And yet, the post you are replying to shows 2 people living on ~£1.1k Net monthly income in London, and already shows rent isn't as extravagant as people think.

And yet, the post you are replying to shows 2 people living on ~£1.1k Net monthly income in London, and already shows rent isn't as extravagant as people think. You can support someone else, on a single £40k wage, in London, in an 1-bed place (assumes you're supporting a partner). Maybe you can't afford a car, or to eat out several times a week, or to take lots of holidays... but £40k goes pretty far and providing money isn't being spent frivolously it easily supports 2 people in 1 flat in London. When ~£13k per annum can support 2 people, £40k is a very high standard of living for 2 people.