Cost of living?

Hello,

My husband and I are considering relocating to the UK. West London, in particular. We'd be re-locating for work, and our company would take care of moving and helping us find a place to live, etc. I am curious though about the cost of living once we're actually LIVING there. We'd be paid in GBP.

I'm wondering if anyone has details or specifics about approximately how much a couple would need to make in order to live fairly comfortably. I know this is a fairly general question, but did you expats find food/transportation/day-to-day costs to be fairly equivalent to what you experienced in the States? Anything shocking?

I've traveled to Britain recently, and things seemed quite expensive, but I think that might be because I was calculating things based on the weakening dollar. If you're actually paid in GBP, I would think the prices might not be so staggering. True?

Thanks!

Yep, it's expensive here - in fact London is one of the most expensive cities in the world.  However, you're right that using dollars to reckon the cost of living will only drive you insane.  Better to be paid in sterling - but even then, London is expensive - it'll all depend on how much you're getting paid, where you decide to live, what kind of lifestyle you lead, etc.

I live up north, so can't help you on London specifically.  There are loads of people here who can though & I'm sure they will chime in.

I've been living in NW London for 4 years after moving over for a job working at a high school.  I make the same amount in pounds as I did in dollars (so if I made $35, then here I would make £35).  And I find that my lifestyle is just as good if not better in some ways...for me it's cause I use the exchange rate to my advantage to pay off my school loans, shopping for clothing in the States and presents during holidays.  What I did get used to was a smaller place to live with less storage, eating out a bit less (the fresh food is outstanding here) and transport costs.  I did live in DC and Boston, so I'm used to high prices of things in cities...if you are coming from smaller towns or less expensive parts of the US, prices might be a shock.

I think if you look at it as a lifestyle change, it's much easier.  As mentioned by onetiger, I eat out a lot less, and what I do for entertainment is much different.  I think it would have been much more of a challenge if I insisted on eating out each weekend, and going to the cinema more like I did in the States.  I've supplemented this with walking, going to the pub for a coke with friends, entertaining people at our house, things like that.  I've even had to find new favourite treats, which has taken me about two years if I'm honest.  You can find ways to cut costs, but it can be hard to know what to adapt.  It is quite expensive in Britain, and we live in York, not London.  Just give yourself plenty of time to find a routine, I've found that to be the best way to keep costs lower. 

We are from Seattle, so we're pretty used to high housing prices, gas, etc. I really didn't think about the exchange rate being useful for paying off student loans...but that's very true, thanks!

As someone who just moved to London two weeks ago I can offer some advice.  Food?  More money.  Transportation?  More money.  Day-to-day costs?  More money.  Haha. 

If you're lucky like onetiger and are making the same amount of $ as £ you'll be doing more than fine.  But to use the example of $35, if I made $35 in the States (downtown Chicago) I make about £19 in London - slightly better than half.  And that seems to be common from the people I've been asking (but maybe I'm asking the wrong people).

And like persephone mentioned it will probably be much easier if you look at it as a lifestyle change.  I'm used to eating out almost every meal...that's going to have to change.   My big apartment on Lake Shore Drive?  Now a small flat shared with another couple.  Ha, but I'm not trying to scare you (or complain).  So far it's been great!  The sites, activities, pubs, people, etc.  There's lots to make up for the cost of living.  :-) 

I can't throw out a number because everyone has different needs/wants.  Just like the States, a couple can be happy with $30,000 a year while another couple will struggle/complain with $300,000 a year.