Pinoy Newbie - London Info =)

[sam_althea]

correct!

[tomadore]

here's my honest estimate on a weekly basis....(living in Belfast)

food--- 40 (shopping in Tesco or Asda)
house---150 (shared, weekly) 450 house (per month)
transport--60 (city centre only, prepaid card good for 1 month)
electric--40(but if u live alone it could be cheaper)
gas---100(for central heating)
social---(it depends on how you live with it)

are you on a diet mode?

[leomar]

as i said its very hard to say exactly

But if i was moving into a house share in greater london ie the surburbs

Rent if i was sharing a house might be at least 200 to 300 pounds some maybe more as it depends on the room if its furnished and what bills are included.say 300 to 400 if budgeting. You will also need normally one months rent in advance as a deposit. Some firms will have firms they use to help find accomdation some better than others from what i hear.

food very hard to say and also if you don't want to eat basic supermarket food and crave say certain phill and asian foods which may not be avaiable in the supermarket i would budget at least 30 to 40 pounds a week. I've included a slight rise what its likely to be in say 3 months or so.

Bills (gas,water and elec) this can vary instead of AC, heating is the big consumer of engery in the home. So worth checking the insulation in the house or flat is it centrally heated, does it have double glazing which all help make more efficent heating of houses and flats.

engery bills on avg, an indepent website (martin lewis moneysaving website) say likely to rise by 35 percent late summer

credit cards well thats up to you and what you spend i guess.

Transport depends on the zones a monthly travelcard for zone 1 to 3 is 105 pounds a zone 1-6 is about 170 pounds a month. Season tickets on overground trains if you are based out of london can be quite a bit more but your likely to save on rent and general costs compared to nearer the centre of london.

social agian up to you but if you want to dine out once a week (a meal for one can be from 5 pounds or under for a mac dees or a kfc say to 100 pounds or more a head in a swanky resturant. In a avg chain resturant you might get a meal from 10 to 20 quid per head.
To go out on the town say two nights q week. you might need at least 50 quid a week. Again its very hard to say.

So to conclude from my ramblings me i think i would need at least

1000 pounds a week

300 to 400 rent

200 for travel

160 for food shopping

bills 80 pounds

any left over on social

All very rough but be warned the banking market in london is being pounded at the moment where it concerns jobs more are being shed than taken on.

Again, i really appreciate your help andypaul! Now i have a solid idea on living in London... Great man! your the best!


@sam
thanks for your input as well!

[leomar]

So to conclude from my ramblings me i think i would need at least

1000 pounds a week

300 to 400 rent

200 for travel

160 for food shopping

bills 80 pounds

any left over on social

Andypaul, sorry just to clarify was it 1k per week or per month?

[andypaul]

Andypaul, sorry just to clarify was it 1k per week or per month?

a month sorry

But a thousand a month if working in the city is nothing so you should have no worries

[Banana]

Andypaul, sorry just to clarify was it 1k per week or per month?

Leomar

I seriously suggest you do some of your own research. London is a diverse area and your more significant costs (housing and travel) will depend on where you live.

I would also ignore comments about working in the City as people in general have a perception that everyone in the City is on multi-million pound bonuses.

Whilst I am sure that those on here are genuinely trying to be helpful, you should draw on a very wide set of opinions as some on here are very polarised.

[Eljohno]

Things can be cheaper here in N.Ireland especially rentals but then again our wage over here is much less than London!!

[Banana]

Good to see that the discussion has descended into personal insults led by the owner of this website.

It's a shame that people can't engage in a rational discussion. Says a lot about them and their argument that they resort to pseudo insults like "Guardian Reader".

I shall leave you to your tainted view of the world "gentlemen"

[andypaul]

Good to see that the discussion has descended into personal insults led by the owner of this website.

It's a shame that people can't engage in a rational discussion. Says a lot about them and their argument that they resort to pseudo insults like "Guardian Reader".

I shall leave you to your tainted view of the world "gentlemen"

Still waiting for you to explain how you can belive such low figures?

Yes we know the goverment churn out those figures. But strangely they have no relation to what people experience in the real world in various parts of the country.

Leomar needs whats actually happening to normal people, not what the goverment would like us to belive.

[KeithD]

Good to see that the discussion has descended into personal insults led by the owner of this website.

Well it is my job to make it quite clear when people are spouting out utter drivel.

And as people on here are questioning YOUR comments, and not mine, guess who is wrong and who is right?

[bornatbirth]

And as people on here are questioning YOUR comments, and not mine, guess who is wrong and who is right?

but u can mod anyone who does

[Banana]

Well it is my job to make it quite clear when people are spouting out utter drivel.

And as people on here are questioning YOUR comments, and not mine, guess who is wrong and who is right?

You have an very interesting concept on right and wrong.

[Banana]

The statistics are produced by the independent national statistics office. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

The government doesn't churn out the figures instead they are produced by people that know what they are talking about. If you are better at them at producing relevant stats then why not let them know - I am sure they are waiting with bated breath for your innovative insight.

If I were Leomar and I had a choice between the independent stats office and some people on a website - I know the view that I would choose,

[aromulus]

The statistics are produced by the independent national statistics office. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

The government doesn't churn out the figures instead they are produced by people that know what they are talking about. If you are better at them at producing relevant stats then why not let them know - I am sure they are waiting with bated breath for your innovative insight.

If I were Leomar and I had a choice between the independent stats office and some people on a website - I know the view that I would choose,

Indipendent Stats Office is not indipendent at all, they are prone to adjust according to their masters whims and orders.
You can call it "Creative Accounting".
As we have happened to have seen in the past.

In the past few years I grew to mistrust anything with ".gov.uk"....

This government in particular has a history of lies and subterfuge.

As to the original poster, rents and cost of living vary a lot around Britain.
I personally find london terribly expensive.

[andypaul]

The statistics are produced by the independent national statistics office. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

The government doesn't churn out the figures instead they are produced by people that know what they are talking about. If you are better at them at producing relevant stats then why not let them know - I am sure they are waiting with bated breath for your innovative insight.

If I were Leomar and I had a choice between the independent stats office and some people on a website - I know the view that I would choose,

people put in place by the goverment

On 8 January 2008, after consulting ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the minister of the Cabinet Office appointed five non-executive members

[bornatbirth]

u tell them banana!

and stop reading the guardian i much prefer the daily star myself as only my inflation goes up after seeing the latest lucy pinder photo lol

but to be honest with you why pay attention to any statistics when the u only need to worry about wat really affects u? and life in england is just so hard lol

london or singapore? er let me think singapore,its one boring place but you cant really beat the weather!

[kimmi]

[gadgets]

leomar - have you tried googling london cost of living? there's a lot of material available.

[andypaul]

leomar - have you tried googling london cost of living? there's a lot of material available.

Some useful info i have to agree, but a warning to leomar

I looked at a few of the web sites and some were useful but still the prices are a few months out. Some were a year out or more so be careful to compare the prices in each one.

Also the rental prices quoted will be way out i would have thought from a quick glance at the local as most of the buy to let landlords mortages are more than the rents and loads of propties are coming onto the market as people try to rent out their propety to pay the mortage.

From what i hear its bedlam out there and thats from rental agency owners and former buy to let landlords and those still in the market.

[gadgets]

Some useful info i have to agree, but a warning to leomar

I looked at a few of the web sites and some were useful but still the prices are a few months out. Some were a year out or more so be careful to compare the prices in each one.

Also the rental prices quoted will be way out i would have thought from a quick glance at the local as most of the buy to let landlords mortages are more than the rents and loads of propties are coming onto the market as people try to rent out their propety to pay the mortage.

From what i hear its bedlam out there and thats from rental agency owners and former buy to let landlords and those still in the market.

agree with andypaul's caution

with regards to the last point, for the very first time I have heard about renters being evicted when the property they are renting were foreclosed

with regards to the visa, try the immigrationboard.com and go to the UK section. it has a general UK section and a tier 1 section (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) which may provide you more information. as andypaul noted on his earlier response, the banking industry is in midst of a financial storm (come to think of it, it might be boom times for your area of speciality).

best of luck with getting the City job and do keep us in mind you get your annual City bonus libre naman par oh!!! joke lang noh hehehehe

[Mrs.JMajor]

i can smell something adobo you right both of you who try to suggest something for leomar (w/c is old enough ) and he is very pleased w/ your reply....especially to andypaul w/ a 3000 post and long time on the forum and very appreciatable w/ his post

just trying to cool the air

[joebloggs]

rough living costs around london

a) 1 Bedroom Apartment - £600+
b) Council Tax - £120
c) Electricity Bill - £50
d) Gas Bill - £50
d) Water Bill - £10
e) Groceries for 1 adults - £150
f) Internet Bill - £15
g) Mobile (PAYG) - £10
i) Landline Phone Rental - £11
j) Miscellaneous - £50
k) public transport £120+ ??

Total: atleast £1,300 a month just to survive

if youre sharing a house rent would be a bit cheaper..

but i would have thought you would need at least £1,500

which is about £25,000 a year

[KeithD]

rough living costs around london

a) 1 Bedroom Apartment - £600+
b) Council Tax - £120
c) Electricity Bill - £50
d) Gas Bill - £50
d) Water Bill - £10
e) Groceries for 1 adults - £150
f) Internet Bill - £15
g) Mobile (PAYG) - £10
i) Landline Phone Rental - £11
j) Miscellaneous - £50
k) public transport £120+ ??

Total: atleast £1,300 a month just to survive

if youre sharing a house rent would be a bit cheaper..

but i would have thought you would need at least £1,500

which is about £25,000 a year

That's cheaper than what I pay now in rural Wales.....I'm off to London

[andypaul]

That's cheaper than what I pay now in rural Wales.....I'm off to London

Didn't one of the moneysaving websites mention that engery prices in wales were far higher than elsewhere. What with asda having the sign in welsh asking for 7.50 while in english it was 5 pound it sounds like its far tougher in wales money wise.

Actually i did some informal research for lenomar this week asking people on who i belive to get wages lower in the payscale how they survie (not saying he would have been) and many said well London is far cheaper if you go to the less well known parts (thought to be rougher) things are not so expensive. Which i have always found to be true.
The biggest reason is no business would survie charging loads for their products or services, when most of the people in the area had little dough themselves.

When in central London walking a few streets you can eat in cafe a cheap meal for 3 or 4 quid all in while up the road a drink is nearer a tenner due to tourists, out of towners and people with more money than sense.

[aromulus]

When in central London walking a few streets you can eat in cafe a cheap meal for 3 or 4 quid all in while up the road a drink is nearer a tenner due to tourists, out of towners and people with more money than sense.

You can have my share of London, apart from the "Bridge"..........

[andypaul]

Considering the choice of job and area 1000 a month is less than could be expected. I think you need to re read and see that i accidently put a week not a month. The rough figures i have are from talking to people i know and meet who work in that field from office workers to what might be called blue collar workers in the support side. For example he may suprise you but the figure i came up with is what we live on minus the extra for my wife. Guess what we live on the outskirts of london.

[bornatbirth]

why dont u house share!

after u get here just look to share a apartment with some others and the costs will be cut by a third and u will make some freinds as well.

after u found a job u like,u can use the tube to get about and u wont need to be the city in to live as it will be more expensive but right next door is a cheaper area in east london.

are u looking at working in a philippino company? its been a few years since i was in london i cant say i ever noticed many philippinos there i guess i never really looked but u may find a house share with other filipinos?

[andypaul]

why dont u house share!

after u get here just look to share a apartment with some others and the costs will be cut by a third and u will make some freinds as well.

after u found a job u like,u can use the tube to get about and u wont need to be the city in to live as it will be more expensive but right next door is a cheaper area in east london.

are u looking at working in a philippino company? its been a few years since i was in london i cant say i ever noticed many philippinos there i guess i never really looked but u may find a house share with other filipinos?

I think he was looking to do that and its true the cheapest way for a young person moving to a new area is to house or flat share saves a fortune in rent and bills.
I have seen local places all in for less than 275 a month for one person in a room and with the ecomonic situation i could see many more householders doing the same. With the four thousand a year i think it is before tax some may prefer to keep it fairly low to avoid tax and paperwork.

Many people from abroad rent a room and find if they can find a person from there culture even if a mixed marriage for example it helps them with homesickness.

The wife had a former workmate who was burmanese who rent a room with a burmanse/brit couple which he loved as they already had cheap service to call home so he just contributed and they often had foods from home which the wife liked he said as the hubby not keen on eating some

I know our local phill food shop always has adverts for rooms from phill families looking for lodgers again not huge rents and most happy if it a phill so they have extra company as well.

[leomar]

Guys, when i ask for your help a couple of days ago i have an offer in one of the bank in canary wharf...

Yesterday i turned it down due to personal and professional reasons, my former boss (working in that bank and the one recruiting me) understands the situation.

But mods, pls don't lock this thread for future references and for those who are Pinoys currently in banking who may need to transfer to London in some oppurtonities.

Thanks very much for your help! I appreciate all your efforts!

[andypaul]

Guys, when i ask for your help a couple of days ago i have an offer in one of the bank in canary wharf...

Yesterday i turned it down due to personal and professional reasons, my former boss (working in that bank and the one recruiting me) understands the situation.

But mods, pls don't lock this thread for future references and for those who are Pinoys currently in banking who may need to transfer to London in some oppurtonities.

Thanks very much for your help! I appreciate all your efforts!

Shame the UK needs all the young talent it can get good luck with your career in Singapore and if you ever come to the UK in the future i hope you have a great stay