hikes. Obviously they won't be there forever and once they are gone there will be real workforce problems in London.
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Caporegime
It depends entirely on other outgoings, 20k is possible if you're a hermit but why live in London and pay silly rents/mortgage if you're not experiencing it.
I know you're probably exaggerating but most things aren't that much more otherwise no one would be surviving in the city.
I know you're probably exaggerating but most things aren't that much more otherwise no one would be surviving in the city.
I would tend to agree - depends a bit how far out and what kind of standard of house/flat you like though. I was renting a 2 bedroom flat for around £800/m a few years ago on the edge of Zone 3/4 and they are like £1500/m now though obviously 1 bed is cheaper and if you hunt around/get lucky might find something a bit more reasonable.
It's hardly that bad. I mooched down to my tube station (6min walk), waited 3mins for a train, got a seat, mooched into work. No big deal. The seat was a surprise but I quite often get one about halfway into my journey when people get off. Oh and I was learning Spanish as I go, listened to the end of a podcast and put some Metronomy on as I walked up to the office. That commute is fairly normal for me and I'm not the only oneI'm not sure any salary is worth constant tube strikes and a hellish morning commute.
It's not like everybody in the world outside London has a lovely commute is it? Most people I know that drive hate it, all the traffic, unpredictability etc. At least in London as long as you work with sensible people - if you're delayed there's literally nothing anybody can do about it.
Soldato
And don't forget you will need to buy loads of Anti-pollution masks
Compare the price of an average 2 bed house in London, with driveway and garden to the rest of the UK...
If you want to commute in from outside London, it's at least 5k a year by train. So as I said, most jobs there are off-limits to most people if you don't want to live like a bum. They are mainly filled by families who already own property and have lived there since before the bubble.
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This is pretty accurate, but a lot can depend on the place you rent, what extras you have to pay...etc...
Its as good as a general guide as you are going to get IMO based on my experience though its 10 years since I've properly lived in London for any length of time.
That said heh - some of my colleagues (somewhat higher paid than myself) were regularly spending what must have amounted to 50 grand a year on their lunch habits alone :s that is a whole different level though.
Soldato
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30k in 1990 was a different amount of money to 30k nowIn 1990 i was living in London and living rent free (so many months in Plimlico and then 9 months in Hackney plus a had a free all zone travel card) and earning £30k per annum. Had a great time
Man of Honour
Freefaller, I think your numbers might be a little out of date. This map of average one-bed flats within 1km of a tube station suggests most zone 3's are above £1000. Certainly the case where I am in west London.
I've always lived in zone 3, west London. Started out sharing a house with 5 guys on minimum wage (£13k). Did that for a few years. At that time my girlfriend one-bed flat round the corner was costing her £900 fyi. It's more like £1200 now. We now rent a two-bed flat together quite comfortably between ourselves (I've obviously had massive payrises since then
I'd suggest living solo in London is not as peachy as it sounds. Find some nice flatmates and you'll be far more comfortable. It's do-able. There's a lot of normal people out there.
Maybe I am out of date. But I checked right move and put in central London with a max pcm of 1300 and got lots of hits with a 1 mile radius.
I guess it depends what sort of flat you want. I lived in crystal palace, putney, Greenwich and Southfields all reasonable places. Tube lines probably do make a price hike but I was still relatively close to them or the Overground which I find a little more pleasant anyway. I could get to anywhere in London in 30 mins or so from those places.
Still. 30k is more than fine. But I don't go out drinking (other than coffee!) So probably have a different view.
depends entirely on how much fun you want to have (and how much alchohol you consume!!) Yes you could get by with £30k and go out once or twice a week but if you plan on going out a lot, seeing bands, going to clubs, dining out most nights of the week then aim for £40k as a minimum.
Soldato
I somehow managed to live on 15k in 2014.
renting a house with my brother for 500each rent without bills
cycling to work to save on ticket(175ish/month)
add bills, council tax etc and I was left with around £200/month.
don't ask how but I did fine. Can't say I felt "poor"
renting a house with my brother for 500each rent without bills
cycling to work to save on ticket(175ish/month)
add bills, council tax etc and I was left with around £200/month.
don't ask how but I did fine. Can't say I felt "poor"
30k in 1990 was a different amount of money to 30k now
That sort of what my point was but I put it badly. £30k in 1990 and no rent and living centrally to London meant I could have a good time and not worry about money. I wouldnt want to live in London for any less to be honest otherwise the cons outweigh the pros.
Man of Honour
In 1990 i was living in London and living rent free (so many months in Plimlico and then 9 months in Hackney plus a had a free all zone travel card) and earning £30k per annum. Had a great time
According to the inflation calculator on the bankofengland site, 30k in 1990 is £62k in todays money, so no wonder you had a great time
I somehow managed to live on 15k in 2014.
renting a house with my brother for 500each rent without bills
cycling to work to save on ticket(175ish/month)
add bills, council tax etc and I was left with around £200/month.
don't ask how but I did fine. Can't say I felt "poor"
Yikes - well done.