London is so much more expensive to live in.
I'd assume you'd be commuting to uni if you went to one in London, but I personally feel that living on campus in halls for first year then getting a house with friends for second and third year is part of the whole experience.
I have friends that commute to the same university that I go to, and they even feel they've missed out on the whole experience as they haven't been able to go out as getting home would be an issue, and they haven't been able to do extra stuff like being a course rep, or joining a sports team as the timings of training would be awkward in relation to lectures and when they'd go home. And not that friends are the most important thing at uni, but they had a harder time making friends as I did as they simply weren't around as much as me. I made friends with the people I was in a building with, plus their friends as well because we all hung out together.
Not living at home was definitely a strange thing to be thrown into, but I am so much happier than if I were to live at home and commute.