Cost of living in UK

[Shaun Wilde]

Do not believe all you read on jobserve - experience of the contract market is that 50% of these jobs are agent CV phishing expeditions or a client has asked an agent to just check when they are in the planning phase and the actual job just vanishes as quick as it appeared.

There are 10 sorts of people in this world. Those who understand binary and those that don't.
www.many-monkeys.com

[Johnny]

Well, I'm not sure where you are from to think that 40K is low, but it seems pretty good in most places in the world, and double the average US and UK salary. Contrary to what everyone else here seems to be saying, you can live in London on half that wage (I know, I've done it!) and still have a great quality of life (without any noodles too). Sure it helps if you have more, but the majority of Londoners manage on less. Living outside London reduces your expenses, but generally also reduces the wage. It all really depends on your requirements (family, age, lifestyle etc). Living in another country is a great experience, so I'd recommend it no matter how tight money is!

[Lost User]

Go to Rightmove[^], this website lets you look around the country for properties for sale and to let (rent). Remember to ask about areas within cities as they vart a lot. Elaine :rose: The tigress is here :-D

[Colin Angus Mackay]

James Simpson wrote:

£120 council tax

Council tax is cheap in Guildford! I pay £134 with a single occupancy discount. It would be ~£170 otherwise.

James Simpson wrote:

£30-50 gas electricity + water

That's cheap. I pay £85 just for Gas + Electric. ColinMackay.net Scottish Developers are looking for speakers for user group sessions over the next few months. Do you want to know more?

[Giles]

Depends where you live. 5 miles out of central London, would expect to be paying ~£1200 a month for a 1 bed flat that is okay. Food, I normally spend £300-£400 a month. Entertainment, well that depends on what you like. If you have a penchent for strippers then its going to get fairly pricey. A car and fuel is expensive. Tube tickets for zone 1-3 (~5 mile, ~30 minute radius) is about £100 a month. And council tax and the rest. Adds up. I'm guessing you are going to totally under estimate how much is costs to live here. Obviously you can spend a lot less than this if you want to by sharing a larger flat etc.

[Anna Jayne Metcalfe]

True in some cases, but such posts aren't that common. They are also very specialised, and likely to be highly pressured. More typical rates in the SouthEast/SouthWest are £25-£35/hour. That's a big difference - especially as these figures are gross rather than net. Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

[RichardGrimmer]

I see your point - but to put things into context, rental of £2K is ridiculously high compared to the rest of the ~UK....I used to pay £360 / month for a 2-bed, and in my hometown, you're looking at about £700 for a 5-bedroom country cottage in 3 acres of gardens... "Now I guess I'll sit back and watch people misinterpret what I just said......" Christian Graus At The Soapbox

[Anna Jayne Metcalfe]

Yes, it is. The tax system is progressive and complex, but easy to work out if you have the Employers CD HMRC give out each year. ;) I came to the conclusion long ago that the only way to get rich in this game is to go it alone - or take a big stake in the right company when its just starting up. Both are incredibly risky and can be very, very expensive! Most of us do development because we enjoy it....and believe me, it's far better paid than most professions. Most of my old friends earn around half what I did when I was working permanent. Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

[Stuart Dootson]

Colin Angus Mackay wrote:

Council tax is cheap in Guildford!

Not compared to Derby - I'm paying less than £60 per month (2-bed house, single occupancy discount).

[Chris Grey]

This site will allow you to view what your cost of living in your current location is in comparison to other cities. http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html Most US cities are in there and the capital city of most countries too. Chris

[Ian Drew]

People live in and around London on all sorts of income. Take all the Aussies that live on £4 / hour bar jobs, you still see them having a great time. London is a great place to live and work, you just have to live to your means. The more you earn the closer to the centre you can afford to live. If you get a house share then it would be more than affordable on that income, depending on how often and where you go out. Ian, now living just outside London.

[Shahil Shah]

I dont think anyone's really answered your question so here goes: (answer based if your gonna be in london or south east where most software jobs are) Approx £1000 for rent per month (for 1 bedroom flat excluding gas/electricity/water/council bills) Approx £150 for travel per month (using public transport only) Approx £20 for food shopping per week Approx £3 for a pint of beer at a decent bar Approx £15 for entry to a decent nightclub of course this is an approximation but as u can see the most you will spend is on rent/travel Hope this helps Shahil

[JimAtImpac]

So what is the average rent for a one bedroom apartment and what is the median home price in London? Jim