The Student Room Group

Graduate Job in Brighton

Hello everyone,

I am a graduate Engineer student and I manage to get an offer from a company in Brighton , so I am thinking about moving there. The salary although is relatively low (20k- which means I think 1300+ per month) and I am not sure if it is enough to live in Brighton. I am struggling while calculating monthly costs and I hope I could hear your opinion.
What is the percentage of the monthly salary I should use on rent ?
Prices I see for example on gumtree do not include council tax and monthly bills ? (are there any other similar expenses?)


Thank you in advance!
Reply 1
Go here to work out your take-home pay: https://listentotaxman.com/

On that kind of money you're going to have to look at a house share or lodging. Expect to pay £250-400 depending on location/quality. Avoid Whitehawk at all costs. :smile:

Council tax will vary depending on where you live and how many people you share with, as will utilities and so on. But you'll probably be looking at max. £100-150 a month for these.

I don't think you'll live like a king on £20k, but so long as you don't mind being a bit of a way out from the centre.
Reply 2
Original post by Dez
Go here to work out your take-home pay: https://listentotaxman.com/

On that kind of money you're going to have to look at a house share or lodging. Expect to pay £250-400 depending on location/quality. Avoid Whitehawk at all costs. :smile:

Council tax will vary depending on where you live and how many people you share with, as will utilities and so on. But you'll probably be looking at max. £100-150 a month for these.

I don't think you'll live like a king on £20k, but so long as you don't mind being a bit of a way out from the centre.


So you are advising to look at a total of 500 for rent/bills/council tax. Many ads on gumtree,rightmove etc include council tax and bills in the price. The takehome is 1400 , and I was thinking about 600-650 initially as with a good location I may not have to spent a lot in transportation.
Reply 3
Original post by gsb7
So you are advising to look at a total of 500 for rent/bills/council tax. Many ads on gumtree,rightmove etc include council tax and bills in the price. The takehome is 1400 , and I was thinking about 600-650 initially as with a good location I may not have to spent a lot in transportation.


That sounds reasonable. Less reliance on buses/trains is definitely a good thing too, as both can be pretty dire. :p:
Reply 4
Original post by Dez
That sounds reasonable. Less reliance on buses/trains is definitely a good thing too, as both can be pretty dire. :p:


Are any housing bills that I am missing ?
Does the amount presented in those sites the entire amount I will have to pay monthly ?
Original post by gsb7
So you are advising to look at a total of 500 for rent/bills/council tax. Many ads on gumtree,rightmove etc include council tax and bills in the price. The takehome is 1400 , and I was thinking about 600-650 initially as with a good location I may not have to spent a lot in transportation.


You should be able to find somewhere central for 500-550 per month all included. :top:

I would do this over living further out, because buses are expensive and so are taxis, so after that you wouldn't be making that much of a saving and it's also pretty inconvenient.
Reply 6
Original post by gsb7
Are any housing bills that I am missing ?
Does the amount presented in those sites the entire amount I will have to pay monthly ?


Off the top of my head, there's water, electicity/gas, council tax, broadband, and possibly TV licence. Probably best to ask if you're not sure what bills are included, though I expect the first three definitely will be. It's probably also worth checking who holds liability especially for the council tax, you don't want to end up stuck with a huge bill because your housemates didn't pay their share.
Original post by gsb7
Hello everyone,

I am a graduate Engineer student and I manage to get an offer from a company in Brighton , so I am thinking about moving there. The salary although is relatively low (20k- which means I think 1300+ per month) and I am not sure if it is enough to live in Brighton. I am struggling while calculating monthly costs and I hope I could hear your opinion.
What is the percentage of the monthly salary I should use on rent ?
Prices I see for example on gumtree do not include council tax and monthly bills ? (are there any other similar expenses?)


Thank you in advance!


Can't help with prices for Brighton but if you haven't already look at spareroom, its generally seen to be a bit more reliable than Gumtree.
Reply 8
Thanks a lot for your answers.
I am searching for a house (around 500-600) but I was adviced to view before I take anything.
I will not be able to do that as I will arrive only 1-2 days before I start working. Should I rent something for a month
and then take it from there ? Every ad suggests a minimum of 3 or more months
Original post by gsb7
Thanks a lot for your answers.
I am searching for a house (around 500-600) but I was adviced to view before I take anything.
I will not be able to do that as I will arrive only 1-2 days before I start working. Should I rent something for a month
and then take it from there ? Every ad suggests a minimum of 3 or more months


Can you not take a trip down before hand? Unless you have someone you know who can make viewings on your behalf it really is important you go and look so you can see if what you are renting is as it says/actually exists- unfortunatley there are some unscruplous landlords who dont make the most honest adverts.
Original post by gsb7
Thanks a lot for your answers.
I am searching for a house (around 500-600) but I was adviced to view before I take anything.
I will not be able to do that as I will arrive only 1-2 days before I start working. Should I rent something for a month
and then take it from there ? Every ad suggests a minimum of 3 or more months


Have a look on air bnb website - it's people renting spare rooms in their houses, often to tourists for their holidays, but you'd be able to find hosts who would be happy to have you for a few weeks or so while you found something more long-term. There are reviews from.previous guests so you have some idea of what you're getting. Good luck, let us know how you get on :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 11
Did you use anything else besides the known sites such as rightmove,spareroom and gumtree ?
I will use airbnb for 1 week and find a place while there. Is 1 week enough ?
I actually wanted to get someone's opinion on that.
I will be starting a grad job in a month's time at £25K/yr. It'll be in a different city to where I am now. I am currently looking for accommodation, and can't decide on whether to go for shared or my own place. These are my thoughts about the both:
* Shared: ++ Can save up and pay back my loans quicker (my debt isn't from SFE, it's from parents). But main point is socially, I don't know anyone yet in the area I will be moving to, so it could potentially get pretty lonely, especially in the weekend. I've enjoyed communal living through out uni because I can get up to stuff with flatmates...etc.
* Own place: ++ Main point is own privacy and comfort.
So not sure what to go for?
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 13
Original post by candyaljamila
I actually wanted to get someone's opinion on that.
I will be starting a grad job in a month's time at £25K/yr. It'll be in a different city to where I am now. I am currently looking for accommodation, and can't decide on whether to go for shared or my own place. These are my thoughts about the both:
* Shared: ++ Can save up and pay back my loans quicker (my debt isn't from SFE, it's from parents). But main point is socially, I don't know anyone yet in the area I will be moving to, so it could potentially get pretty lonely, especially in the weekend. I've enjoyed communal living through out uni because I can get up to stuff with flatmates...etc.
* Own place: ++ Main point is own privacy and comfort.
So not sure what to go for?

I have exactly the same thoughts with you on this. But to be honest I can't find a flat that I would consider good enough for 100-200 pounds more. I think for starters I will find a good shared room (maybe ensuite, no more that 3 total residents). Try to find something with no minimum contract so that you can decide after 1-2 months what your priorities are.
There are positions going for my friends tutoring business! They are in huge need of maths and science tutors at the moment, so if you would like to apply, or know anyone who would be interested, feel free to pass this on to them! (: Flexible hours & £15-20 per hour. You can apply to become a tutor here: brightteach.com/become-a-tutor

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