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LOL. 40k ~= 29k / year after taxes? That's 2400 / month (I'm not sure what health care coverage you get for that, it's been 10 years since I lived in the UK, bu

by roel_v 16y ago

LOL. 40k ~= 29k / year after taxes? That's 2400 / month (I'm not sure what health care coverage you get for that, it's been 10 years since I lived in the UK, but let's assume it is fully covered). A 1 bedroom is what nowadays, 1600 / month if you're not picky? Add public transport fees (100 euro / month?), above-average cost of food (depending on where you go and what you eat, obviously - 250 euro a month for 1 person if you're a bit careful should be doable); utility bills (gas, water, electricity; let's say you're not home much and it all adds up to 150 / month; that leaves 300 for clothes, cell phone, insurances, furnishing your apartment, social life if you want to have one, various local taxes, ... Luckily Ryanair flies for cheap, but the Stansted Express is already another 25 euros ;) Obviously there are many people living off much less, but don't expect the same standard of living you could buy elsewhere with that money...

roel_v 16y ago
Sorry, I switched currencies somewhere halfway in my post, I don't quite remember where - but either way, either your net pay will go down or costs go up so the actual situation is worse than what I describe.
notahacker 16y ago
You can get a perfectly decent furnished flat in a normal inner-suburb area of London on little more than half the suggested £1600, and if you plan your flights in advance the cost on a low cost carrier is negligible. £40k per annum isn't going to offer you the same kind of luxury in London you might get in other cities, but it's a perfectly adequate salary to enjoy the city on.
- roel_v 16y ago
  OK I guess it depends on how you define 'live in London', I guess. I used to live in Staines, but I hardly believe that moving to Staines represents the ambition of people saying the want to move to London because that's where the action happens. I admit I don't know that much about actual rental prices right now, but a cursory web search shows to me that my 1600 pounds is closer to the average for a 1-bedroom apartment than 800 pounds. 700 pounds is what an average apartment (nothing fancy) costs in my rural hometown in Belgium.

by roel_v 16y ago

roel_v 16y ago

Sorry, I switched currencies somewhere halfway in my post, I don't quite remember where - but either way, either your net pay will go down or costs go up so the actual situation is worse than what I describe.

notahacker 16y ago

You can get a perfectly decent furnished flat in a normal inner-suburb area of London on little more than half the suggested £1600, and if you plan your flights in advance the cost on a low cost carrier is negligible. £40k per annum isn't going to offer you the same kind of luxury in London you might get in other cities, but it's a perfectly adequate salary to enjoy the city on.

roel_v 16y ago
OK I guess it depends on how you define 'live in London', I guess. I used to live in Staines, but I hardly believe that moving to Staines represents the ambition of people saying the want to move to London because that's where the action happens. I admit I don't know that much about actual rental prices right now, but a cursory web search shows to me that my 1600 pounds is closer to the average for a 1-bedroom apartment than 800 pounds. 700 pounds is what an average apartment (nothing fancy) costs in my rural hometown in Belgium.