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
- The UK school system
- Accommodation in the UK
- Mobile SIM cards
- Essential web links
- UK facts and figures
- The UK tax system
- The National Health Service
- International money transfers
- Choosing the right UK visa
- Finding an expat community
- Contracting in the UK
- UK financial services
- Shipping excess baggage
- Cost of living in the UK
- Entertainment discounts
- Travel discounts