The cost of living in London?

Heya,

I'm sure there's an incalculable amount of threads exactly like this one on The Student Room and if I looked I'm find my answer there. However, that being said, I'm a lazy bugger and much prefer starting my own thread.

It's all in the title: what would be the cost of living in London, for a foreign student?

My tuition and accommodation are being taken care of privately, so I don't have to worry about that. My question relates to how much money do I need, per month, to live in London. Meaning, the cost of food, transport, supplies for Uni, going out on the week-ends, clothes shopping, et al.

The uni I'll be going to, UCL, recommends that you have £300/week. However, I feel like that takes into account accommodation, so would £150/week be sufficient to live off of, meaning £600/month? This will the allowance I'll be receiving from my parents, so I could perhaps round it off to £700.

Also, take into account that I'll be supplementing my income: I will be tutoring some children in London, in both French and Spanish, and will earn about £400/month doing this.

What do you think? Is this enough?

Reply 1

tehFrance

I suggest that you go for £300/w minimum, I can't live off £150/w.

Reply 2

LoicInAfrica

Original post by tehFrance

I suggest that you go for £300/w minimum, I can't live off £150/w.

Just for living expenses and excluding accommodation? I have a hard time believing that's the minimum required to live in London for a week, as a student.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3

Lollakas

Hey,
I just finished UCL and £150 sounds like the number most people are on, or I would say most are below this figure.

Of course exact spending will depend on your own life style, but I know a lot of people who went all the years on sub £100 per week and were doing really well. At the same time, I know people who would spend like crazy and still not manage. All numbers are excluding the accommodation costs.

Also, as a small advice, first months will be much more expensive than the rest due to not knowing where is what and going out constantly, will drain your budget.

Also, £400 per month from teaching? I haven't done much tutoring in uni, but imo sounds like a very optimistic figure.

Good luck.

Reply 4

poopsikins

The above figures sound a bit ridiculous to me. I live comfortably off £100 a week and I can live off £50 at a push. I live in Central London. Only thing you'll need is 'bonus money' at the start of term for things like books. But then again, take what your parents can afford to give you. It would be stupid not to.