A guide to the UK cost of living including rent, council tax rates UK, food, drink, transport and entertainment prices. Plus, a simple explanation of why the price of items varies between countries and a guide to the best free events in London
In this section:
Costs for living in the UK – what is the cost of living in London, England?
Before you move your life to another country, you should have a clear understanding of how much it is going to cost to live, eat and sleep there. Unfortunately, there is no skirting around it, London is an expensive city and the pound is currently very strong meaning that no matter whether you will be exchanging South African rand or Aussie, Canadian or Kiwi dollars you are bound to receive a lot less money in return. To find out the current conversion rate, use our on-line currency converter tool (insert link to currency converter within Tools section of website).
A basic guide of costs for living in the UK (how much you can expect to pay for food, drinks, rent, transportation and entertainment in London) is below. Each amount has been converted into South African rand and Aussie, Canadian and Kiwi dollars to help you budget before you leave home. Once in the UK, we strongly suggest you stop converting the cost of items into your home currency ASAP as it is likely to make you wince. Besides that, you will either be have a great time or earning pounds anyway.
Cost of Accommodation in the UK
| Average cost of accommodation in London – per month |
| Area |
Flat share - single |
Flat share - double |
One bedroom flat |
| East London |
GBP £290-£390 |
GBP £430-£600 |
GBP £650-£750 |
| |
AUD $704-$946 |
AUD $1,044-$1,456 |
AUD $1,579-$1,820 |
| |
NZD $856-$1,150 |
NZD $1,269-$1,771 |
NZD $1,917-$2,213 |
| |
CAD $608-$818 |
CAD $902-$1,258 |
CAD $1,363-$1,573 |
| |
ZAR 3,750-5,043 |
ZAR 5,560-7,757 |
ZAR 8,404-9,697 |
| West London |
GBP £280-£430 |
GBP £459-£690 |
GBP £700-£800 |
| |
AUD $680-$1,044 |
AUD $1,115-$1,676 |
AUD $1,700-$1,943 |
| |
NZD $826-$1,269 |
NZD $1,354-$2,036 |
NZD $2,064-$2,360 |
| |
CAD $587-$902 |
CAD $963-$1,447 |
CAD $1,468-$1,678 |
| |
ZAR 3,621-5,560 |
ZAR 5,935-8,921 |
ZAR 9,050-10,333 |
| North London |
GBP £300-£400 |
GBP £430-£550 |
GBP £650-£750 |
| |
AUD $728-$971 |
AUD $1,044-$1,335 |
AUD $1,579-$1,820 |
| |
NZD $885-$1,180 |
NZD $1,269-$1,623 |
NZD $1,917-$2,213 |
| |
CAD $629-$839 |
CAD $902-$1,153 |
CAD $1,363-$1,573 |
| |
ZAR 3,875-5,172 |
ZAR 5,560-7,112 |
ZAR 8,404-9,697 |
| South London |
GBP £280-£500 |
GBP £350-£650 |
GBP £600-£700 |
| |
AUD $680-$1,213 |
AUD $850-$1,579 |
AUD $1,456-$1,700 |
| |
NZD $826-$1,475 |
NZD $1,033-$1,917 |
NZD $1,771-$2,064 |
| |
CAD $587-$1,048 |
CAD $734-$1,363 |
CAD $1,258-$1,468 |
| |
ZAR 3,616-6,458 |
ZAR 4,521-8,404 |
ZAR 7,757-9,050 |
Cost of Food and Drink in the UK
| Average cost of food and drinks in the UK |
| Type |
Cost GBP |
Cost AUD |
Cost NZD |
Cost CAD |
Cost ZAR |
| Weekly grocery bill for 2 ppl (inc. food, laundry & toiletries) |
£60 |
$146 |
$177 |
$126 |
774 |
| 1 x mid-range pub meal |
£6-£10 |
$15-$24 |
$18-$29 |
$13-$21 |
77-129 |
| 1 x mid-range restaurant meal |
£12-£20 |
$29-$49 |
$35-$59 |
$25-$42 |
155 |
| 1 x pint of beer |
£2.50-£3 |
$6-$7 |
$7-$9 |
$5-$6 |
32-39 |
| 1 x mid-range bottle of wine |
£10 |
$24 |
$29 |
$21 |
129 |
| 1 x bottle of coke |
£0.90 |
$2 |
$3 |
$2 |
12 |
Cost of Transport in the UK
| Average cost of UK transportation |
| Type |
Cost GBP |
Cost AUD |
Cost NZD |
Cost CAD |
Cost ZAR |
| Weekly zone 1-6 travel card |
£41 |
$100 |
$121 |
$86 |
528 |
| Monthly zone 1-6 travel card |
£86 |
$209 |
$254 |
$180 |
1,109 |
| Standard single train trip -Edinburgh |
£110 |
$268 |
$325 |
$231 |
1,418 |
| Standard single train trip - Brighton |
£17 |
$41 |
$50 |
$36 |
219 |
| Return budget flight – Spain |
£120-£150 |
$292-$365 |
$355-$446 |
$252-$315 |
1,547-1,935 |
| Return budget flight – Ireland |
£50-£60 |
$122-$146 |
$148-$177 |
$105-$126 |
645-774 |
| Standard return Eurostar train trip – Paris |
£125 |
$304 |
$369 |
$263 |
1,612 |
| Mid-sized car rental – 1 weekend |
£70 |
$170 |
$207 |
$147 |
904 |
Cost of Entertainment in the UK
| Average cost of UK entertainment |
| Type |
Cost GBP |
Cost AUD |
Cost NZD |
Cost CAD |
Cost ZAR |
| Movie ticket |
£7-£10 |
$17-$24 |
$21-$29 |
$15-$21 |
90-129 |
| West End theatre ticket |
£25+ |
$21+ |
$74+ |
$52 |
322+ |
| Club /pub entry |
£5-£20 |
$12-$49 |
$15-$59 |
$10-$42 |
65-258 |
| Live music / concerts |
£10+ |
$24+ |
$29+ |
$21+ |
129+ |
| Chart CDs |
£7+ |
$17+ |
$21+ |
$15+ |
90+ |
| New Release DVD rental |
£3.50 |
$8.50 |
$10 |
$7 |
45 |
Note: The above prices are a guide to the cost of living in London as of July 2006. All currency conversions have been rounded up to the nearest dollar/rand and are based on the exchange rate at this time. |