I remember the NY Times used to (maybe still does) have slide shows featuring houses around the country so you could marvel at how little or far your dollar would take you. When I reveal how much I pay to live in London most people are shocked. So, here’s a tour!
Before I tell you how much it costs to live here, keep these two things in mind:
1) My commute is short! We’re talking 10 minutes and I’m in the city.
2) I live in a clean, very safe area in a nice, newly renovated house. So lovely. Lots of green space. Close to shopping and excellent dining.
For this room (with a cute little fireplace!) …
…. in a house with three other housemates (I don’t have a say in who moves in) and only one bathroom, I pay what is the equivalent of about $1,100-$1,200 per month, all bills inclusive. When I lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, and had a bigger room, way bigger kitchen and only one roommate (Hi, Garry!), I paid $280. Thinking about that price almost makes me feel sick!
I pay only a little more than most of my friends, but the two things I mentioned at the beginning of the post are very important to me. I absolutely did not want to live somewhere that I didn’t feel safe walking home at night, or even during the day! I have a love affair with how short my commute is. Most importantly, I like coming home. I feel happy there and it’s relaxing. I think all of these things are pretty hard to find in a big city, especially for a good price.
It’s safe to say I take over most of the kitchen. I have three full cabinets, while the three boys in the house each have one that they barely fill.
The fridge is another story. One small shelf. My shopping is being delivered tomorrow, at which point it will be even more packed??
Can’t forget the living room, aka room to hang wet clothes out to dry. I tidied up for this picture, but as you can see in the mirror, we have hanging shirts rather than photo frames. Such is the British household …
It might be crazy expensive, but I’m still enjoying city life enough to make it worth it!
July 31, 2012 at 16:15
Well it’s a gorgeous space! Yes, expensive, but hey, nothing’s “expensive” if that’s what it’s worth to you. And ugh, I’m paying quite a bit less per month than yours, and I still think about my old $220/mo houseshare and day dream. Don’t even care that it didn’t have A/C. $220 a month.
July 31, 2012 at 17:07
True, true! Wow. $220. That’s pretty much the lowest rent I’ve ever heard of.
July 31, 2012 at 17:16
Whoa, I had no idea you lived with 3 boys!? What’s that like? It’s like the TV show New Girl…only you’ve probably never seen that since it’s new over here:)
As far as price goes, it’s all relative. There are always going to be places where you could get more space for less money or vice versa, but it totally just depends on what’s important to you! I think it’s money well spent and your bedroom is adorable! Do you take the tube to work or walk?
July 31, 2012 at 18:25
I haven’t seen it, but I want to!
I take the overground train to work, which is SO MUCH BETTER than the tube. I do everything possible to avoid it, especially during the summer. It’s not even hot out, but it’s suffocating down there. Also trains are way faster. You can live farther outside the city but get there more quickly than the crazies who decide to live on a tube line
April 1, 2013 at 12:16
I love meeting Americans and listening to them complain about how expensive London is (not talking about you, just Americans in general). Coming from Australia, London is CHEAP. In Sydney, I had enough money to pay rent, buy groceries and that was it. Here I feel like I live like a king. My husband and I pay £1400 a month for our flat, which is roughly the equivalent to what we were paying in Oz. But the cost of groceries, eating out, and basic bills is SO much cheaper here, so we have heaps of money left over. I can’t imagine only having one tiny shelf in that fridge though!
April 1, 2013 at 12:34
Hahaha yeah … we do complain about expense a lot!! I’m starting to get used to it, though. It’s only when I leave London and go outside the city that I realize how expensive it is.