Average cost of accommodation in London

One bedroom, city centre £500 - £1,250
One bedroom, outside city £400 - £1,000
Three bedrooms, city centre £725 - £2,000
Three bedrooms, outside city £600 - £1,500

Cost of food and drink

Average weekly grocery bill£60
Average pub meal £12
Average restaurant meal £15 - £20
Pint of beer £3.50
Average bottle of wine in supermarket £7
Average meal for two in mid-priced restaurant £45

Cost of transportation

One-way ticket on local transport £2.30
Monthly pass £125 (standard single, off-peak)
Train trip to Cambridge / Brighton £21.20 (standard single, off peak)
Average mid-sized car rental for a weekend £150 (budget carrier)
Return budget flight to Spain £78 (standard class)
Eurostar return ticket to Paris £100 (standard class)
Return flight to Ireland £125 (economy)

Cost of entertainment

Movie £9 - £10
Monthly gym membership £34
Show on the West End £30
Club/Pub entry £20+
International live music concerts £30+

Money tips

London is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world. For an average day, we recommend you budget at least £50.00. A bit of sightseeing or a night out could easily add £30.00 on to this. If you are looking to stay in a modest hotel and eat restaurant meals, you should budget upwards of £90.00 a day. Outside of London, costs do drop quite quickly, especially if you have a transport pass and are able to cook your own meals.

Tipping

If you eat in a British restaurant, a tip of at least 10% is seen as standard, unless the service was unsatisfactory.

Waitrons are generally paid minimum wage, with much of their income coming from tips. Some restaurants include a service charge on the bill, especially with larger dining groups, in which case leaving a tip is unnecessary.

It is standard to tip hairdressers’ assistants if you are especially pleased with their service. Tipping is always at your discretion - there is no need to leave a tip if you’ve simply had a pint poured at a pub, but the 10% recommendation stands at more upmarket cocktail bars.

The easy start to life in the UK

Essential resources for life in the UK


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