What Salary Do You Need to Live Comfortably in London?

London has gotten seriously expensive in recent years, and with the UK recently announcing that it is now in a recession, it begs the question of how much you need to make to live comfortably in the city.
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - Rent
2:45 - Utilities
3:02 - Council Tax
4:38 - Transport
6:05 - Groceries
7:25 - Healthcare
8:09 - Eating Out
9:13 - Drinks
9:37 - Gym Membership
9:57 - Entertainment
10:14 - Subscription Services
10:27 - Savings
11:09 - Income Tax
11:38 - Final Salary
11:55 - Evaluation & Rating

[@AdityaPillai009]

Brilliant video!

[@wulfsorenson8859]

Lmao I was paying £1560pcm for a one bed flat in Notting Hill prior to the lockdown. Same in Pimlico..The lockdowns made the rents go completely insane.

[@teodorghiorghita9534]

It would have been a great video, if only was well documented. All the prices are as if the video was made at least 18 months ago, except maybe for groceries.
I pay £1800 for rent, in zone 3, and that's just because I got a discount for staying in the same place for 7 years. The usual rent in my area is at around £2000, or even higher. Council tax is £120/pcm. The bills are over £300 in total. Heating alone this month is an eye-watering £116, electricity £79, phone £46 (for a sim-only plan), internet £35 (only because I changed the provider, Virgin was charging £64 last year for an internet-only plan). Then add water bill every once in a while, and the TV licence tax.
Netflix was probably never £10.99, and now it is £17.99.
I don't buy my groceries at M&S or Waitrose, and I still spend over £350 every month (for one person!). I think I've never been below £300, not even back in 2017.
A pint almost anywhere in zone 1 annd 2 is well above £6, sometimes above £7. Only close to my place in zone 3 I had recently 2 pints at £5.85 a piece.
And the whole calculation doesn't even take into account things like toiletries or clothing and footwear, not to mention that every once in a while you have to change a lightbulb, or you need to buy e.g. a new coffee machine. What about holidays, let's say once a year?
My salary was until recently £65K, and I realised that I started to literally spend 100% of my income. That's why I decided that it's time to leave London, and go back home, where I can have a decent life for less than €2000 per month, which is totally something I can make.

[@Farol-ni4wh]

Thank you for your comment Teodor. Most of the prices mentioned in the video are based on averages that I researched online back in January for a single person living alone. Just to clarify on a few of your points:
- While rent might be that high in your area of zone 3, that's not the case for the boroughs that I mention in the video. I've found plenty of 1 bedroom flats going for £1,600 or even lower on Zoopla.
- Like I said in the video, council tax is a tricky one as it varies from borough to borough and flat to flat but generally, single people pay between £100 and £150.
- All utilities mentioned were based on averages from numbeo.com, including phone and internet.
- There are 3 Netflix plans available at the moment. The one mentioned in the video is the standard plan (ideal for people living alone) and does cost £10.99.
- As for groceries, this is another tricky one that depends on lifestyle, like how much you eat, what your diet is, whether you buy mostly frozen or mostly fresh. But it is doable for 1 person to spend £200 a month at M&S or Waitrose.
- As for all the other things you mention like changing a lightbulb, getting a new coffee machine, going on holiday, etc would fall under the 20% savings section of the budget. I kept these kind of things in mind which is why I added it in.
It sucks how expensive London has gotten in recent years and I don't blame you for wanting to leave! I understand that not everyone has the same needs or lifestyle which is why I discuss 2 different salaries in the video, so that people can decide for themselves where they would fall inbetween those 2 salaries.
Again, I appreciate the feedback but just know that I tried my best in my research to get the most accurate numbers possible even though some people might end up spending more or less. 🙂

[@wintersnowowen2254]

I live in zone 2 and pay £1,600 for a 1 bedroom apartment in a complex with a concierge. Your rent for zone 3 is crazy.

[@wintersnowowen2254]

This is a good video. If you are looking to live a good and comfortable life in zone 2, you will definitely need about ~£4,000 a month net.
You’ll be living a somewhat comfortable life but certainly not a luxurious life.
The figures of ~£5,000+ aren’t attainable for most people given pension contributions and student loans.

[@BeethanPlays]

Really good video! Very insightful

[@Farol-ni4wh]

Thanks!

[@pablonious4907]

I have a drinking problem would the budget apply to me aswell?

[@harryhudson9821]

It's actually £85,000, 65 is just around broke..

[@rosskj9187]

It would be better to take an average food shop for a person rather than simple items which is unrealistic. £200 p/m food shop is very Conservative even for working class.