Life in London is expensive, and there’s no way around it. But the real question is, how expensive is it? And how much can I live with in the city?
Having an idea of how much money you will spend will help you determine how much you have to earn to live a good life - or you can look at it in the opposite way: If you know how much you will earn, you can calculate how much you can spend.
It’s probably not surprising at all that renting an apartment will be your biggest monthly expense. A good benchmark for how much money you should spend on rent is 33% of your salary - if you can make it less, great, but if you go near the 50% mark, you may find yourself short of cash at some point.
But how do you find a place where rent is more affordable? The answer is: NOT in the centre of London. A lot of new Expats try to be as close to their workplace as possible, but realistically, these are typically in Zones 1 and 2, which are also the most expensive places to live in. A 1-Bedroom apartment in Zone 1 can easily cost upwards of £3,000 per month, while a similar sized apartment in Zone 3/4 can be half of the price.
Don’t know where to start when it comes to looking for an apartment in London? At Matutto you can get neighbourhoods guides, rental application support, and more!
Once you have found your ideal place to live and collected all the Documents you need to rent, it’s time to apply! Simply align with the Property Manager/Estate Agent, send everything across and cross your fingers! If everything checks outs, you have found yourself a place to live!
As a side note, Landlords can sometimes make 2 requests before accepting your application:
If you want to learn more about Renting in London, Sign up to Matutto to access more resources and support from expert Relocation Advisors who can help you with your move.
